Tags: Adaptive technology, apps, iPhone, VoiceOver, Workflow
I recently found an app that reminds me of my days way back when I was a computer programmer. I had learned to program like everyone else back in the late eighties and early nineties by writing lines and lines of code to make the computer do what we wanted it to do. Then, in the mid-nineties a revolution began to take seed, visual programming. All of the sudden, I could create programs by dragging and dropping routines onto a screen and adding just a few lines of code. Okay, this is not a history lesson, but rather a story about a new iOS app called Workflow.
What’s Workflow?
Put simply, the Workflow app allows you to automate tasks you perform on your iOS device. You drag tasks from a list of tasks on the left side of the screen to the workflow on the right side one at a time until you have created the workflow you need. That is pretty much it. You can keep workflows you create in the Workflow app, meaning you would need to start Workflow to run them. You can also save workflows to your home screen similar to an app.
Example, please!
I hear most of you saying “can you give me an example?” Yes, I can. The tutorial that comes with Workflow walks you through creating a workflow to take a picture with the camera, turn it into a gif file, preview it and then post it to Facebook. Another example of a workflow you can create is a tip guide. To create a tip guide, you can create a workflow that would first ask for the amount of your bill, then it would run a calculation to multiply that amount by the percentage you want to give. Finally, the app would put up an alert box with your suggested tip. The list of tasks you can perform seems endless. Not enough? There is a gallery of already created workflows that may meet your needs. It is almost like having a free app store!
More Info
Do you want to learn more about Workflow? The place I turn to first for app info is www.applevis.com. Enter Workflow in the search box and you’ll find the podcast about workflow. The price has been changing because of new improvements to the app. Last time we checked it was $6.99. Workflow is available in Apple’s App Store.
David is the Manager of Adaptive Technology at Second Sense. He teaches all our computer training classes, including workshops on making the most of Apple products using VoiceOver.