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Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Tally lets you design great free surveys in 60 seconds
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here. Psychologists now know exactly what makes someone cool. Turns out, the definitions are universal 3% mortgage rates aren't dead—housing market sees 127% increase in buyers taking over old loans There's a reason your Sam's Club rotisserie chicken looks different Tally is the best free tool for creating surveys. They're better-looking and more flexible than Google Forms, and they're just as easy to create in 60 seconds. Use it for any kind of survey, whether you're getting feedback from clients or students, collecting RSVPs, or gathering ideas. Get Started: Pick a template or a blank page. Add questions: multiple choice, open text, ranking, or many others. You can ask respondents to upload a file or make a payment. To enhance your design, add text blocks, images, or videos between questions. Free. 99% of the features are available without paying. I haven't upgraded because the free offering is so complete. . Based in Belgium, the company complies with Europe's strict GDPR rules. Its software respects people's privacy. Easy. No complicated menus or settings. As this 30-second video demo illustrates, you can just start typing on a blank page and press ' / ' to add a question from a list of options. For non-techies it's easier than Typeform, Survey Monkey or Qualtrics. Flexible. Works for any kind of form, quiz or survey. Tally is superb for feedback, market research, even selling something, as in these templates: Flexible design. Incorporate video, images or descriptions to create the feel of a readable page that's less bureaucratic than traditional forms. Add a cover image and logo. The forms look great, like Notion pages. They're less generically corporate than Microsoft Forms or Google Forms. Easily shareable. Email your survey, share a link to it—as I did above—or embed it within a site. Connect Tally to other tools. Check a box to easily share whatever data your form collects to Google Sheets, Notion, Slack, or Airtable. These simple integrations help you analyze responses easily. Shortcut: type ' in your browser bar to start a new form, if you're logged in. Aim for 5 to 8 questions. That's the survey sweet spot requiring just 5 to 10 minutes of a respondent's time. Learn from other good surveys. Check examples of others using Tally, a pack of survey templates for growth, and lessons from newsletter surveys cited by Dan Oshinsky's excellent Inbox Collective. Incorporate , sending people to a question based on a prior answer. I tested that in my new Wonder Tools feedback survey above. That ensures people only see questions relevant to them. Use to categorize or summarize text replies. AI can help spot patterns. That's useful when you have hundreds of responses to analyze. First make a copy of survey data, stripping out names and private info. Prompt Claude or ChatGPT for step by step analysis, not all in one shot. With Gemini AI enabled in Google Sheets, ask for AI analysis of responses saved in a sheet. Customize this template I made. Invite people to sign up. Offer programming choices. Spread questions over multiple pages for a clean look. Let anyone provide quick input. Select candidates. Find someone to help you out. 1. Pick a relevant to your project (or start with a blank page).2. Click 'Use this template.'3. Customize the questions.4. Grab the link.5. Share it via email, on social or on a site.6. Return to Tally to see people's responses. . See how many people are accessing your form, where they're coming from, what devices they're using, how long they're spending on your form and where they're dropping off if they don't complete your questions. . If you're experimenting with question wording, you can now roll back to prior versions. . Developers can now build new Tally integrations and automations. Limited visualization options. For charts or detailed visuals, you'll need a different tool. No AI summaries or adaptation. Google Forms can now summarize responses for you with AI assistance. Tally doesn't yet have that capability. New tools like Parliant and BetterFeedback can even adapt questions based on prior responses. Typeform AI helps word questions for you. No mid-range subscription. You can use most Tally features for free, but the pro price of $29/monthly is a big jump for premium features. These include customized confirmation emails, custom domains, and unlimited team collaboration. You can also accept large file uploads (over 10mb) and remove Tally branding. I'm fine with the free plan, which includes unlimited forms and question types. Tally has published its own comparisons with other tools. But here's my take on other good survey tools to consider the next time you're making a form. Free & Fast: works with your existing Google account. It's functional for registration forms or simple feedback surveys, but its features and design have stagnated over the past decade. Elegant and Professional: presents questions one by one, making it less overwhelming for survey respondents than traditional survey