ApfelBlatt 3.2

Overview

ApfelBlatt was a web magazine about Apple products and services. I fully designed and implemented the magazine's official iOS app, with separate design concepts for smartphone and tablet. Through ongoing client consultation and reader feedback, a solution with high user acceptance was achieved.

The Challenge

The existing ApfelBlatt iOS app needed a redesign to simplify the user journey and align the app with the magazine's website, which was simultaneously being redesigned. Key challenges included:

• Creating a consistent user experience across the magazine's web and mobile platforms.
• Designing different layouts for smartphone and tablet while maintaining a coherent brand identity.
• Integrating into existing editorial workflows without adding extra effort for the editorial team.
• Implementing reliable offline access without manual user intervention.

The Process

• Requirements Analysis: Collaborated with the client to define the scope of the redesign and align app design with the concurrent website redesign.
• Design Concepts: Created separate design concepts optimized for smartphone and tablet, ensuring a magazine-optimized reading experience.
• API Specification: Designed and specified a custom API for automatic article synchronization between the WordPress-based website and the app.
• Iterative Refinement: Continuously refined the design based on reader feedback and ongoing client consultation.
• Implementation: Developed the full iOS app and the WordPress plugin for automatic content delivery.

The Solution

Key features designed and built:

• Automatic Article Updates: WordPress plugin integration ensures new articles are automatically pushed to app instances upon publication, zero extra effort for the editorial team.
• Seamless Offline Mode: Articles are automatically downloaded when an internet connection is available, with no additional user interaction required.
• Intelligent Storage Management: Older read articles are automatically deleted once a storage threshold is reached, keeping the device storage impact minimal.
• Magazine-Optimized Reading: Separate layouts for smartphone and tablet, aligned with the magazine's visual identity.

Results & Impact

• Achieved high user acceptance through continuous integration of reader feedback and client consultation.
• The zero-effort editorial integration ensured the team could publish content through their established WordPress workflow without changes.
• The automatic offline mode and storage management provided a seamless reading experience without requiring user configuration.