Published on <a href="https://blog.prototypr.io/how-i-keep-ux-tasks-organized-with-atom-31cafd5215d1?source=rss----eb297ea1161a---4">| Prototyping: From UX to Front End &mdash; Medium</a> John Manhart 
<h4>My UX workload was overwhelming, until I discovered the power of Atom. Here’s how it can help you, too.</h4>
<img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*JErXCJhBV4REw9Jo-XcG9A.gif">
<blockquote>TL;DR: <a href="https://atom.io/">Atom</a> (along with some siick packages) lets you write and manage all your UX documentation easily using Markdown. And the best news is that it’s free!</blockquote>
I recently started working for a massive engineering company. Between all the meetings, work sessions and new hire on-boarding, I found myself swimming in content. Most of my notes and task lists were spread across emails, random Word docs, job briefs and varying shades of Post-It notes. After about four months on the job, my desk looked like this…
<img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*TmA3bqsD8dxCkPRE5xDr0Q.gif">Actual Footage
I used to rely heavily on Evernote and Google docs to organize my workflow, but cloud-based services were not an option at my new job. I tried using Microsoft Word, but that six hours crushed my soul. Then I decided to give Atom a try. I do not regret this decision.
I actually first discovered Atom while working as a Developer in 2015. I knew the developer/package community supporting Atom was very expansive, so I thought that it might be able to help me with my current workflow demands. After some research, including reading this in-depth <a href="https://medium.com/of-all-things-tech-progress/how-to-set-up-atom-for-writing-b2a9f5bee1f7">article</a>, I jumped on the Markdown and Atom train.
<h3>☝ Atom</h3>
To get started, you are obviously going to need to <a href="https://atom.io/">Atom</a>. It’s free and available on both Windows and Mac. After installing the program, pick up these additional packages:
<ol>
<li>🔎 <a href="https://atom.io/packages/markdown-preview-plus">Markdown Preview Plus</a> — This is an essential package for viewing Markdown within Atom.</li>
<li>🔎 <a href="https://atom.io/packages/markdown-pdf">Markdown to PDF</a> — Convert any Markdown file to a PDF. A PDF will save in the same directory as your .MD file (.MD is the Markdown file extension.).</li>
<li>🔎 <a href="https://atom.io/packages/spell-check">Spell Check</a> — Helps clean up not only your own work, but those of your coworkers, as well.</li>
</ol>
<blockquote>TIP: To install Packages in Atom use this shortcut (⌘ + , ) to bring up the Core Settings ➜ Packages ➜ Installed Packages ➜ Search..</blockquote>
But …What Is Markdown? Markdown is a lightweight language with plain text formatting! If you need more than that sentence (seriously read more about Markdown), below are my go-to articles about the formatting and history of Markdown.
<ul>
<li><a href="https://blog.ghost.org/markdown/">Excellent Crash Course on Basics</a> by Ghost</li>
<li><a href="https://github.com/adam-p/markdown-here/wiki/Markdown-Cheatsheet">Useful Markdown cheatsheet</a> by <a href="https://github.com/adam-p">Adam Pritchard</a></li>
<li><a href="http://commonmark.org/help/">History of Markdown</a> by CommonMark</li>
</ul>
<h3>✌️ Now, Use These Sweet Package Shortcuts!</h3>
(Mac only shortcuts below 🙁)
Toggling Markdown Preview ( ⇧ + ⌃ + M ) – This is the most important shortcut for this workflow. The preview window is essential for formatting. The hot-loading capabilities within this package make trial and error very pleasant, as well.
<img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*fzPklhC-aSnyr6tlz4OW8w.gif">Shift ⇧ + Control ⌃ + M
Generating a PDF ( ⌃ + ⇧ + C ) — Quick shortcut for saving a PDF of your Markdown file. The PDF will be saved in the same directory as your .MD file.
<img alt="" src="https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1024/1*c1Z1sHjuuyKSE58RlhHn1Q.gif">Control ⌃ + Shift ⇧ + C
Bonus Helpful Atom Shortcuts
<ul>
<li>Toggle Atom’s Treeview ( ⌘ + \ )</li>
<li>Search the File ( ⌘ + f) &amp; Search the Directory ( ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + f )</li>
<li>Multiple Cursors ( ⌘ + location )</li>
<li>Duplicate Line ( ⌘ + Shift ⇧ + D)</li>
</ul>
In my few months of using Atom in this manner, I’ve found the program to be very hackable, and the possibilities are limitless. So if you’re looking for a safe, free and stable manner to manage your notes, and you like to learn new skills, I definitely suggest giving this workflow a try .
Thanks for reading! This article is intended for set up and getting started. A follow up article of how I use this set up will be coming soon!
<h4>Stay Tuned! ✌️</h4>
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<a href="https://blog.prototypr.io/how-i-keep-ux-tasks-organized-with-atom-31cafd5215d1">How I keep UX tasks organized with Atom.</a> was originally published in <a href="https://blog.prototypr.io">prototypr</a> on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

How I keep UX tasks organized with Atom.

My UX workload was overwhelming, until I discovered the power of Atom. Here’s how it can help you, too.

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