Behind the scenes of Circle app design
discovercircle.com
discovercircle.com
Design is about understanding the users and the experience you're trying to create. How long it took, colors chosen and testing w/ real content are mainly just technical details.
I would have loved to hear about the process of breaking down how Circle would improve the lives of your users and the design thinking around that.
Or even why the "simplistic circle" concept made the most sense for the problem you're solving, outside of the aesthetic/branding appeal.
It might have made a good sales pitch for your product as well.
Other than that, the app looks nice!
Cut it down, focus on why we should care about yet another social app.
A video doesn't have to be a features list. It has to tell a story.
(And it doesn't hurt that I really do like The Piano Guys!)
The video made me install the app on my Iphone. And I like your app represented on white iphone better than on black (as seen on your landing page)
But I'm not a designer so I didn't have any expectations from article or video. It was just fun and nice teaser for app for me.
In my experience designers (and is the role I sometimes have) must understand that visual appearance is nothing if not considered in its context. A blue logo is obviously more obvious (no pun intended) and not revolutionary, but is able to vector the category of the much more fast than an orange one. What does an orange circle on an app logo mean? A blue one is more clearly inserted in the right category.
But I see some more interesting issuess: what does that greenish/blue look that social networks acquired after Facebook and Aqua (oh yeah, that aqua UI) really mean? That green/blue is considered in semiology the color of the death and dead bodies[1]. Do you want YOUR logo to pass THAT semiotic message?
[1]: I have no citations here, I couldn't find one. So take my words as unreliable.
I think a laid back attitude is novel, and has a lot of power. It's made me associate Circle as a fun startup, which might have been the whole point of the article - a recruiting and promotional tool - in the first place.
I think the logo has too much useless eye candy going on. You could allocate the resources of attention that are now going to multiple gradients to something which would tell more about its actual function. Something to indicate the fact that its you and your phone within the circle, etc.
That might spark an inkling of interest in more people: In the middle of what circle? What does the circle indicate then? Could me having this circle around be a viable thing?
Also, the checks and crosses beside the icons are a bit messed up logically. Why does 'Blue is a cool color of the sky, ocean, sleep' have a cross next to it?
The references to personal opinions feel out of place in the list, although in general I can see the value in making the product's creators closer to the reader, it's just not the right place for that in my opinion. The persnal preferences surely consist of a logic that you can put your finger on. Add more actual points there instead, that would be much more informative to everyone.
what's the point of that information?
It wouldn't have cost them anything to just say "models" instead of "models and hot chicks?"
And just like that, my interest in the app is gone.
Put your money (well, time) where your mouth is—go change the text! A minimal change makes all the difference:
"…when you insert pics of models, so here…" "Replace all pictures of models with a photo of your…"
Models are attractive people. The terms works for both sexes. Ask yourself why there has to be any reference at all to the fact that the pictures are of females. Your placeholder image leaves little doubt about that fact.
I'm trying to get an idea across to you: it isn't okay to use women as sex objects in public conversation like your site. It isn't okay to single women out, even as "nice girls." Both your image and your text make it about their sex and sexuality. Use whatever images you like on your own computer, but when it comes time to share with the internet, have some tact. Lie a little and choose something less offensive when sharing a story like this. A quick flickr search found the following pictures of attractive, presentable women:
* http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamespicsatflickr/3531188607/ * http://www.flickr.com/photos/jamespicsatflickr/4327536639/ * http://www.flickr.com/photos/chamberimages/4489201274/
Without any emphasis on women in your text, you'd still have a great contrast to the photo of your cofounder with any of these images, with none of the sexual overtones.
I wouldn't take the time to respond if I didn't care—you have some truly great design work that deserves to be shared. I'm trying to help you see the parts of it which are unacceptable, so you know not to make the same mistake next time.
And for now, seriously, just remove "nice girls". It's awkward English, regardless.
"All concepts and screens looks great when you insert pics of models [strike]& nice girls[/strike], so here comes a part of my secret sauce:"
There may be others I didn't catch. Thanks for fixing some of it, it stops the copy from distracting from the content.
Bonus: you learned something about writing copy for startups today. Every failure is an opportunity for a successful outcome.
Correction: he learned something about writing copy for idan today.
Oh, look! That's exactly what happened. I agree: inappropriate.
And before we get into any sort of argument of misogyny and what is or is not acceptable, I'd point out that there's good advice here: Anything taking away from your point is doing you a disservice. Stick to discussing good design choices, or the message will get lost in the din.
The guy decided not to lie and was smashed. Welcome to the 21st century western civilization. Lie a little and you'll be okay.
Any design mock-ups look fantastic with high quality stock art, but can it pass the Trial by Co-Founder™? Replace your professionally photographed imagery with a random photo of your co-founder and see if the design still "works".
really, REALLY?