Polar is an iPhone app that makes it easy to create and take micro-surveys of the type "Which one is best - Toy Story or Monsters Inc?".
Yes, it's not the most innovative idea we've ever heard either. But when we realised the app was created by Input Factory Inc, whose CEO is web design guru Luke Wroblewski, we had to take a look...
And as expected, Input Factory have created something special here. This app, optimized for the iPhone 5, takes a well-worn idea and quite simply does it better, with an elegant design and great user experience.
Firstly (and most importantly) it's quick and easy for people to vote. All of the surveys are positioned on the same screen, which makes for a smooth and intuitive experience, with results being revealed within the same panel once you've voted.
Secondly, creating the polls in the first place is wonderfully simple. You have the option of adding photos either straight from your camera or via search. You can either add one image that extends across the whole poll, or scale and drag two separate images to fit the same space.
Once you've created a poll, you can share it via Facebook, Twitter, email or SMS. Every poll created in the native Polar iOS app is also accessible on the web. (To learn more about the clever ways the native iPhone app plays nicely - and responsively - with the web, read this blog post by Wroblewski.)
All in all, the experience is beautifully designed, intuitive, and requires little attention span. Exactly how a mobile app should be.
Key info
- Price: Free
- Works with: iPhone (3GS and above), iPod touch (3rd generation and above), iPad
- Version: 1.3
- App size: 7.4MB
- Developer: Input Factory Inc,
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