You’ve got fifteen apps open. Three projects need your attention. Client calls in an hour. Your mouse is chasing Slack across monitors while your code editor hides somewhere on the other screen. The macOS Dock jumps between displays like it’s playing hide and seek. You know exactly what you need to do, but you’re spending half your energy just finding the tools to do it.
This is what broken workflow management looks like.
Most workflow management advice is generic stuff written for people who work in spreadsheets all day. But if you’re a multitasker working on multiple projects, a designer switching between clients, or a freelancer doing six different jobs, that advice is useless. You need systems that work with how macOS actually works – and more importantly, systems that fix its problems.
The problem? macOS gives you one Dock for everything. One strip of icons trying to handle every project, every task, every workflow. That limitation is where your workflow management could break down.
This guide shows you a different way. Instead of cramming everything into one overcrowded Dock, you’ll learn to build workflow-specific docks positioned exactly where you need them. Different tools for different tasks. Different docks for different work modes. Your physical screen layout finally matches how you think about work.
Let’s fix your workflow management.
Photo by Daan Stevens
The Problem With Traditional macOS Workflow Management
Walk into any productivity workshop and they’ll teach you about time blocking, task batching, and priority lists. All useful ideas. None of them fix the actual problem Mac users face every single day.
The problem is spatial chaos.
You’ve organized your work in your head. Clean separation in your mind. But when you sit down at your Mac, everything lives in one messy Dock. Communication apps mixed with dev tools mixed with design software mixed with utilities you rarely use.
Your brain knows you’re in “development mode,” but your Dock shows you 30 icons from every possible task. You waste mental energy filtering through noise. Then the Dock decides to jump to your other monitor, and you waste more energy chasing it.
Multi-monitor setups make this mess worse. You’ve got three screens doing three different jobs, but you’ve got one Dock serving all three. The left monitor handles communication. The center runs your main work. The right shows documentation. But all the apps for all three tasks share the same Dock, which randomly appears on whichever screen your mouse last visited.
Most workflow management advice ignores this completely. They tell you to organize your digital life, but they don’t explain that macOS won’t let you organize it by screen. They assume you can just “focus better” while your tools are scattered everywhere.
Here’s what real Mac workflow management needs: a way to separate tasks physically, not just mentally.
What Mac Workflow Management Actually Needs
Good workflow management on Mac requires four things most users don’t have:
Context separation: When you switch from coding to communication, your tools should switch too. Not buried in the same Dock. Not hidden behind fifteen other icons. Different task, different tool set, visible and organized.
Spatial consistency: Your brain builds muscle memory based on where things are. If your communication apps live on the left screen Monday morning, they should be on the left screen Tuesday afternoon. When tools move around randomly, your brain has to relearn where they are constantly. Ain’t nobody got time for that.
Quick access: You shouldn’t hunt for apps. EVER. When you’re in development mode and need Terminal, your hand needs to know exactly where to go. When you’re in communication mode and need Slack, same thing. Zero searching. Zero looking through crowded Docks. Just instant access.
Visual clarity: You should be able to look at your workspace and know what mode you’re in. Or at the very least, when you look at certain places on your screen, you know the apps you’re looking for will be there.
Now I have mentioned mutliple times already Multiple docks, if that confuses you, don’t worry – I got you.
The missing piece for all of this? ExtraDock.
One Dock can serve multiple tasks well if you’re working only doing one thing. Otherwise, impossible. You can’t have communication tools on the left screen and development tools on the center screen if you only have one Dock that jumps between screens. You can’t build muscle memory when your tool strip keeps on moving…
This is where most Mac users give up. They accept the chaos. They memorize keyboard shortcuts for everything. They use Spotlight to launch apps they can’t find. They waste brain power managing tool access instead of doing actual work.
But there’s a better way. Instead of fighting macOS’s single-dock limit, you can work around it completely by creating multiple independent docks – one for each workflow or screen, one for applications and another for files and folders, you choose.
The Multi-Dock Approach to Workflow Management
Here’s the main idea: one dock per workflow or screen.
Instead of one massive Dock trying to do everything, you create focused docks for specific workflows. Each dock holds the apps for that task. Each dock stays exactly where you put it. No jumping. No hunting. Just the right tools in the right place for the right work.
How this changes workflow management:
Communication workflows get their own dock. Slack, Mail, Messages, Calendar, Zoom.
That’s it. When you’re handling client communication or team coordination, everything you need sits on the screen where you’re already looking. No mouse trips to other displays.
Development workflows get their own dock. Terminal, GitHub Desktop, Docker, testing tools.
