The worst part (or perhaps the most fun for some) of getting a new laptop is setting up everything you need as a web developer. Adding programs and tools that you had installed over the many years of ownership of your previous laptop can seem daunting. With the release of the new Macbook M1 laptops, there are some interesting new considerations as well that you may not be aware of. So, let's jump in and get the basics set up so you can hit the ground running developing your next project.

## Rosetta 2

The first thing you should install is [Rosetta 2](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/apple_silicon/about_the_rosetta_translation_environment), which allows you to run Intel-based software on the new ARM chip. Because Apple has created their own chips they needed a way to provide backward compatibility with programs that do not yet support ARM and Rosetta 2 is that solution.

`/usr/sbin/softwareupdate --install-rosetta --agree-to-license`

## Homebrew

[Homebrew](https://brew.sh/) will be the best way to add the other software and tools on our computer, so we want to install that next. A quick tip that is good to know is when you go to open the built-in Terminal in the Applications folder: right-click, select *Get Info,* and check the *Open with Rosetta* box.

`/bin/bash -c "$(curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Homebrew/install/HEAD/install.sh)"`

## Tools

There are a lot of tools to consider when setting up your Macbook from scratch, so one of the quickest ways to add a lot of the important ones is to use a script. I recommend [the script created by the author](https://github.com/CxGarcia/setup) of the original post that this is based on, but feel free to use a different one or modify this one for yourself.

Opening the downloaded script folder in your terminal you can choose to run the install script or modify what will be installed from the brew-installs.sh file. Once you're satisfied, run the script.

Some of the tools and applications included in the script are:

* MongoDB
* node
* git
* zsh
* Firefox
* Chrome
* VSCode
* Zoom
* Slack
* Discord
* Notion
* and more...

`./brew-installs.sh`

**Note:** if it doesn't work try running `chmod +x brew-installs.sh` first

## nvm

Something that is not included in the script is [nvm](https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm) because there have been difficulties installing this with the ARM chip. To get around this you will have to use a `curl` command and make a couple of modifications afterward.

`curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.37.2/install.sh | bash`

In your .zshrc file (.bash-profile or .bashrc for bash):

```
export NVM_DIR="$HOME/.nvm"
#This loads nvm
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/nvm.sh"
#This loads nvm bash_completion
[ -s "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion" ] && \. "$NVM_DIR/bash_completion"
```

## Git and GitHub

Git was installed with the brew install script so make sure to configure the settings and [use a personal access token to authenticate GitHub](https://docs.github.com/en/github/authenticating-to-github/creating-a-personal-access-token).

```
git config --global user.name < USERNAME > &&
git config --global user.email < EMAIL > &&
git config --global --list
```

## VSCode

Make sure to use the [Settings Sync plugin](https://marketplace.visualstudio.com/items?itemName=Shan.code-settings-sync) to keep all of your VSCode settings in sync with a stored GitHub gist.

## Conclusion

You should now be all set to start developing! Thanks to the script many tools and applications were installed for us, minimizing the manual install process.

## Credit

*Today’s Tuesday Tips was adapted from [a post on the Logrocket blog](https://blog.logrocket.com/set-up-macbook-for-web-development-in-20-minutes/).*

## Success as a Creative in 2021

Last year changed the game for most designers as we had to find new ways to be collaborative, adaptive, and productive in a different environment. Hopefully, 2021 brings better predictability, but regardless it is important to stay up to date with trends and learn new skills. The latest post on Dribbble's blog outlines [how to get ahead as a digital creative in 2021](https://dribbble.com/stories/2021/01/21/bannersnack-tips-for-creative-success). With tips like learn to work with new tools and work on your management skills, it is a great overall guide to get your professional career started off right this year.

## Chrome 88

As of last Tuesday, version 88 of the Chrome browser has begun to roll out to the stable release. This version brings some great new features for developers such as manifest v3 for Chrome extensions and the *aspect-ratio* CSS property for any element. There are tons of new features, bug fixes, deprecations, and more to read about, so check out the [release post on the Chrome Developer blog](https://developer.chrome.com/blog/new-in-chrome-88/).

## Performant Animations and Micro-Interactions

There's no doubt about it, animations give your website that next-level, polished look. But there is a fine line between tasteful animations that enhance the experience and animation for animation's sake. Luckily, Logrocket is here to help with a recent post from their blog that explains [how to design highly performant animations and micro-interactions](https://blog.logrocket.com/how-to-design-highly-performant-animations-and-micro-interactions/). This highly detailed guide breaks down the importance of performance on website speed and accessibility through actionable examples, like trying to stick to the composition properties *transform* and *opacity.*


## Starting a Freelance Business

Starting a freelance business is the dream for many web designers and developers. Making your own schedule and working from anywhere are some of the benefits but there are also many cons to consider. Before you quit your full-time job and dive right in, read through [Sunday's post from Pixel77](https://pixel77.com/freelance-web-design-business/) about things to consider when creating a freelance business and actionable steps to start with.

## Finding Freelance Clients

So, you've started a freelance business, now comes the important part: getting clients. Before you start, take a look at the [post from earlier this month on creative.onl](https://www.creative.onl/how-to-find-web-design-clients/) that gives several suggestions on how to earn new clients for your business. They vary from proposals to content marketing to referrals and give methods for succeeding at each.

## Habits of Successful Freelancers

Now that you have your business and you are getting clients, how do you maintain and grow your business? The key is creating habits to make your business life consistent and run smoothly. There are several habits you can adopt, many of which are outlined in [yesterday's post on Dribbble](https://dribbble.com/stories/2020/09/02/habits-successful-freelance-designers), including setting up systems and marketing daily.



## Fresh Content Marketing Strategies

As freelancers, we are always looking for new ways to establish our business as an expert in our respective fields. Content marketing has always been a staple strategy to drive our business forward, examples being blogs, ebooks, webinars, and podcasts. But it is important to be on the lookout for new strategies to help elevate our businesses to the top of the leaderboards. Check out yesterday's [post on The Next Web for content marketing strategies](https://thenextweb.com/growth-quarters/2020/08/26/7-fresh-content-marketing-strategies-you-havent-tried-plus-8-classic-ones-syndication/), both old and fresh.

## Google vs Netlify Analytics

Google Analytics has been around for a long time and has been a standard for every website. However, the age of serverless has brought about Netlify and their analytics service. For me, it can be hard to tell exactly how my analytics data is formed and it certainly becomes an overwhelming amount of information. Having had no experience with Netlify's analytics I found [Jim Nielsen's July blog post](https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/2020/google-vs-netlify-analytics/) to be incredibly informational as he compares the two services. The post is very in-depth and even offers some conflicting analytics between the two, which still makes me wonder just how accurate any of these services are.

## Increasing Productivity in the Workplace

If you're like me (and a lot of other people) you may struggle to be productive during your workday. Especially now with so many people still working from home or adjusting to the new normal in a changed office setting, it is perhaps the hardest it has ever been to be productive. A [post yesterday by actiTime highlighted some key ways to boost productivity](https://www.actitime.com/productivity/increase-productivity-in-the-workplace/) and each is backed a great person in history who suggested it. If you're looking for some new ways to boost your productivity or just need a refresher, give the article a read!


Posts Tagged with "productivity"

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