Everyday products with great UX

Water Cooler
#1

I always find new apps when I search “great UX”. I won’t know these products first hand, and I can only know it in bits and pieces - as much as the author of the post talks about.
What are some everyday apps/products with great UX?
I’d love to know your thoughts on this.

My nomination: Dropbox.
Dropbox has really mastered microinteractions.

  • There is feedback for everything.
  • You can “Undo” a delete - holds up to a very important heuristic: being able to reverse errors.
  • Add a new folder, it shows you what might happen before you commit the change.
  • The photo album has a timeline. Hover on it, it shows you what might happen. Click on it, proper feedback. Genius.
    Its really these little things that make it so easy to use Dropbox.
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#2

Mailchimp and Slack are often held up as shining examples of apps with great UX and I think to a degree that’s fair, but they shouldn’t rest on their laurels. They are both delightful to use, which is super important, but there are aspects that have become cumbersome. It seems that even the most well thought out app ends up with legacy issues and technical debt faster than we realise.

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#3

I’m a big fan of TubroTax. Not only do they make taxes easy, but they make it fun as well. Their microinteractions, neat little graphic design tricks and transitions, and a clear-cut, step-by-step process has ensured that they’ll be the only tax service for the foreseeable future.

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#4

For me the nomination goes to Zapier. It’s very easy to use but you must have all the technicalities under control in the applications you are about to connect.

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#5

In terms of iPhone apps I’d recommend checking out Headspace, Duolingo, Detour, Simple, Drafts, Fantastical, and Scanbot. All of which I use on a daily or semi-daily basis.

Detour is best used in San Francisco but they are expanding soon to more cities. It is an app which takes you on GPS based guided walking tours…but it’s so much more. It’s more like stepping into a documentary where the documentary is physically around you. They include sound effects, interviews, music, and information about the area. Each detour is centers around a theme or area of the city you’re in. It’s done very, very well. I can’t recommend it enough. Very affordable in comparison to the more touristy, traditional walking tours. And as this is GPS based, the app knows where you are so you can go at your own pace. ANNNND you can sync up multiple iPhones into a group detour. It was the best thing I did in San Francisco and I’m dying to go back to go on more detours.

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#6

Sounds absolutely amazing!

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