tools. It remains superb for multiple reasons. It's expensive, though, and the advanced features are complex. Flexible and Easy: now lets you embed surveys export data to multiple places. They're more flexible than Survey Monkey or Microsoft Forms, which have the stiff design feel of enterprise tools made for mass-market feedback. Premium for Businesses: is another premium alternative for businesses. You can customize fonts and colors, and integrate a form into your CRM or any database. Or trying make an AI agent. For DIY flexibility: works well both for forms and documents. That helps you organize survey responses within existing docs. For team : , like Coda, lets you create forms with responses that flow directly into tables. That helps you sort, filter, analyze and share results efficiently. For preference ranking: is another specialized survey tool I've used and recommend for stack rankings—assessing customer preferences. Ask people to compare a series of paired options to help set priorities. Live polling: is what I prefer for quick live polling during events. This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here. This post originally appeared at to get the Fast Company newsletter: Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Fast Company
04-07-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Tally lets you design great free surveys in 60 seconds
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here. Tally is the best free tool for creating surveys. They're better-looking and more flexible than Google Forms, and they're just as easy to create in 60 seconds. Use it for any kind of survey, whether you're getting feedback from clients or students, collecting RSVPs, or gathering ideas. Get Started: Pick a template or a blank page. Add questions: multiple choice, open text, ranking, or many others. You can ask respondents to upload a file or make a payment. To enhance your design, add text blocks, images, or videos between questions. My 7 favorite Tally features Free. 99% of the features are available without paying. I haven't upgraded because the free offering is so complete. Privacy-focused. Based in Belgium, the company complies with Europe's strict GDPR rules. Its software respects people's privacy. Easy. No complicated menus or settings. As this 30-second video demo illustrates, you can just start typing on a blank page and press ' / ' to add a question from a list of options. For non-techies it's easier than Typeform, Survey Monkey or Qualtrics. Flexible. Works for any kind of form, quiz or survey. Tally is superb for feedback, market research, even selling something, as in these templates: Flexible design. Incorporate video, images or descriptions to create the feel of a readable page that's less bureaucratic than traditional forms. Add a cover image and logo. The forms look great, like Notion pages. They're less generically corporate than Microsoft Forms or Google Forms. Easily shareable. Email your survey, share a link to it—as I did above—or embed it within a site. Connect Tally to other tools. Check a box to easily share whatever data your form collects to Google Sheets, Notion, Slack, or Airtable. These simple integrations help you analyze responses easily. Tips on creating great surveys Shortcut: type ' in your browser bar to start a new form, if you're logged in. Aim for 5 to 8 questions. That's the survey sweet spot requiring just 5 to 10 minutes of a respondent's time. Learn from other good surveys. Check examples of others using Tally, a pack of survey templates for growth, and lessons from newsletter surveys cited by Dan Oshinsky's excellent Inbox Collective. Incorporate conditional logic, sending people to a question based on a prior answer. I tested that in my new Wonder Tools feedback survey above. That ensures people only see questions relevant to them. Use AI to categorize or summarize text replies. AI can help spot patterns. That's useful when you have hundreds of responses to analyze. First make a copy of survey data, stripping out names and private info. Prompt Claude or ChatGPT for step by step analysis, not all in one shot. With Gemini AI enabled in Google Sheets, ask for AI analysis of responses saved in a sheet. Templates to try Newsletter feedback Customize this template I made. Event registration Invite people to sign up. Offer programming choices. Spread questions over multiple pages for a clean look. Simple feedback Let anyone provide quick input. Grant proposal Select candidates. Job application Find someone to help you out. 6 steps to implement your survey 1. Pick a template relevant to your project (or start with a blank page). 2. Click 'Use this template.' 3. Customize the questions. 