Notes
Background
A while back I picked up a kalimba and loved it, but didn't love the content I was finding for learning songs. I thought it would be a fun challenge to build a digital kalimba complete with tutorials, settings and other features. It's still in progress, but is coming along pretty well. The sounds used in-app were recorded directly from my kalimba.
Want to try the TestFlight? Email me and I'll send you the link.
Design
First I needed to get an MVP working, and had a clear enough idea of where I was going (digital replication of my kalimba), so I went directly into building and designing with code.
I kept some level of skeuomorphism with the tines, and had even experimented with wooden textures. The textures just didn't feel right; they were distracting and cheapened the aestheic. So I aimed to keep it true to what it is, a digital instrument.
Once I had an MVP working, I set out to design the logo and app icon. I started one evening while watching The Minimalists: Less is Now on Netflix, and during its runtime (53m) I had the idea for and had designed the first version (fitting, right?). Originally the uneven tine lengths mimicked my own kalimba, but I later revised it to be more symmetrical and compact. I loved being able to represent the image of a kalimba in the lettering.
Tech
For this project I wanted more experience with vanilla JavaScript and Web APIs, and Capacitor JS made it possible to go this route while still being able to offer a cross-platform app. I'm also using Vite for HMR and builds, Node JS for the feedback form endpoint, and a few Capacitor plugins to access native features like haptics.