Designing Paddle Mate

Programming is my strong suit and designing does not come naturally. Though I am inclined to art and have both drawn and painted, I still find app design is something I struggle to get right.

With that in mind, here are some things I am doing as I work to make Paddle Mate useful (and non-ugly) for users in bright sunlight, while kayaking in the evening, and when reviewing past kayaks or showing the app to a friend.

I am doing some reading first off. Here are some things I have read recently on design:

• 7 Rules for Creating Gorgeous UI (Part 1)
• 7 Rules for Creating Gorgeous UI (Part 2)
• The Easy Guide To HSL Color In CSS3 - discussing how to use Hue, Saturation, and Lightness and how to understand it.
• Color Theory For Designers: Creating your Color Palettes

Here was the UI:

Here are my new designs I plan to test for bright sunlight: