While working on Mingle’s 1.1 update, I’m noticing that some of its code is really cluttered. Some parts feel like they’re being held together by duct tape, and some other parts are just abnormally massive. This is because I learned a lot of stuff while working on Mingle. So before continuing work on the update, I’m going to work on cleaning up Mingle’s code.

I found this year-old article from objc.io called Lighter View Controllers, and it looks like a great starting point. I love this piece of advice:

One of the most powerful techniques to slim down your view controller is to take the UITableViewDataSource part of your code, and move it to its own class. If you do this more than once, you will start to see patterns and create reusable classes for this.

I’d never thought about these kinds of things before. I’d always focus on getting a feature working, then moving on to the next one. The structure of the code was getting worse and worse, and I barely, if ever, took notice.

In order to make my work more enjoyable, I’m taking some time to clean things up. When things seem polished and clear, every problem will appear easier to solve.

It’s the equivalent of cleaning up my desk before studying. I’m glad I’m doing this.

Supertop released Castro 1.1 about a week ago, and it really got me thinking about the relation between good design and the amount of content we consume.

I first thought about this when Unread came out. I had never used an RSS reader other than Feedly, and opening up the app, which feels really cluttered to me, made the content seem just as ugly and cluttered. It took a huge effort to get myself to read just a few articles, and I eventually just stopped. Unread, on the other hand, provided me with what could possibly be the most beautiful reading experience on iOS so far. I loved the typography, the structure, and the design of the app, and it got me reading and enjoying way more articles than before.

Castro had the same effect on me, which is even more interesting: podcasts aren’t even a visual form of media. I suppose when the packaging is this good, you want and need to know what’s inside. Many people argue that content is the only thing that matters, but I can’t be the only one who, still to this day, cringes at the sight of Reddit’s design.

I love good UI. I love beautiful designs. The simple, clean look of Matt Gemmell’s blog, the new MacStories redesign, every single article on Unread; these are the things that push me to consume content, and that’s when content begins to matter. A restaurant could have the most delicious meals, but not one person would step in if it looked like a total mess. That’s the way it should be for everything. If you want to pull people in, give them the most beautiful entrance you can provide. That’s how they’ll know you care.

On April 30th I released my first major iPhone app, Mingle. The feedback has been incredible, and the experience one-of-a-kind.

About 30 minutes after announcing the release of Mingle on the App Store, Patrick Rhone published an amazing article on Minimal Mac. At that point, I got a great surge of excitement. Patrick really seemed to “get” Mingle, and that felt great.

Moments later, an article appeared on MacStories as well, which felt absolutely surreal. The app got reviewed on other sites too, including Lifehacker, AppAdvice, GeeksWithJuniors, and a few other. Seeing all these writers and bloggers whom I’ve always followed take their time to write about my app stirred feelings that I’ve never felt before inside me. It’s humbling, to say the least.

However, this sort of feedback has had some drawbacks. I find myself more and more compelled to search for “Mingle Contacts” and “Mingle App” on Google and Twitter, searching for any kind of comments about the app. This kind of addiction has been really overwhelming, and really tough to overcome, at least for me. A day after release I even had “Mingle Contacts” as a saved search term on Tweetbot. I’ve been trying to get past that, and forcing myself to stop from searching whenever I felt like it. It’s getting better, and I suppose what I went through was a natural reaction to this kind of attention.

Ultimately, however, releasing Mingle has definitely been one of the most positive and enjoyable experiences of my life. There’s nothing quite like seeing a large number of people really enjoy something you created, and I couldn’t be more grateful.

To everyone who’s used Mingle: thank you.

Fitness and activity tracking app Moves has just been acquired by Facebook.

Federico Viticci had this to say on Macstories:

Amid rumors of Apple looking to enter the wearable and fitness tracking space with a standalone device later this year, Moves poses an interesting acquisition for Facebook, which has built a large location database over the past several years and recently rolled out a feature to let users easily discover friends nearby.

Facebook’s many recent acquisitions have gotten it into a lot of areas, from photo-sharing to virtual reality to online texting. The acquisition of Moves has now gotten it into the fitness-tracking market, and, as Viticci points out, it seems like and interesting and smart move^[1].

It has become apparent that facebook.com is now just one of Facebook’s products, along with Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus Rift, Moves, and a few others. Absolutely no major Facebook branding appears on any of those services as of yet, and that seems sly, cunning, and a bit scary.

1. No pun intended

A little less than a month ago, I downloaded Pharrell Williams’ new album G I R L, and I had this to say:

Admittedly @Pharrell’s new album is a pretty fun record. So far, that’s all it is though. It lacks any kind of innovation.

— @samghobril

It really is a fun album. I enjoyed the upbeat, catchy riffs, and even now they can sound pretty entertaining, but the record hasn’t provided me with anything other than short-lasting amusement.

Albums like Pharrell’s make me skeptically excited, mostly knowing that the value of the album will soon fade, while albums like Arcade Fire’s Reflektor make me curious about the contents of the album, the message behind every song, and make me feel that there’s definitely more to the album than the effect of the first listen.

Good music builds my character, gives me a sense of understanding, and makes me think about the different perspectives that people have on life. It gives me the urge to inspect and really concentrate on the song, which causes it to get better the more I listen to it.

That’s the music I’m looking for. I’m looking for innovation, not earworms. I’m looking for a lesson, a way of life, a feeling of introspection. I’m looking for art.