When you’re coding, you see only coding tools. The communication dock is still there on the left or wherever you put it – if you need it, but it’s not fighting for attention in your main workspace.
Creative workflows get their own dock. Figma, asset folders, design files, color pickers, whatever your creative brains require.
When you’re in design mode, design tools are front and center. How else will you create that perfect logo?
Admin workflows get their own dock. Finder, browsers, note-taking apps – utilities.
Each workflow gets its own space. You’re not mixing tasks. You’re not scanning through icons you don’t need. Your eyes go to the screen that handles that type of work, and the tools you need are already there waiting.
Real Example: A Freelancer’s Multi-Dock Setup
Take Bobby Bob, a freelance developer who also handles client communication and some design work. Three monitors. Five different workflows:
Left Monitor – Communication Dock (vertical, left edge) Slack Mail Calendar Zoom
Center Monitor (1) – Primary Development Dock (bottom edge) Cursor (Bob’s favorite vibe coding IDE) Terminal GitHub Desktop
Center Monitor (2) – Secondary Development Dock (top edge, auto-hide) Docker Desktop Postman Database client Documentation folder
Right Monitor – Design Dock (vertical, right edge) Figma Asset folder Design Specifications file
Laptop Screen – Admin Dock Finder Safari Notes Time tracking app
Five docks. Five tasks. When Bobby Bob switches from coding to client calls, the change is visual and instant. Look left, see communication dock, brain understands: communication mode. Look center, see development dock, brain understands: coding mode.
This is spatial workflow management. Your physical screen layout matches how you think about work. Task separation isn’t just an idea – it’s literally visible in how your workspace is organized.
This approach fixes the problem macOS creates with its single-dock limit. You’re not fighting the system. You’re building a better system on top of it.
ExtraDock makes this possible. It’s the tool that lets you create multiple independent docks positioned exactly where you need them. Each dock holds apps, folders, and files. Each dock is customizable – size, color, opacity, layout, auto-hide behavior. Each dock remembers its position even when you unplug monitors.
You’re not replacing the macOS Dock. You’re adding task-specific docks that actually serve your workflow needs. The default Dock can stay at the bottom of your main screen for system stuff, or you can hide it completely. Up to you.
The point is: you finally have the tool access workflow management actually requires.
Multi-Monitor Workflow Management
Multiple monitors need multiple docks. It’s not optional. It’s the only way multi-monitor setups make sense.
Here’s why: You are probably already doing this instinctively – allocating a different job to each screen.
One Dock can’t serve three tasks. It can’t be on all three screens at once. It jumps between them based on cursor position, which means you’re constantly chasing it. Your workflow management system should stop hunting.
Ultrawide Setup Considerations
Ultrawides are tricky because they’re so wide that horizontal docks either look weird or don’t use the space well.
Better approach: vertical docks on both ends of the ultrawide. Left edge dock for one task, right edge dock for another task. The massive horizontal space in between stays clear for windows.
If you’re running ultrawide + laptop, treat the ultrawide as two virtual screens. Dock on the left third handles one workflow. Dock on the right third handles another. Laptop gets a third workflow dock.
Common Workflow Management Mistakes (And How to Fix Them)
Mistake 1: One Massive Dock Trying to Serve All Workflows
You’ve got 30 icons in your Dock (the fact that you ordered them by color doesn’t help save brain cells). Coding tools next to chat apps next to design software next to utilities you use once a quarter. Every time you look at the Dock, your brain has to filter 25 icons you don’t need to find the single ONE you actually need right now.
Fix: Split it up. Create focused docks with 5-8 apps each, organized by when you actually use them together. Remove apps from docks that you launch once a month – use Spotlight or Raycast for those instead.
Mistake 2: No Clear Workflow Boundaries
Everything blends together. You’re checking Slack while coding. You’re answering emails while designing. You never fully enter any workflow because all workflows are always there and asking for attention.
Fix: Use docks to create visual workflow boundaries. When you’re in deep work mode, your deep work dock is visible and everything else can auto-hide. When it’s communication time, communication dock is front and center. The visible dock tells your brain what mode you’re in.
Mistake 3: Forgetting Folders
Apps aren’t the only things you use constantly. Folders, Files, Downloads – these live in Finder, which means you’re taking Finder trips constantly to get to files, and boy are you paying for those trips with brain cells.
Fix: Add folders to your workflow docks. ExtraDock supports folders and files. Your active project folder belongs on your work dock. Your screenshots folder belongs on your communication dock. Your design assets belong on your creative dock. Files near task.
Mistake 4: Size Matters – Making Docks Too Big
You created multiple docks, which is great. But each dock has 15+ apps, which defeats the purpose. You’re still scanning through visual noise. You’re still hunting for icons.
