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There are a great many web apps out there competing for attention – with new
web apps launching every day. In order to stand out and compete, not only do
they need to be functional and adept at solving a problem, or helping a visitor get
a task done, they also need to stand out by being simple to use and user-friendly.
Even if you build a superb functioning web app, if it doesn’t have a simple &
intuitive user interface and design, there’s a good chance that users won’t stick
around long enough to get used to it and are less likely to visit again.

We’ve selected a showcase of web apps that have put a lot of thought, care &
attention into their design and interface, and have gained a loyal fanbase as a
result.

Don’t forget to subscribe to our RSS-feed and follow us on Twitter — for recent updates.

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Hipmunk

Hipmunk aims to solve the problem of finding the most convenient, or cheapest,
flight using a beautiful and intuitive user interface.

Mint

Mint helps to manage your personal finances, and automatically displays graphs
& charts to help you visualise your spending.

Wufoo

Wufoo makes it easy to create and share online forms, and has a beautiful & clear
interface when displaying the results.

TeuxDeux

TeuxDeux is a to-do list that focuses on simplicity and beautiful design (it was
designed in part by Swiss Miss).

GoodNoows

GoodNoows is a beautified version of an RSS reader, and displays blog posts and
articles in a stunning and easy-to-read way.

Minus

Minus makes it quick and simple to share files – the UI focuses heavily on
minimalism and simplicity.

Stypi

Stypi allows groups of people to edit the same document together – it’s clear that
the designers have focused on ease-of-use. Stypi somehow makes editing a group
document fun, instead of the pain that it usually is.

Wunderlist

Wunderlist is another to do list, but it focuses heavily on having a beautiful
design. Like TeuxDeux, it also aims to have a simple, minimalist style.

Domainr

Domainr makes it easier to find interesting & quirky domain names – by entering
a word, it will show you all the variants (e.g. itha.ca and happil.ly).

CodeSchool

CodeSchool aims to teach people how to code using a combination of videos
and in-browser code writing. After you’ve watched one of the videos, you’re set
puzzles that you need to solve in the browser in order to progress.

Optimizely

Optimizely is an A/B testing tool that’s remarkably easy and simple to use, with
very little installation needed on the site. You can make quick changes to the
design of the site, and the text on the page, and then Optimizely will help you
split test between the two variants.

Chartbeat

Chartbeat is like Google Analytics, but faster. Once installed on your site, the app
shows how many people are currently on your site, what pages they’re looking
at and where they’ve come from – along with some visually pleasing graphs &
charts.

Airbnb

Airbnb makes it easy to rent homes, apartments or couches to stay at for a few
nights, instead of staying at a hotel. The interface has been designed with the
user in mind, and is both elegant and easy to use.

Adobe Kuler

Kuler is Adobe’s app to help you find a colour palette that looks good. Similar to
ColourLovers, Kuler is a community of designers that help each other rate and
share interesting colour palettes.

Curdbee

Curdbee helps freelancers and small companies send out and track invoices
– instead of having a bulky, over-complicated approach like many desktop
invoicing apps, Curdbee is simple, unfussy and a pleasure to use.

YOUR TURN

Are there any beautifully designed apps that you think we’ve missed? What do you find frustrating about some of the web apps you currently use? Let us know in the comments!