Tag Archives: store

Tip Solver launches

This week, my future-inspired tip calc, Tip Solver, launched on the App Store. Not only does it help you calculate you tip, it also helps you solve for how much you are really tipping.

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As a tip calc, it’s easy to use and hopefully sleek/easy on the eyes. A key feature of this tip calculator is that it allows you to solve for your tip %. When you adjust the total or tip, you can see how much you actually tipped right away. This comes in handy when you pay $100 instead of $95, and so on.

While it’s customary to go from top to bottom when looking a receipt (for the items ordered, tax, tip, and total lines), I felt that it was better to invert the direction (to use a bottom to top approach). The reason being that your thumbs are often better able to reach the bottom (not the top) of the device. I wanted the most common action (setting the bill amount) to be in the easy to reach thumb zone.

Please check out my app if you have a moment. It’s free (with ads) and works on iPhones & iPads. If you have any feedback, you can let me know at rexfeng@gmail.com

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/tip-solver-premier-gratuity/id1130814051

iOS Tip Calculators

I am in the midst of wrapping up a new iOS app. Wrapping up an app includes so many things that are oftentimes overlooked when it comes to developing a mobile application. From App Store screenshots, intro video, and description text, there is a lot of room to do it well (or poorly).

My new app is a tip calculator, which is by no means a new idea. The reasons I decided to build a tip calculator was that I wanted 1.) to implement modern usability improvements and 2.) have an app that is visually attractive.

Looking at the App Store, most calculator apps adopt a heavily skeuomorphic style. There is nothing wrong with skeuomorphism (in the context of aiding usability), but I wanted to build a tip calculator that is sleek and does not resemble a calculator.

Below are screenshots from the current top search results for “tip calculator” in the App Store. They are all probably decent apps that work, but I’m posting them as a reference of what the current state of tip calculator apps looks like.

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iOS Redeem App Code Mockup

New rule: if I have to google “how to [do something],” your UI needs improvement.

While redeeming an iOS app, I couldn’t figure out where to enter in the app code. I instinctively went to the Search section, as I know that has a text input section at the top:

iPhone App Store Search screen

No dice.

So as with everything in modern life, I went to Google for help. It turns out it’s at the bottom of the Featured screen.

iPhone App Store Featured screen top

Scrolling down…

iPhone App Store Featured screen bottom

I find the Redeem button, and the rest is cake.

Without googling, I wouldn’t have stumbled upon Featured > New > page bottom to find the Redeem button.

I recognize that for most people, redeeming an app code is not a typical, common use case. That said, it should be somewhere logical. I’ve mocked up the Search screen with a Redeem button:

iPhone App Store Search screen mockup

This way, the user is able to associate entering in names of apps, keywords, or app codes in one convenient field.

The upside is an extremely easy to find Redeem button. A possible downside is that users will get led astray while searching for paid apps (by hunting for app codes instead of proceeding to checkout).