Chumkee changes the iOS social app game with its design

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how I was breaking up with my iPhone. One of the things that made the decision an easy one for me was that iOS developers weren’t pushing the envelope on their designs.

Apps have started to look the same, and follow the same design kits. For example, there are at least thirty apps that I’ve seen in the past three weeks that look and feel exactly like Instagram.

Chumkee is a social app, letting you share photos and videos with the Chumkee community. Before you turn away because there are already a ton of apps that do that, check out what developer C-Vibes Ltd has done to build what I think is the most gorgeous social iOS interface I’ve seen to date.

The app feels alive with its gorgeous design

I’ll be honest, I wasn’t expecting much from Chumkee, considering that I already use Instagram and Path to share photos. I was pleasantly surprised as soon as I opened the app. The latest photos from the entire community are displayed on the main page, and they’re shown in a way that just beg you to interact with them.

The app has a touch interface that lets you drag the photos around on the home screen, and when you do, more photos are shown. It sure beats hitting a refresh button. It makes the app feel like you’re sifting through photos on your table.

When you double tap on a photo, the full screen pops up and you can like, comment, or reply with text or a photo and video of your own.

Sharing your photo or video

Sharing photos and videos with the Chumkee app is simple. Just tap the button to share, and a box comes up to take a live snapshot, or you can pull something from your camera library. The service urges you to share moments in real-time, as you’ll see from the other items that the community is sharing.

Once you’ve taken your photo or video, you can share it with your Twitter or Facebook followers with a tap of a button. There aren’t any filters like other apps, but once you post something, you’ll be surprised to see how fast someone responds with their own piece of media. The current user base is clearly not camera-shy.

Here’s a video from the company, demonstrating the Chumkee app:

It’s the community that I believe could drive an app like this. With a light and fresh design, Chumkee feels like the creators actually wanted to build an experience to keep its users engaged and involved in constant interaction. It will take some time to see if they reached that goal, but from what I can tell already, they’ve taken iOS design to an all new level in my opinion.

➤ Chumkee