A continuously curated companion to Nick's ATD26 library — tools, apps, and services the Sealworks team actually uses to build learning experiences.
Curated by Nick, updated continuously. Every app is battle-tested in real studio workflows before it lands on the list.
The learning-tech landscape moves fast. New AI models drop weekly, new note-taking apps go viral monthly, new collaboration tools ship quarterly — and most of them don't actually help you do the work.
Cool Apps for Learning is the answer. It's Nick's running list of tools that earn their place — the ones he recommends to clients, teaches in workshops, and opens every day at the studio.
It pairs with this ATD26 resource library. The library is the snapshot; CoolApps is the ongoing feed.
Every post circles back to one question: does this make the learning work better?
Claude, ChatGPT, NotebookLM, ElevenLabs — what's working, what's hype, what to integrate next.
Figma workflows, rapid prototyping techniques, and the apps that speed up iteration.
Phone and tablet apps that make you more creative, more productive, or just more human.
Descript, Loom, OBS, and the gear that makes remote video feel present.
How distributed studios actually coordinate — the tools, the rituals, the real talk.
What's emerging in L&D, what's worth adopting, what to skip.
The feed updates weekly with apps, workflows, and ideas worth stealing.