Clear — The Perfect Productivity App

I’ve been using Clear, the tasks, reminders and to-do list app by Realmac Software, for the several years now. I’ve gone through periods of frequent use and subsequent neglect, but regardless of my behavior (lazy or otherwise) I’ve always found the app to be wonderfully designed. The reason? It is simple.

The app is minimalist and the functionality is intuitive. My life is crazy and chaotic at times, and I need a solution that not only helps me declutter, but isn’t cluttered itself. When you open up Clear you’re presented with a flat, modern design. Your screen is filled with horizontal rows, white text set on a range of purplish hues and nothing else.

The gradient of the cells from dark to light clearly indicates a heat range of priorities from most important to least. Tap on a particular topic, like groceries, and you’ll be taken to list of items to pick up from the store. Checking something off the list is simple — swipe right when you’re completed a task and swipe left to delete. Need to add a new item to the list? Simply pull the list down and another entry field will appear at the top. Want to add an item in the middle of the list? Simply spread apart the rows to reveal a new entry field. It’s that easy.

The use of existing finger gestures reduces the learning curve. Plus there are no needless buttons, tabs, or other elements to distract from your goal of list making. When you’re in the app all you need to worry about is completing the task at hand. It’s beautiful, simple and clear (pun intended).