"PostBox brings the latest jailbreak news to your fingertips. Access your favorite packages and repositories when jailed, all without the hassle of web browsing."

- The PostBox Pitch

PostBox began as an app project aimed to streamline the jailbreaking experience for iOS devices. Onboarding after jailbreaking a device is often complicated and cumbersome for the end user. With the purpose of unifying package depictions and repository discovery, PostBox is created with ease of use in mind.

Onboarding after jailbreaking is a fragmented experience. Most users will begin searching for packages to install on web browsers while taking lengthy measures to ensure the compatibility of packages. Users may also run the risk of downloading from pirated repositories, which often contain outdated packages and malware. Furthermore, the processing of installing such packages can often be misleading and dangerous, in extreme cases.

The purpose of this development overview is to highlight the many requirements and features that PostBox should include throughout its development.

Technical Requirements

• The app should be built for platforms that support jailbreaking (iOS & iPadOS)

• The app should be built using the SwiftUI language and supporting packages

• The app should be able to communicate with existing package managers to aid users in installing packages

• The app should be able to store user-submitted information using Firebase solutions

Design Requirements

• The app should have a clean and modern design that is easy to navigate.

• The app should use a consistent color scheme and typography throughout the app.

• The app should use icons and imagery to clearly communicate the app's functionality.

• The app should have a responsive design that adapts to different screen sizes and orientations.

• The app should include different UI states for different user actions and data inputs.

• The app should include error handling for unexpected data inputs and system failures.

• The app should have a linear navigation flow so that user input can produce a consistent and expected outcome.

• The app should have an emphasis on accessibility.

Feature Requirements

• The ability to view jailbreak feeds from various sources

• The ability to display featured packages on the Home View

• The ability to manage and add repositories to the app

• The ability to view package depictions

• The ability to curate packages for future references

• The ability to view and submit package reviews

• The ability to redirect to any installed package manager to continue the package installation process

• The ability to download and install .deb files

• The ability to extract .deb files

• The ability to manage purchased packages and sign into repositories

Below are three product screens of PostBox that conform to the requirements mentioned above. They highlight interface consistency through the usage of native elements such as modals. The monotonous color scheme remains consistent with the PostBox branding and provides a palette that is not distracting to the end user.

With the above-mentioned features in mind, a compact version of the app is also decided to further improve its accessibility. The result of the separate app is PostBox Pocket.

PostBox Pocket brings a more streamlined interface and experience that is built upon the original app. As a result, jailbreak news feeds are eliminated in favor of a more robust package and repository handling system.

The different navigation views of the app have been reduced to a singular view, thus reducing interface complexity while maintaining a hierarchical design architecture.

Below are the product designs of PostBox Pocket.

The goal this development overview is to provide a clear and detailed visual representation of the app's user interface and user experience, and provides guidelines for the development team to follow as they build the app.