4. Grab the link. 5. Share it via email, on social or on a site. 6. Return to Tally to see people's responses. What's new with Tally Form Insights. See how many people are accessing your form, where they're coming from, what devices they're using, how long they're spending on your form and where they're dropping off if they don't complete your questions. Version History. If you're experimenting with question wording, you can now roll back to prior versions. Public API beta. Developers can now build new Tally integrations and automations. Limitations Limited visualization options. For charts or detailed visuals, you'll need a different tool. No AI summaries or adaptation. Google Forms can now summarize responses for you with AI assistance. Tally doesn't yet have that capability. New tools like Parliant and BetterFeedback can even adapt questions based on prior responses. Typeform AI helps word questions for you. No mid-range subscription. You can use most Tally features for free, but the pro price of $29/monthly is a big jump for premium features. These include customized confirmation emails, custom domains, and unlimited team collaboration. You can also accept large file uploads (over 10mb) and remove Tally branding. I'm fine with the free plan, which includes unlimited forms and question types. Alternatives Tally has published its own comparisons with other tools. But here's my take on other good survey tools to consider the next time you're making a form. Free & Fast: Google Forms works with your existing Google account. It's functional for registration forms or simple feedback surveys, but its features and design have stagnated over the past decade. Elegant and Professional: Typeform presents questions one by one, making it less overwhelming for survey respondents than traditional survey tools. It remains superb for multiple reasons. It's expensive, though, and the advanced features are complex. Flexible and Easy: Notion Forms now lets you embed surveys export data to multiple places. They're more flexible than Survey Monkey or Microsoft Forms, which have the stiff design feel of enterprise tools made for mass-market feedback. Premium for Businesses: Jotform is another premium alternative for businesses. You can customize fonts and colors, and integrate a form into your CRM or any database. Or trying make an AI agent. For DIY flexibility: Coda works well both for forms and documents. That helps you organize survey responses within existing docs. For team productivity: Airtable, like Coda, lets you create forms with responses that flow directly into tables. That helps you sort, filter, analyze and share results efficiently. For preference ranking: OpinionX is another specialized survey tool I've used and recommend for stack rankings—assessing customer preferences. Ask people to compare a series of paired options to help set priorities.
Fast Company
03-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
How to use AI to find your next job
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here. I've been curious lately: How might AI help my former students—and so many others looking for new jobs—in a challenging and complicated market? My conclusion: AI tools can serve as patient assistants. They can help you organize your search, reflect on career goals, and convey your strengths persuasively. Whether you're pivoting careers or moving up in your field, here's how to leverage AI to stand out and land a great opportunity. 1. Explore career directions What it is: A career visualization tool. See a map of professional fields related to your interests. (See video demo below.) How to use it: Start by typing in a current or previous role, or a type of job that interests you, using up to five words. Then optionally add the name of an organization or industry. The free service then confirms job activities of interest and shows you a variety of related career paths. Pick one at a time to explore. You can then browse current job openings, refining the search based on location, company size, or other factors you care about. Example: I'm not job hunting, but I tested out the service by typing in 'journalist, writer, and educator' as roles and then 'journalism and education' as my industries of interest. See my quick video demo below to see the result. 👇 Why it's useful: I appreciate that Career Dreamer not only suggests a range of relevant fields, but also summarizes what a typical day in those jobs might be like. It also suggests skills you'll develop and other jobs that might follow on that career path. Next step: After exploring potential career paths and looking at available jobs, you can jump into Gemini—Google's equivalent of ChatGPT—for further career planning. Career Dreamer helpfully enables you to copy your career interests and skills—as a summary prompt to your clipboard. You can then jump to Gemini to paste that into a chat about your career plans. 2. Clarify your career priorities What it is: Gemini Gems are customized AI assistants. They are AI models tailored to be helpful in a specific context. One of the template Gems that Google created is a career guide. You can copy the Career Guide gem and edit it with your own professional interests. How to use it: Start by conducting a thorough 'soul-searching' reverse interview with Gemini. Rather than Gemini answering your questions, task it to ask you the questions. Have it consistently nudge you to dig deeper into your own preferences, attitudes, objectives, and needs. Then have it summarize what you've said. You'll get better at understanding and articulating your own career perspectives. Try this career self-interview prompt: Give this prompt to Gemini or another AI tool of your choice to conduct a reverse interview. As Gemini—or another AI assistant—interviews you, you'll develop a richer understanding of your own job preferences. Next steps: Use your Gemini Gem AI assistant throughout your job search to help clarify your own objectives and strengths, and to support you in developing your job search strategy. 