The good | 01
Timepage
When you encounter something good, it can sometimes be inexplicable. How can this thing be? Why here? Why now?
Good can also bring with it mystery. It can reveal a truth we did not expect.
I want to value the good. Treasure it. Emulate it. Reveal it.
I am convinced that good in design is three things...
Pure.
Good design is focused. It doesn't try to be what it isn’t. It sends a message, one that isn't diluted.
Logical.
Good design is thoughtful. It speaks through universal's. It functions intuitively.
Honest.
Good design is truthful. It does not lie. It does not deceive. It is transparent.
001 Timepage
Simple
This is Timepage, a great example of a user interface that embodies what is good in design.
It's a calendar app designed by Moleskine for iPhone and iPad.
As a principle, the app breaks down the information you have to a contextually rich format. In the main view, you see the next 7 days in a summary on the left, and on the right you see a summary for today. Most calendar designs force you into one perspective, a week summary, a agenda view, but Timpage makes some healthy assumptions about why you are actually looking at the calendar and what you need to see.
Elegant
What I appreciate the most about this app is its attention to detail. The subtle animations and transitions, the ability to check the weather for the next 7 days with a press. Everything feels fluid, which contributes to a comfortable feeling that everything is ok despite how busy my schedule is.
Part of what makes a design pure is its trueness to it's purpose. I approach a calendar when I want to know what's going on with my week or day, and to strategize my future events. Timepage is true to those demands. It doesn't try to be a weather app, its doesn't try to be a task manager, it simply provides the tools that you need and expect from your calender.
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Contextual
Diving deeper into an event reveals helpful information. They provide a map that isn't too unobtrusive, but still provides the context of the location, an estimated time till arrival by car, a weather estimate, and a list of people involved.
There seems like some missed opportunities here with the information Timepage has available to it though. Other apps like Google calendar take the name of the event and glean information from it, and then use that information to wrap the content in a more personal way. For example, if I were to call the event "Coffee with Joe", Google calendar skins the event with some stylized images of coffee. It's simple, but it gives the viewer a context for the event that a arbitrary bit of color or text just couldn't do as effectively. Timepage doesn't try to do this, but instead treats almost every event the same visually. In effect this can feel peaceful, but its not necessarily a honest way of presenting a schedule, or really that helpful.
The good?
Pure
★★★☆
It remains true to its purpose, stays in focus with its goals, and carries little distractions for the user.
Logical
★★☆☆
In its core function it performs intuitively, and provides a visual perspective that is needed but not often provided by it's competitors. Navigation is tricky though and isn't very discoverable, leaving some areas of the app potentially hidden to the less adventurous.
Honest
★★☆☆
The app uses concise metaphors where it matters. However, some UI elements try to represent the real world in ways that don't add value to the product other then a quick, flashy look. The result is more of a distraction then anything truly useful.