A not-so-boring start to the year
Version 0.0.3. — A look at a refreshing habit tracker and the return of Clear
Happy New Year!
Are we allowed to still say that?
I’m not sure if it’s just me, but the transition from 2023 to 2024 feels different. Better even.
Or... do I mean, even better.
Or... maybe it’s, even = better.
Anyways, I hope you all had a happy and safe holiday! I’m really looking forward to writing more this year, both for myself and for this lovely little newsletter that you’re reading now.
Quick Look
In kicking off the new year, I took a moment to reflect and write out a few things that I wanted to do more of or less of in 2024. For the tangible, quantitive things on my “more” list (reading, writing, exercising, etc.) I wanted to find a lightweight way to keep track of my progress.
Enter (Not Boring) Habits.
!Habits is an app from Andy Works (Andy Allen), who I’ve long been a fan of. He has a series of Not Boring apps, that includes a calculator, timer, weather app, habit tracker builder (which I’ll expand on below), and a new(ish) focus app, appropriately named Vibes. Each one of these live up to the Not Boring name, as they’re full of details that break the mold of what you’d expect from other apps. Especially from apps in the Utility category.
Honestly, each one deserves a moment in the spotlight, but in keeping with the “new year, new me” theme, I’ll focus this issue’s Quick Look on !Habits.
Let’s dive in.
From the initial launch of the app you’re greeted with this lovely boot up animation/montage that highlights each of the Not Boring apps. With the haptics and sound design it almost feels like you just launched a game instead of a habit tracker. It's warm and fun, and does a great job of setting the foundation for what to expect in the app.
I do have one little gripe here though. Right after this reel plays you're presented with a paywall that sort of shakes you out of the experience you were just in. Don't get me wrong, I'm all for app creators promoting their in-app purchases, but for a first time user, it felt akin to being asked to leave a review before I’ve even used the darn thing. With that being said, this is a pretty minor/petty speed-bump that didn’t stop me from continuing to explore.
After this, you’re guided through a brief walkthrough that outlines the features of the app alongside some of the science on building habits that stick. I typically skip over these in favor of just figuring it out on my own, but this one felt calm and engaging and actually got me to pause and read what was on each screen.
From here you’re asked to create your first habit. Another small nit here is that I wish the keyboard used the dark theme to blend in better with the rest of the screen.
After creating a habit, you select a schedule for notifications, or you can opt to skip this all together. Then the “fun” really starts to happen. You’re now presented with a circle in the center of the screen that is just waiting for you to press and hold. As soon as you do the animation you saw in the walkthrough kicks off, along with a flurry of haptic pulses, all resolving with a delightful “Congrats! You did it!” sound. So satisfying!
The experience doesn’t stop there though as a gold tip of the mountain descends from the heavens (off-screen) and an encouraging message appears. Again, so satisfying!
Overall, I think !Habits is a great example of what app design can (and arguably should) be. You take a simple idea and improve up on it through well thought-out design, sound, and animation. Something that should be boring, like a habit tracker, suddenly becomes, well… not boring.
Oh yeah I almost forgot. The last little detail I wanted to call out is the amazing use of sound design throughout the app (and all of the Not Boring apps for that matter). As a sound designer, myself, I really feel like sound is still under utilized in app/web design, and can really elevate an app’s experience. For example, as you swipe through the three menus the sound changes depending on which direction you’re scrolling. This is one of those details that not everyone notices right away, but really brings a simple experience like swiping to the next level.
Speaking of swiping…
Spotlight
That’s it. That’s all I have to say!
I can remember downloading the original one and being absolutely amazed by its bright colors, playful sounds, and the overall simplicity of the gesture driven experience. You have to remember that this was back in the early days of the App Store, where faux-leather, drop shadows, and textures were all we knew. I mean this was even before Apple’s well received iOS7 had launched. 😜
Back then, I had just left Apple Retail and got my first “corporate” job at an App Development Agency here in Southern California. This was my first true intro into the world of UI design and app development. Clear, at least for me, was an inspiration. It was one of those apps that got me to open up Photoshop and Xcode (and then crash my computer) and start tinkering with things on my lunch break. Eventually all that tinkering led me to finding out about a new app called Sketch that was in beta, which made web and app design so much easier. This then led me to starting a Sketch community, and years later would lead me to working at Figma.
All that to say, It’s amazing the impact that good (and bad) design can have on someone, and it’s amazing to see Clear return to the scene. Who knows, maybe there’s a kid out there, downloading Clear today, and thinking to themselves, “maybe I could make something like this!”
The Clipboard
Apple Vision Pro is launching on February 2nd! Anyone have a spare $3500 they want to pass my way. 😉
R.I.P. InVision has officially shut down. David Hoang wrote a great piece on it’s legacy.
Clear is back, and now there’s a new physical keyboard for the iPhone. What is happening and who do I call to bring back Mailbox?
A fun chaos button concept built in SwiftUI from Vijay Verma! Just needs sound!
That's it for now. As always thanks for reading. If there's an app you'd like to see covered in a future issue just let me know in the comments or via email.
Here's to 2024! Cheers!