3. Research target companies What it's useful for: Unlike typical AI chat queries, Deep Research requests enable an AI model to autonomously develop an exhaustive report after searching the Web, examining hundreds of sites and other research resources, and completing a detailed, multistep analysis. You can use these personalized reports to learn more about industries of interest and specific aspects of companies that intrigue you. How to use it: Toggle on the 'Deep Research' button in the ChatGPT box. Type a detailed query with your specific interests, skills, and the types of organizations you're curious about. Request a comprehensive table of relevant companies with detailed information about culture, growth trajectories, or whatever else. Benefits: Learn valuable context about companies you may apply to—and discover new organizations you weren't aware of. Use this research to tailor your applications and to prepare for interviews by understanding industry trends. Pricing note: You get five free Deep Research queries a month on ChatGPT's free plan, as of May 2025, or more on a paid plan. Gemini offers a good free Deep Research alternative. Perplexity also offers free Deep Research reports, though they're not as thorough. Alternative tools: Exa's Websets is a powerful—and pricey —new pro AI search tool that organizes results into a detailed table. It can draw on datasets like these, helping you identify great companies to target based on your own criteria. 4. Organize your search What it does: Lets you set up a dedicated AI folder for your career search. You can provide instructions and resource files so that every chat you have in this project takes into account the relevant context of your job search. How to use it: Provide detailed instructions for how you'd like the AI assistant to help. Try having it guide you in building a realistic timeline for preparing applications, sending follow-ups, and reaching out for informational interviews. Ask it to assist you in designing a structured daily job search agenda. If you're applying to many different positions and have lots of tasks to juggle, it can help to organize your plans. Advanced tactic: You can upload examples of your past outreach messages or other writings as project resources. That will enable the AI assistant to help you draft new emails in your own style, whether you're letting people know you're open to new opportunities or reaching out to new contacts. Organize your job search tasks: ChatGPT's ' Scheduled Tasks ' feature can help by sending you custom reminders. That could include an automated daily reminder of specific tasks to complete to maintain momentum. You can even ask it to periodically send encouraging messages to keep you inspired throughout what can be a lengthy, stressful process. Free alternative: ChatGPT's Projects require a paid plan, which starts at $20 per month. For a free alternative, create a Gemini Gem with similar functionality. 5. Polish your job application materials Recommended Tool: Claude Projects What it does: Gives you personalized AI assistance to help polish any materials you're creating. Give it specific instructions and upload background documents to ensure that it understands your preferences, strengths, and style. I have Claude Projects set up to assist with most of the things I work on, from new classes I'm developing to volunteering projects. Here's why I recommend this. How to use it: Upload past cover letters, résumés, lists of accomplishments, awards, vision statements, or anything else you've created that you might want to build on for a new application. In your project instructions, guide the AI to maintain your authentic voice as represented in your prior writings. Ask for feedback on writing you're submitting, with prompts that specify the kinds of input that will be most useful—from grammar, spelling, and syntax suggestions to warnings about exaggerations, clichés, jargon, or redundancy. Request suggestions for additional information to include, based on the job descriptions you're targeting. Using the personalized AI assistant for feedback allows you to highlight your unique human value, avoiding generic AI-generated content. Alternatives ChatGPT's Projects and Custom GPTs have similar functionality. You can add resource files and instructions to adjust how the AI assistants support you. Perplexity Spaces also allow you to organize prompt threads and add custom documents and instructions. Gemini Gems, noted above, offer a free alternative. I prefer the quality of Claude's responses and some of its features, like a custom editing style I've trained it to use. 6. Practice for interviews Recommended tool: ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode How to use it: Brainstorm interview questions specific to your target role, industry, and even