I made an iPad calculator concept because Apple forgot to

It’s been eleven years since the first iPad was released, and Apple clearly forgot about the fact that the Calculator app is missing

In a random conversation, a friend of mine told me “If I were an Apple design recruiter, I’d put a challenge to design a calculator app for the iPad as part of the interview process”.

This led me to delve into Apple’s design language, and interaction system.

I’ve learned their current ecosystem, and looked online for other concepts. I started making different prototypes and experimenting with animations.

Eventually I went with something that, in my opinion, will be the best and most familiar experience for an Apple user.

Introduction

A year ago, Apple’s Senior VP of Software Engineering, Craig Federighi said:

“We want to do it (calculator) when we can do it really really well. We honestly have just haven’t gotten around to doing it great, so that day may come.”

Referring to one of Apple’s main concepts, the idea of releasing their apps and products after spending all their thought into it and creating something that will create a “Golden Standard” for how similar products should be.

The concept

I decided to create a Control Center widget, instead of a full app.

You might ask “Wait, why not an app?”, because it makes the calculator much more accessible, you can use it from anywhere while using other apps, it’s faster and more practical, just as Apple’s vision would prefer, in my opinion.

I’ve added the scientific calculator with a swift and intuitive swipe gesture, that allows easy and fast access to more functions without the need of changing the screen’s orientation like today’s iPhone calculator.

I’ve also translated the same widget to the iPhone. I think that both should have the same calculator widget, with almost exactly the same design features and language, as fitting as could be for Apple’s ecosystem.

This will also make the experience of using the original calculator widget on the iPhone better, faster, while keeping it familiar.

What’s next?

I thought about it, and Apple’s right about one thing in particular. It’s not easy to create a “Great Calculator App”. On one hand, you’d want to keep it simple, and familiar and talk the same design language of the calculator app. But on the other hand, you’d like to add to it much more simple and easy to use features, like currency, weight, distance and temperature conversions.

The way I imagined it was a long press on the widget, to open a small options box that allows the user to select the calculator/converter that he’s willing to use. This way, the user will use a familiar gesture from other Control Center widgets to easily access additional calculation features.