Paper Tape (history) and previous version of Calculator app on MacOS
I designed the user experience and created a prototype for a Calculator app for iPad, as there was no official app at the time. I built a pitch deck and proactively organised connections with the right team to demonstrate my vision for the iPad app, leveraging existing technology for a magical experience, along with some enhancements to iOS to align the experiences.
More and more people use iPads in their day-to-day for their main computing, whether personal or business. The importance of having essential tools like a calculator whilst working became evident with users that I had interacted with for the best part of ten years. Students, businesses, or even home users doing basic accounting.
So, my first thoughts were that we could do something magical utilising existing technology like: Apple Pencil, Paper Tape (history of equations like on Mac), and multitasking.
Paper Tape (history) and previous version of Calculator app on MacOS
Apple Pencil with hand photo from https://www.apple.com/uk/apple-pencil/
After gaining insights firsthand from speaking to our users, I got to work designing and creating a user experience which is familiar yet fresh with useful features like a history bar on the left (sadly I cannot show the design work here as I need authorisation to share externally). As well as designing an experience with Apple Pencil where a user could write the equation, and it would automatically complete it. I used Sketch and Principle for Mac apps to design and build the prototype. Once the prototype was complete, I built a pitch deck using Keynote. Outlining the problem, the effects, along with the proposed solutions, and impact to the users.
I proactively discovered and organised time to showcase the proposed Calculator app for iPad to a key stakeholder (Senior Developer) within Apple. They oversaw the Mac Calculator app for a number of years.
Like the end result, I designed a two-layer windowed experience, the left window housing the history of equations and the right side "the calculator", using familiar Apple calculator app functions and visual treatment. With the user's mental model in mind, borrowing from apps like Notes, I chose the pencil.tip.crop.circle SF symbol to guide the user to Pencil kit functions and a blank canvas to work out their equations. Giving the user one place for creating calculations.
After showcasing the pitch deck and prototype to the senior developer. The incredible team has created a wonderful end product. I feel honoured that I may have inspired key features of a tool that will be used by millions of people globally, solving daily challenges.