
The pointed arrow section headers don’t fit within the aesthetic suggested by the AnyList logo. Improve the section headers and row separators. In this mockup I’ve made the toolbar iconography meatier and more rounded, like the logo. While I’d argue that iOS 7’s wispy icons are terrible in general, in AnyList’s case they’re also not brand-appropriate. It echoes the rounded corners of the AnyList logo and word mark.
#Anylist app pro
Creighton Pro is just one of many possible alternatives. The font choice has the greatest influence on the look and feel of the app. AnyList is a predominantly text-based app. Helvetica is not only stock, it’s a poor choice for body text.

Here’s the rationale for my suggested changes: Get rid of Helvetica. What would AnyList for iPhone look like if the character of the logo were applied throughout the app? I’ve made a mockup of one possible approach: It looks almost anthropomorphic, like the Pixar lamp bouncing on a ball. The outliers in the current aesthetic are the AnyList logo and word mark: The current stock aesthetic feels too utilitarian. AnyList needs a strong personality to draw in new customers and to help create an emotional bond with them as they grow familiar with the service. Just like a dating relationship, this story will begin with visual attraction. As a subscription service, AnyList aspires to build a long-term relationship with its customers. This stock look doesn’t do AnyList any favors.

With few exceptions, every interface element looks the way it would if you had just dragged it from the new object panel in Interface Builder. Unadorned text abounds, except where a single accent color is in use. A predominantly solid white background color is interrupted only by occasional horizontal borders. Push Beyond the Stock AestheticĪnyList adheres almost exclusively to the stock visual language of iOS 7. Perhaps there is a way to sharpen the fuzzy implied borders while also adding tasteful visual interest. While this is easier to use, it isn’t visually interesting. Your eye would perceive the implied borders more easily: To sharpen these implied borders, the section headers would need to span the width of the screen:īy extending the section headers, the tappable areas of both the rows and the detail buttons becomes more obvious. Because section headers don’t span the width of the screen, and because sections with only row don’t have any row separators, it is often difficult to tell where one tappable area ends and another begins.ĭark areas are the most visually confusing. In an iOS app, fuzzy borders should be avoided, especially when arranging tappable elements.ĪnyList’s list screens suffer from numerous fuzzy borders. Elements of different sizes or shapes, or with an irregular arrangement, result in fuzzy implied borders. Implied borders are accomplished through the visual rhythm of multiple elements, identical in size and proportion, spaced at regular intervals. Most iOS toolbar icons have implied borders.

An implied border is obvious in context, even though it isn’t represented by a concrete visual border. A real border should be self-explanatory. There are two kinds of borders in an iOS app: real and implied. My comments are applicable to the app as a whole, so hopefully this narrow focus will help clarify my points. There are lots of extras and features peppered throughout the app, like built-in recipe storage, but this review is going to focus on just the list screen.
#Anylist app download
I do have some qualms about the design, however, which I’ll address in this post.ĪnyList is a freemium app, so rather than spend half of this post documenting how the app works, you should just download it now and try it for yourself. It’s probably going to be our go-to app for grocery shopping from now on. For the most part, we’ve been very pleased. We really like how it automatically sorts new grocery items by category. My wife and I have been using AnyList for the last week and it works as advertised with fast, reliable syncing. AnyList makes it easy to create grocery and shopping lists shared between you and and other members of your household. This week’s Friday App Design Review is AnyList for iPhone, from the service of the same name. I am also available to consult privately on your projects. If you’d like your app to be considered click here for more information. Friday App Design Review – AnyList, Shared Grocery ListsĮvery Friday I will post a detailed design review of an iOS app.
