If managing your to-do lists is taking up more time and effort than you spend actually getting things done, a new iPhone app coming from developers Phill Ryu and Milen Dzhumerov, designer David Lanham, and publisher Realmac Software might be the perfect solution. Tossing most iPhone UI conventions out the window along with any religious adherence to GTD principles, the upcoming Clear app is designed to eliminate the friction and complexity of adhering to systems like GTD and be as easy to use as a paper list. We were able to meet up with the team at the 2012 Macworld|iWorld to check out the offerings.
Clear has no standard navigation bar at the top or tab bar at the bottom—common iPhone UI elements. Instead, the app is stripped down to the bare minimum, with a rectangular strip for each list item. Pull the list down from the top to add another item. Swipe right to mark the item completed. Swipe left to delete the item from your list. Pinch to access a list of lists—you could keep a shopping list, a list of errands, and a list of projects, for example.
The solid-filled rectangles for each list item as well as the spartan typography are somewhat reminiscent of Microsoft's "Metro" UI design language. Mix in a little late 70s arcade styling à la Breakout, and you have a pretty good idea of what to expect.
Ryu is perhaps best known for his work on the iPhone e-reader app Classics, which clearly served as an inspiration for Apple's own iBooks apps. Lanham designs icons for Iconfactory. Realmac is behind some well-known Mac apps such as RapidWeaver, LittleSnapper, and Analog. Given the reputation of the people involved, Clear shows some early promise.
Realmac product manager Nik Fletcher gave Ars a preview of the app on the show floor at Macworld|iWorld 2012. Because of the app's simplicity, though, it didn't take him more than about 30 seconds to show us the entire functionality. That actually speaks volumes about the app's design—it gets out of your way so you can spend more time doing and less time making lists and sorting them. Clear does exactly what it promises—nothing more, nothing less.
Clear should launch within a couple weeks in early February, according to Fletcher. We'll be sure to give the app a more thorough hands-on treatment once we've had a chance to spend time with the final shipping version.
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