A contemporary interpretation of the classic Adirondack chair, the outdoor version of this semi-reclined design uses thermo-oiled ash, a finish that employs a new process of heat-treating and hand-oiling to seal the wood and keep it moisture-resistant. Get it just in time for the new spring season at the Herman Miller store.

Wunderlist HD: While the built-in “Reminders” app on Apple’s iOS mobile operating system is great, it doesn’t sync across non-iOS devices, which can be a bit difficult if you work on a combined Android and iOS team. Wunderlist solves that problem. The thing we love most about the app (in addition to the design, of course) is the ability to share tasks and lists via email, which is an easy way to remind colleagues of any work that needs to be done. Free

Evernote: There is a reason why everyone talks about Evernote so much: it works really well to help you get more things done. The app provides an easily searchable way to organize notes and files, sync them across devices (and platforms), and share them with colleagues. Free

QuickOffice HD: Pretty much the grand dame of office apps that work on both Android tablets and the iPad. And while the price is a bit steep at almost twenty dollars, remember what you’re getting: a very robust Microsoft Office editing suite that works seamlessly on cloud services. $19.99

SyncSpace Shared Whiteboard: We’re just going to come out and say it: shared whiteboards are cool. Being able to sketch together with team members is very useful whether you’re all in the same conference room or across the globe. What sets this app apart from the rest is that the drawing space is zoomable. Collaborative in real time, it works across platforms. Free

What apps help you get work done?

Photos: Joelle Alcaidinho / Apartment Therapy Tech.

We started, therefore, where we always do: with a checklist. The goal was to create a comprehensive listing of everything needed to make an outside “office” as suitable as an indoor one. It began, of course, with the obvious (mobile or home Wi-Fi, laptop, notebook/pen combo). But a few hours and a hundred Google searches later, the list got long—and out of control (noise-reducing headphones! Anti-glare filters! Laptop cooling pads! Paperweights!). Overwhelmed and suddenly intimidated by the idea of our laptop being subjected for even a mere moment to the springtime sunshine, we turned to Joey Roth for a reality check. The industrial designer knows a thing or two about taking work outside, spending a lot of his time designing projects in the bamboo-lined backyard of his Los Angeles home.

“Working outside is more about leaving things behind than acquiring new tools,” he tells us. “It’s easy to mistake tools for ideas, and leaving your normal workspace helps to make the distinction. When I can, I leave my laptop inside and take only a pen, notebook, and cup of tea or coffee with me. The less I take, the more I tend to accomplish.”

Like a majority of us, though, a computer and a connection are still a necessity for Roth. He explains, “90% of my work requires a computer, however, so a laptop with substantial battery life is useful.” And the workspace setup that holds that laptop will vary. On most days, you’ll find him using a weatherproof chair and a simple table created from an old door. But the yard itself works just as well. “I also enjoy working on the ground,” he says.

For Roth, working outside acts as a source of inspiration. “I can get distracted when working, but I get distracted by the right things outside. The movement of bamboo leaves in a breeze inspires me more than the sound of my fridge.” What’s more, he says the benefits of working so close to nature can even perhaps help create better work.

“Work that’s inspired by nature has a chance of being good; work that’s inspired by other work is probably following a trend.”

Consider the checklist ditched. We’ll see you outside.

See new chairs and tables from the Herman Miller Collection Outdoor.

Photos: Joey Roth

“Those Gen X, Y, and Z whippersnappers may be all about mobility and working-wherever-you-are, but we boomers can be adaptable, too, as Robin noted in a previous Discover blog post.

Darn right.

I recently traded my Aeron chair for a campground bench and my home office for a 14-foot trailer and am about to test the limits of all this mobile technology ballyhoo. I’ve only gotten as far as northern Michigan, but so far I’ve learned:

1. I can’t work outside. All that natural light that office workers covet overpowers even the brightest computer monitor and strains my aging eyes. So I’m forced into my cubicle-sized and non-ergonomic office that also is my living space.

2. Wi-Fi is ubiquitous wherever there are people. However, no people; no Wi-Fi. There is, apparently, technology that brings Wi-Fi to your computer via satellite signals, so theoretically I could get it even where cell phones fail. My friend says the device works “like magic,” but I’m testing the limits of my budget before I bite on the added monthly charge.

3. So far, cell phone coverage isn’t bad. Even in the middle of the forest, I can often pick up two bars, which is enough for a semi-dependable conversation—or a call to 911.

4. I can recharge my computer with an inverter attached to my truck battery, but the adapter gets really, really hot.

I haven’t crossed national boundaries yet, or tried, like my Gen-Y daughter, to send photos from Peru, nor have I sampled the smart phone gadgetry beloved by my kids, but so far technology has been reasonably mobile. The biggest adjustment has been losing instant and continuous Internet access, but I’d say the view is worth it.

By Kate Convissor.

Via Discover.”