Design of Repeat Timer Pro iPhone App

After creating rough wires of just a couple of the app screens on paper, I jumped into Photoshop, eager to recreate the interface I envisioned in my mind.



Art direction

In establishing the look and feel of the app, I wanted to create something with universal appeal that both genders would find attractive. It was also important to maintain high contrast to ensure the interface was easy to interpret at a glance. I went with color palette you see in the app today: a dark bluish-grey metal background and lime green accented key interface elements.

Simplicity is key

Having reviewed other timer apps with often complicated functionality and long screens full of seemingly unnecessary options, I wanted my app to be extremely simple to use. My initial idea was to eliminate the settings panel altogether and put all controls on the main screen.



In this second version of the design, I attempted to simplify the interface by combining certain elements together and replacing text labels with icons.

INSIGHT: The initial concept included a schedule function to let users pick the days and hours of the day the timers should run. I wanted the timer to run during office hours, for example, so I could set M-F, 9:00 to 18:00 and the timer would run on repeat during those times. I left this out due to the complexity the feature added to the app and the relative low number of users who would use it. This was also the reason I eliminated the delay function for starting the timer. The initial concept included a schedule function to let users pick the days and hours of the day the timers should run. I wanted the timer to run during office hours, for example, so I could set M-F, 9:00 to 18:00 and the timer would run on repeat during those times. I left this out due to the complexity the feature added to the app and the relative low number of users who would use it. This was also the reason I eliminated the delay function for starting the timer.