Kickstarter Backs iOS with an App

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Crowd-funding site Kickstarter has launched its first official app, for iOS.

The free app's purpose is threefold. Firstly, it enables users to find projects they might want to back, through a variety of filters including 'Staff picks', category, and popularity – or, using location-based functionality, projects started near them. It also updates backers on how projects they've funded are progressing, through push messages. Finally, it's intended to let creators manage their projects, updating with the number of pledges and enabling them to write updates in the fly, adding photos from their device's camera.

It's worth noting that Kickstarter doesn't currently have a mobile-optimised site, so the app represents its first step onto mobile.

“We took things we've learned from the past three years of building the site, and applied them to a total redesign for the iPhone,” said Kickstarter's founders in a blog post. “We redesigned the project page, browse pages, and others. And we focused on making three things really useful and fun: finding new projects, keeping up to date with projects you've backed, and offering great tools for creators.”

The app has a chunky, easy-to-navigate design which is both attractive and well-suited to the smaller screen, with big buttons making it simple to whittle down the projects until you find something you're interested in. However, for anyone looking for a particular project, the search function is slightly more hidden than we're used to in most apps.