The online home of John Pollard

What I Didn't Know When I Was Young

I’ve just finished a significant rewrite of our Daily Optimiser app - hopefully in the App Store soon assuming it gets through the review process.

This was the first iOS app I wrote, and going back to the code after 12 months or so further learning it’s clear I’ve learnt a lot about mobile design and development during that time!

The code itself was actually pretty reasonable. Other than some improvements to the threading and callback model, there weren’t so many fundamentals I had to change. However as a non-designer I think my understanding of what makes a well designed app is what’s changed the most.

Some fairly obvious (now!) observations on what I’ve tried to do in v2.0:

  • More important screen elements should be larger and use more screen real-estate
  • Stick to a small and consistent color palette
  • A few small subtle animations can make a big difference
  • Stick to standard design patterns and elements as much as possible

I think Daily Optimiser v2.0 is a big improvement on the first version - hopefully our users will agree!