iPhone apps with unconventional design, behaviors and transitions?
February 20, 2016 9:54 AM   Subscribe

What are some iPhone apps with unconventional and interesting design / behaviors / transitions?

I want to show a client what can be done with an iPhone app and all they've really experienced up until now is a standard tab bar, left-right navigation, etc. What are some apps that really push the limit?
posted by critzer to Computers & Internet (15 answers total) 13 users marked this as a favorite
 
VSCO might qualify. It certainly takes a while to figure out.
posted by zsazsa at 10:09 AM on February 20, 2016 [2 favorites]


Tweetbot has some fun and interesting behaviors that are useful and not weird for the sake of being weird.
posted by ejs at 10:20 AM on February 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Star walk is a favorite.
posted by nkknkk at 10:31 AM on February 20, 2016


I'd take a look at the new Quartz app, which spins reading the day's news into a unique conversational paradigm.
posted by thejoshu at 10:38 AM on February 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Black (a photo app) has a mechanism where you pull down to cycle through the navigation. Admittedly the menu is simple enough that this can work.
posted by O9scar at 11:15 AM on February 20, 2016


I like some of the swipe navigation elements of Facebook's Paper app.
posted by kwaller at 11:27 AM on February 20, 2016


bigstopwatch by Yuki Yasoshima is one of my favorite basic apps that eschews standard app design and is dead simple to use.
posted by sleeping bear at 11:44 AM on February 20, 2016


I would argue that Snapchat refuses to follow most iOS interface paradigms to it's own detriment, as it's one of the most shittily opaque apps in recent memory.
posted by emptythought at 1:41 PM on February 20, 2016 [1 favorite]


Yo
posted by nickrussell at 1:49 PM on February 20, 2016


Seconding a look at Snapchat, the Kai's Power Tools of iOS, except with a more incomprehensible interface.
posted by a lungful of dragon at 2:37 PM on February 20, 2016


Sky Guide. It's interface is amazing, especially on an iPad.
posted by Thorzdad at 5:11 PM on February 20, 2016


The two I have been referencing recently is Snapchat mentioned above and the Refinery29 AM app.
posted by like_neon at 2:02 AM on February 21, 2016


I don't know that I would say it pushes any limits, but there is an interesting gestural jukebox app called Listen that might fit the bill.
posted by bcwinters at 10:12 AM on February 21, 2016


Though old and sort of unstable, the Radiolab app has unique navigation. You move from section to section by scrolling along ye olde radio dial on the right side, which causes the background to change as you propel through a collage-style city before soaring up through the atmosphere to space. With cows. It costs a few bucks - here's a video demo.

Another oldie, Clear is an entirely gesture-based to-do list app.
posted by circle at 11:51 AM on February 21, 2016


Workflowy is gesture-based but in a very different way from Clear. Both are very interesting.
posted by Dansaman at 10:22 PM on March 2, 2016


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