Fix: Keep docks small. 5-8 apps is the sweet spot. If you need more than that, you’re probably mixing tasks. Split it into two docks – one for common tools, one for specialized tools with auto-hide turned on.
Mistake 5: Not Using Auto-Hide Strategically
All your docks are visible all the time. Your screen edges are crowded. You’ve created visual clutter trying to solve visual clutter.
Fix: Permanent visibility for docks you check constantly (like a communication dock you watch all day). Auto-hide for docks you only need sometimes (like an admin dock for occasional file management). Let docks appear when needed, disappear when not.
Mistake 6: Not Using Dock Customization Features
If all your docks look at the same, that could be a bit confusing, especially if you’re just getting used to your new step.
Fix: Save brain cells by Customizing your dock, use colors, shadow and app size. Colors and Size differences are more of a natural differentiator for the human brain.
Workflow Management Tools That Work Well with Multiple Docks
ExtraDock handles tool access and spatial organization. But workflow management involves more than just launching apps. Here are tools that pair well with a multi-dock setup:
Window managers like Rectangle (free) or Magnet (paid) let you snap windows to screen sections quickly. Multi-monitor workflow management means lots of window moving. These tools make it instant instead of manual dragging.
Launchers like Raycast or Spotlight handle apps you don’t use daily. Not everything belongs in a dock. Apps you launch weekly or monthly can live in a launcher instead. Keeps your docks lean.
Automation tools like Hazel manage files automatically in the background. Set rules once (“move downloaded PDFs older than 30 days to Archive”), never think about it again. Reduces the admin workflow to almost nothing.
Menu bar managers like Bartender or Ice keep your menu bar organized. Multiple docks plus a cluttered menu bar creates visual chaos. Clean menu bar, clean docks, clean mind.
If you’re someone who switches between complete workflow setups frequently – like different Dock arrangements for different clients or projects – DockFlow can save and switch between macOS Dock presets with hotkeys. It pairs nicely with ExtraDock if you want both spatial organization (ExtraDock) and quick preset switching (DockFlow).
Keep your tool stack tight. More tools = more overhead. The goal is less management, not more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is workflow management on Mac?
Workflow management on Mac means organizing your digital workspace. Instead of mixing everything together, you create separate tool arrangements for different workflows – like having communication tools in one space, development tools in another, and creative tools in a third. The goal is faster task switching, clearer mental boundaries, and increasing productivity.
How do I manage multiple workflows on macOS?
The most effective way is creating dedicated docks for each workflow using ExtraDock. Build a communication dock with email and chat apps, a development dock with coding tools, a creative dock with design software – whatever matches your actual work patterns. Position each dock on the screen where that work happens. When you switch tasks, the right tools are already visible and accessible.
Can I have different docks for different projects?
Yes. ExtraDock lets you create as many independent docks as you need. Many freelancers create project-specific docks – each containing that client’s tools, folders, and communication channels. When you switch projects, you can show the right dock and hide the others. If you’re a one dock user (common with one screen users), check out DockFlow which uses the default macOS dock, but allows you to save different presets for different modes.
How many docks should I create for workflow management?
Start with one or two and build from there. Most users end up with 2-5 docks total – one per major workflow or screen.
Does ExtraDock work with single monitors?
Absolutely. Even on one screen, workflow management benefits from task separation.
Will multiple docks slow down my Mac?
No. ExtraDock is lightweight and efficient. Multiple small docks use fewer resources than one massive dock with 30+ apps. Most users notice zero performance impact. If you’re concerned, start with one extra dock and add more only as needed.
Wrap-Up: Structure Your Workflows, Not Just Your Tasks
Workflow management isn’t about better to-do lists or fancier project management systems. It’s about structure. When your tools are organized by task, when your screen layout matches how you think about work, when switching workflows is as simple as looking at a different screen – that’s when productivity becomes easy.
Multiple docks create that structure. Different tasks get different tool sets. Different screens do different jobs. Your workspace adapts to your work instead of forcing all work through the same setup.
macOS’s single-dock limit has trained users to accept chaos as normal. But it’s not normal, and it’s not necessary. With ExtraDock, you can finally build the workflow management system Mac should have had from the start.
Start simple. Create one workflow dock for your most common work mode. Position it where it makes sense. Use it for a few days. Feel the difference when tools stay where you expect them. When tasks are clear. When you stop hunting.
Then build another. And another. As many as your workflows actually need.
Your Mac should work the way you work. Not the other way around. Multiple docks make that possible.
Ready to fix your Mac workflow management? Try ExtraDock and build the workspace you should have had all along.
