Field notes for app builders

Small apps.
Big questions.

A strange little utility. A stubborn user problem. A business hiding in plain sight. Pull up a chair.

The reading room 10

Apps worth studying01

A virtual tree makes an abstract focus session visible. The useful lesson is about meaning, not copying the tree.

Apps worth studying02

Merlin is a useful reminder that an impressive recognition interface can sit on years of data and specialist work.

Apps worth studying03

Waterllama makes a routine interaction visually distinctive. That is a design observation, not a medical claim.

Apps worth studying04

A companion changes the tone of a task list. Builders should study the relationship without inventing clinical or revenue outcomes.

Apps worth studying05

Flighty illustrates why freshness and timing can matter more than the number of fields on a dashboard.

Apps worth studying06

Tody points to a useful niche question: who is carrying the plan in their head?

Apps worth studying07

Shared expenses are arithmetic wrapped in a relationship. A good product has to handle both.

Apps worth studying08

Discogs illustrates why finding the right item can matter more than drawing the perfect collection grid.

Apps worth studying09

Flightradar24 is a reminder that the visible map may be the easy part of a data product.

Apps worth studying10

Merlin offers a useful reminder: a popular free product can have a different mission and funding model from your startup.