Our Team’s Favorite Things – AI Edition
By: Bill Henderson

These are tools in our utility belt. None are our only tool for any job, and we never ship a deliverable that’s fully AI-generated. Everything we do keeps a human at the helm.

Core AI tools we rely on

• ChatGPT – Great for brainstorming, outlining, and breaking through early idea blocks.
• Claude – Strong for long-form drafting, structured thinking, early concepting, and quick coding help when we’re working through ideas.
• Gemini – Useful for quick tasks and anything tied into Google’s ecosystem.
  

Creative tools (moodboards + concepting only)

• MidJourney – Helps us explore mood, style, and direction before real design work begins
  
• Sora (OpenAI) – Inspires early video concepts and visual tone references.
  
• Veo3 / NanoBanana (Gemini) – Good for shaping graphic/motion concepts and early video energy.
  
• Google AI Studio – Helpful for testing models, rapid prototyping, and exploring ideas in a lightweight workspace
  
  

Workflow + operations

• Make – Lets us automate repetitive pieces so our team can focus on strategy. 
• Zapier – Connects tools and keeps small tasks moving smoothly.
  
• Notion – Our shared brain for planning, documenting, and project collaboration.
  
• Cursor – Great for collaborative coding, refactoring, and moving faster on technical prototypes with AI-assisted development.
  
• OpenRouter – Easy way to test multiple AI models in one place and compare how they handle coding, writing, and concepting tasks
  
• MyMind – A personal favorite for capturing ideas, saving inspiration, and keeping creative thinking organized.

Audio + content handling

• Descript – Edits audio, cleans up recordings, and provides reliable transcripts.
  
• MacWhisper – Fast offline transcription for internal use

Keeping up

• TLDR – Straightforward updates on tech and AI.
  
• The Marketing Millennials – Trends, ideas, and inspiration that spark good conversations.