Drew Davidson is a professor, producer and player of interactive media. His background spans academic, industry and professional worlds. He is the Director of the Entertainment Technology Center at Carnegie Mellon University and the Founding Editor of ETC Press and its Well Played series and journal.

Freyja Wang: What are the apps you use every day, and why do you like them? 

Drew Davidson: I use the basics daily: email, messages, calendar, browser. They just help me keep up when not at my computer, so they help with my overall workflow. I play Words with Friends with my wife continually (she usually wins).  And I’m always playing games. 

FW:  Is there an app you think developers should be working on? 

DD: Better overall integration with voice and all apps. It’s fairly useful now, but it’s cusping on being ubiquitous and transparent. This is going to require some good UX design to help you not even need a screen.  It’s less about having a phone, and more about having an information hub that is a part of your daily life.

FW: Is there an app which surprised you with its usefulness? 

DD: Captio seems almost redundant to email (it just lets you send a quick note to your inbox), but it’s quick and easy way to make sure i never forget anything. 

FW: If you could recommend an app for every arts manager, what would it be? 

DD: Instagram and Vine can be great ways to see what others are doing, and share what you’re doing.