004—Calculator

004: Calculator
Today's goal was to design a calculator. This could be a typical math calculator, or built-in to help make things easier. In this case, I wanted to look at a problem I've had with finding an apartment. I wanted to make that process less painful, and think through some of the main things that make it so challenging. I started the design process by writing out the preferences (i.e. A/C, parking, washer/dryer) as well as the important variables (i.e. money, bedrooms, time). I then was able to break the main questions into three top-level ones: money, transit, and space. With the screen on the right, you can see the expanded "Let's talk money" view. This would require a calculation function when users tap to add their salary. This would make it easier to come up with an initial idea of how much the user could spend, and then reduce from there. Interaction Design tends to be very much about reducing the time it takes to achieve a desired action, and this aims to do that.

Today's Reflection:
The overall UI took about 1.5 hours, refining the visual style and spacing. Felt a little bit slower and more distracted than the past few days.

Good:
• Colors are more experimental than normal
• Using more modern trends in iOS UI design

Room for Improvement:
• Finish in one sitting
• Use less gray