the particular company you're applying to. Then practice answering these questions using voice mode for a realistic simulation. Build your confidence by practicing how you'll answer various questions. Read more about seven ways to use Advanced Voice Mode. Ask for detailed feedback on your responses. Prompt your voice assistant to highlight strong points and suggest areas for improvement. Ask it to be as specific as possible and to help you practice strengthening your responses. Ask it to help you prepare for whatever interview context you expect to encounter, from technical questions and case studies to fact-based questions or casual, open-ended lunch conversations. Pricing: Full access to ChatGPT's Advanced Voice Mode requires a paid plan, but free users can access a daily preview of advanced voice mode powered by a model slightly less advanced than the top paid models. Alternatives Microsoft Copilot Voice is now completely free. Choose from eight voices. You can even adjust the voice speed. I like Wave, with his British-sounding accent, at 1.25 speed. Gemini Live from Google is also an excellent voice AI assistant. Like ChatGPT Advanced Voice Mode, it can even use computer vision to comment on something you show it. Initiate a conversation while pointing your phone camera at a company's leadership org chart, for example, or public balance sheet, or a list of questions you've handwritten. Bonus tip: If your job search involves speaking or understanding multiple languages, you can use these voice models to practice speaking or listening in any number of tongues. It's a great way to practice live language skills.
Fast Company
19-05-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
9 ways to use AI for deep research
This article is republished with permission from Wonder Tools, a newsletter that helps you discover the most useful sites and apps. Subscribe here. The AI search landscape is transforming at breakneck speed. New 'Deep Research' tools from ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity autonomously search and gather information from dozens—even hundreds—of sites, then analyze and synthesize it to produce comprehensive reports. While a human might take days or weeks to produce these 30-page citation-backed reports, AI Deep Research reports are ready in minutes. Traditional AI queries deliver isolated answers to specific questions, while Deep Research tools conduct sophisticated investigations with dozens of interconnected searches. It's like the difference between a quick reference check and a thorough research expedition. Nine Practical Ways to Use AI for Deep Research AI research tools shine when you need comprehensive information on complex topics. Here are specific use cases where they excel: 1. Craft Custom Itineraries Create detailed, personalized travel plans by specifying your destination, dates, activity preferences, budget, cultural interests, and whatever else is important to you. These AI-generated itineraries often surface unexpected gems. When planning a family trip recently, my wife and I discovered a fantastic farm stay in Pennsylvania through a Perplexity query. We wouldn't have found it otherwise. Use the results as a starting point to identify interesting possibilities, then follow up with targeted research. Specify dietary preferences, accessibility needs, and your taste in accommodations, restaurants, and entertainment, for more tailored recommendations. I've saved a block of text about this to reuse. Use follow-up queries to get more specifics on attractions or activities that appeal to you, or to compare and contrast potential itineraries. Example: Deep Research itinerary for a family vacation in Brookline, MA. Compare results from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, and Copilot. 2. Compile Organization Reports Get comprehensive backgrounders on companies, non-profits, or any organization in minutes rather than clicking through dozens of search results. Compare similar organizations or competitors Specify format. Maybe you'd like a case study format, a topical report, a chronological history, or an industry context analysis. Specify metrics of interest like funding history, revenue growth patterns, leadership changes, media coverage trends, law suits, or anything else you care about. For closely-held private organizations data may be scarce, so read results skeptically. Advanced tip: Copy excerpts from Deep Research reports into Claude to transform them into visual dashboards—including charts and interactive elements—using Claude Artifacts. You can share those with colleagues. Watch: Grace Leung's helpful video illustrates how and why to try this. Example: Deep Research report on Trader Joe's. 3. Research Notable People Explore backgrounds of news figures, historical personalities, or even fictional characters. Request specific information like podcast appearances, YouTube videos, or published works to build a well-rounded understanding of the individual. Ask about connections between the person and influential contemporaries Ask for lesser-known background details or contributions often overlooked Specify time periods to focus on particular life phases or epochs Example: Deep Research on Michel de Montaigne. 