Photoframe Plus
As I mentioned before, Photoframe Plus is Chilli X's first iPad app. I worked with them all the way from initial concept to tweaking the icon's final pixel, and I must say that it has been an exciting experience. I have previously worked on a number of Chilli X's apps, such as the original Photoframe (one of the very first picture frame apps in the app store), and simple yet powerful to-do app Done, but developing for the iPad was a fresh experience.
The iPad is a tremendously exciting piece of hardware, and as many users will have theirs docked around their home or next to their main computer for a lot of the time, it seems like a huge waste to not use the iPad for some purpose when stationary. A picture frame is the obvious use, and Apple has even updated the iPhone OS to include this functionality, but their approach is limited; it doesn't show the time, date or have any alternative views other than a simple photo slideshow. There seemed to be a natural gap in the market for an app that could display a wide range of media and information when the iPad is docked. Enter Photoframe Plus.
Developing a brand-new app for a brand-new device from the ground up certainly afforded us lots of new opportunities with regards to functionality and design, and we definitely got carried away in the initial brainstorming stages. Eventually, we refined our crazy ideas down until we arrived at a concept we felt was rock-solid; A re-imagining of the original Photoframe app designed around the iPad's larger screen, but with additional 'screens' displaying everything from clocks and calendars to twitter and RSS feeds. These other screens could be developed after an initial release, and purchased from an in-app store; that way we could keep the initial price of the app and development time and costs to a minimum, but eventually would be able to supply users with a wide range of customisation options.
The icon for Photoframe Plus needed to show exactly what the app was capable of doing; namely, simultaneously displaying at least the time, date and a photo. I decided early on that trying to fit depictions of any more than these 3 core functions into the icon would likely result in a messy, overcrowded design (I did try it out, and was right!).
Displaying the functions inside a frame that resembled a miniature iPad also helped to convey the message that this app wouldn't just transform what is on the screen of the your iPad, but in some way change the function of the hardware itself (tablet computer > photo frame). After settling on the final design, I tried several different images within the icon - eventually picking a sunset, something that I think everyone can agree is symbolic of holiday snaps, as well as hinting at the icon for the app's older (but smaller) brother, Photoframe for the iPhone.
After some last minute rejections from Apple for small bugs which only cropped up when using the app on an actual device (not something we were able to test, being based in the UK), the app finally went live last night. We have already had some very favourable comments from users in the US, and have started working on some new screens with different designs and functionality - as well as some other cool new features. If you're interested to know more about Photoframe Plus (or any of Chilli X's other apps), I'd encourage you to head on over to the app store and pick up a copy, or head over to Chilli X's blog to find out more. Watch this space for more information on upcoming screen layouts and features.