Alculator
iPhone | Concept, Design, DevelopmentI designed and programmed a simple calculator for iOS to find the beverage with the best bang for the buck. Just enter the alcohol percentage, volume and price!
Concept
In Sweden, private alcohol consumption is limited to the offers of Systembolaget, the government-owned liquor store. As a teenager taste mattered less than the ensuing dizziness, so naturally a culture of cost-effectiveness and the idea of the Alculator was born.
Years later, I built this app as a fun way for me to learn Swift. As it was my first project I kept it small, but more features could be added in the future such as integration with the API from Systembolaget.
Years later, I built this app as a fun way for me to learn Swift. As it was my first project I kept it small, but more features could be added in the future such as integration with the API from Systembolaget.
Why code?
As a digital product designer I need to know the limits of the platform I am targeting. Can my ideas actually be implemented, and how long would it take?
There’s always going to be a trade-off between perfection and the time you have at your disposal. Understanding the basics of development allows me to optimise for the given resources, and it makes the hand-over much easier!
There’s always going to be a trade-off between perfection and the time you have at your disposal. Understanding the basics of development allows me to optimise for the given resources, and it makes the hand-over much easier!
Look & Feel
I wanted the app to be extremely easy and straight-forward to use for potentially intoxicated users. I opted for a well-known layout with clear contrast and big type. The colors for the UI and categories are taken from Systembolaget’s brand identity.
Process
I started by setting up the project in Xcode using Storyboards. The ability to have a visual overview where you link the elements together and set up the layout and constraints was a nice introduction to programming.
The further I got the more I realised that I had overlooked in the design. As a developer you are forced to think about all the details. No matter how experienced you are as a designer, you will inevitably overlook things that a developer is forced to think about. Even with a technical background and years in the industry I ran into several valuable a-ha moments.
The further I got the more I realised that I had overlooked in the design. As a developer you are forced to think about all the details. No matter how experienced you are as a designer, you will inevitably overlook things that a developer is forced to think about. Even with a technical background and years in the industry I ran into several valuable a-ha moments.