4. Explore Complex Concepts Learn about complex topics in any field—from botany to venture capital—with AI-structured explanations tailored to your knowledge level. Ask for real-world examples, analogies, anecdotes, quotes, common misconceptions, and step-by-step explanations. Ask for quiz or discussion questions to test your understanding. After reading the report, generate an AI tutor with a Custom GPT, Gemini Gem, or Poe bot to further strengthen your understanding. Example: Applications for AI in medical diagnosis via Gemini & Perplexity. 5. Discover Places in Depth Investigate a place's historical significance, cultural development, architecture, art, music, literature, or economic, social, or political history. I find this richer, personalized context can feel more resonant than a more generic travel guide. Ask about little-known local events, hidden gems, or notable personalities Specify your interest in fashion, architecture, history, sports, or whatever else Products too: Get a backgrounder on a new type of oven you're considering, or pianos that might suit your home. Example: Help me learn about Coolidge Corner in Brookline, Massachusetts. 6. Analyze Debates and Controversies Explore complex controversies from multiple perspectives. Examine international conflicts, ethical debates, or local issues. Deep Research reports can present multiple viewpoints with examples and evidence to deepen your understanding of nuances. You can also ask for notable quotes and an annotated reading list. Ask how the debate has evolved over time and who has been involved Specify that you want evidence-based arguments from multiple disciplines Ask for areas of common ground between opposing viewpoints 7. Decode Cultural Works Gain insights into books, paintings, music, or other creative works by exploring critical analyses, historical context, and expert interpretations. This works particularly well when you're in the middle of reading a book or have just encountered an intriguing piece of art. At the Metropolitan Museum of Art last week, I saw Tang Dynasty zodiac figurines and asked AI to help me learn about them. (More info & a generated image). Caveat: as a non-expert learning about something new, I'm not always in a strong position to assess the merits of AI analysis. When in doubt, it's helpful to have cited sources for gauging the quality of the information. 9. Examine Historical Context Explore historical events through multiple lenses – political, economic, social, and cultural. Direct your AI research assistant to focus on specific date ranges, if relevant. Ask it draw from diverse sources across countries and perspectives. Example: Help me learn more about the history of the Dozier School for Boys. When Deep Research isn't your best option Use other tools when you're not looking for a comprehensive research report, but instead want something quick, or for: Simple factual questions like award winners or sports results are better addressed with basic Google or Perplexity searches. Breaking news where online info is limited. Multimedia searches may work better with specialized search engines, like Listen Notes for finding someone's podcast appearances. Paywalls If the open Web lacks relevant info, don't expect miracles. Further Caveats The bottom line: Check the source list before diving into a report. When you know of high quality sources, reference them in your prompt. This Claude thread helped me include high-quality sources for my Trader Joe's inquiry. Keep an eye out for errors. Verify info in these reports. The presence of citations doesn't guarantee accuracy. For example, some sources may publish estimates that get treated by an AI search agent as definitive data. Research is only as good as its sources. Some subjects lack extensive source material. AI research reports may, in such cases, rely heavily on publishers with flimsy fact-checking or an axe to grind. How to strengthen Deep Research queries The quality of your prompt significantly impacts your results: Be detailed about your topic, reasons for interest, and how you'll use the information Unlike standard Google searches where you only provide keywords, deep research queries benefit from detailed direction. Guide your AI research assistant on specific areas of focus, recommended sourcing, prior context, and formatting: how best to present its findings. Specify your preferred tone & format —tables, lists, pros/cons, bullets Request tables for comparing options, pro/con lists for debates, or categorized lists for resources like podcasts, videos, and books. You can even customize language complexity—graduate-level analysis vs beginner-friendly simplicity. Provide context about your existing knowledge and audience Mention what you already know. If you'll be sharing a report with colleagues, clarify that specific audience's context. If you want something brief, say so. Be patient. Quality research isn't instant. While Gemini and Perplexity typically deliver results within a few minutes, ChatGPT's deeper analysis can take a half hour. The thoroughness of these results justifies the wait vs. instant but shallower search results.
