Integrated.

The best digital tools are seamlessly integrated into both our lives and the platform they were made for. They blend functionality with user experience, creating a harmonious digital environment that feels intuitive and effortless to navigate.

Whatever was a to-do list and event reminder app designed to keep you focused. One of the main design ideals in this project was to make it feel like it was an integrated part of the operating system.

This project was a collaboration with ecnivtwelve.

Design Discussion

An issue that we found with to-do apps in general on desktop was the friction between opening the app, checking an item off and then closing the app. It's not as simple as on paper where you simply draw a tick and leave it be. Thus, we designed a solution that would integrate into the Windows taskbar or menu bar.

In Windows 11, features like Teams integration were introduced, alongside a new Start Menu and Taskbar. It was noted how all of these felt like an integrated part of the system. You would click it on the taskbar and simply dismiss it by clicking anywhere else on the screen. It had a fixed position at the bottom and a fixed size. This made it simple - there was no fiddling around with these. They were accessible when needed and would easily recede when unwanted. We followed these principles to design whatever, integrating it into the taskbar.

This started even with the logo and branding, where the soft rounding and subtle gradient made it unique while still enabling it to blend seamlessly into other items of the taskbar. The simplistic name is also reflected in the name "whatever", ironically referring to the general attitudes of a to-do list.

Mobile Variant:

Splash Screens:

In app screens:

Website Design:

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This was overall an extremely fun project to make in collaboration with ecnivtwelve.

It was an engaging exploration in designing a to-do list and event reminder app that seamlessly integrated into the Windows taskbar, mimicking the cohesive feel of system features like Windows 11's Taskbar and Start Menu.

Overall, it helped me study the importance of seamless integration for digital tools as I designed something new and unique.