Magnifier PLUS
⭐️ 4.5 App Store Rating | 10 Million + Users | Android
Company: Digitalchemy LLC
Team: PLUS Design Team
My Role: UI / UX Designer
Project Spotlight: A Magnifier App
Designing a Skeuomorphic UI for Magnifier PLUS
Overview
Alright—You’re Not Gonna Believe This One
It was a cold winter morning in Redmond, Washington. I parked my little car, tiptoed through the snow, and made my way into the cozy office of Digitalchemy LLC—a small but mighty startup brewing up creative apps.
I made a latte, sat at my desk, and was hit with:
“Hey Franz, you’re designing a magnifying app today.”
I blinked. Took a slow sip.
“…What?”
But we already have native camera apps, right? What could we possibly add?
Then the founder, Aidan, laid it out:
A sleek, skeuomorphic magnifier with a brushed metal interface and tactile, satisfying UI. Suddenly, I was sketching concepts, crafting interfaces, and rethinking how everyday tools could look and feel.
This is the story of Magnifier PLUS—an unexpectedly successful app... designed with lattes and a lot of polish.
Making Something New
Exploring Concepts
I'd been practicing skeuomorphic UI, especially brushed metal textures and physical button aesthetics. Thanks to that prep work, I already had a library of Illustrator components—ready for rapid design.
The founder's request was specific: a zoom slider, preset zoom levels, a way to freeze the frame, and flashlight control. It all came down to clean button layout, intentional sizing, and user logic.
My job? Figure out where everything goes, and why—balancing usability with the visual polish expected from a PLUS app.
Below are some of the rapid-fire concepts I created for team review.
A Simple UX
Designing with Intent
The app was simple—but simplicity still deserves polish. After a few latte-fueled brainstorms, the final UX flow came together. Smooth. Focused. No nonsense.
Skeuomorphic Detail
Yes, I made that brushed metal
Here’s a close-up of the brushed metal panel and physical-style buttons I designed for Magnifier PLUS. Every bevel, gradient, and shadow was crafted to give that classic, tactile feel—because even a utility app can look like a polished piece of hardware.
The Full Screens
Final Designs
Magnifying Results
A surprising global hit—turns out, people love skeuomorphic UI
Over 1 million users across 40+ languages. Not bad for an app that does what your camera already can. But what made the difference? A bit of charm. A polished UI. Brushed metal, big buttons, and a no-nonsense experience.
I was genuinely surprised by the global success, but proud to help build something small, functional—and surprisingly lovable.
Disclaimer:
The work shown here was created during my time at Digitalchemy LLC and is presented solely for personal portfolio use. All visuals reflect my role and contributions, and are shared respectfully to highlight process and craft—not for public or commercial use.
Reflections
Behind the Scenes at a Startup That Cared
Working at Digitalchemy—a small but mighty startup—was one of those rare roles where I learned something new every single day.
From brushed metal buttons to UX flows that felt intuitive, it all came down to crafting delight from simplicity.
I still remember that moment with the founder:
“You want me to design a magnifier app?”
“Yup.”
Sometimes, unexpected asks turn into unforgettable projects.
Here’s what teammates had to say…
"...Always tries to self-educate and improve his skills..."
Ihar — Developer, Digitalchemy LLC
October 7, 2019