The App Store is chockablock with task managers, but Things sets itself apart from other to-do list apps with its flexibility and ease. Organization systems are hugely personal and Things adapts naturally to your own approach: keep it simple with a single checklist or juggle a sprawling collection of projects, responsibilities, and contexts, staged over time. The app's design is minimal and efficient to the point of being practically invisible. Things follows the Apple rule book scrupulously with an elegantly simple design that relies almost entirely on standard controls and colors. The result puts the focus on tasks and goals instead of the app's own interface.
Jürgen Schweizer is founder and one of the chief developers of Cultured Code, the company behind Things. He shared the philosophy and process that went into planning the app's features and navigation, from concept to paper to iPhone screen. (Sketches by Cultured Code designer Christian Krämer.)
