Sling App for iPhone

Sling: iPhone app design and branding

Australian entrepreneurs (and siblings) Phil and Jane Lawlor asked me to design the UI and brand for their new product, Sling. The idea behind Sling is simple: you send a friend or loved one a drink.

The drink is already paid for, so all they have to do is go to the bar and pick it up.

How the app works

Sling uses your friends’ checked-in locations to let you know when they’re at a bar or restaurant. You can then buy them a drink through the app from anywhere in the world, and your friend gets an alert to go to the bar and collect it. Who doesn’t want to pick up a free Margarita?

The app produces an exclusive code that’s redeemed through the bar’s point of sale software, which transfers payment to the venue and gets your friend their drink.

The nice thing about Sling is your friends don’t even need to be out. If you’ve been somewhere recently and tried a great cocktail, you can buy that same drink for a friend. “You must try this cocktail, have one on me!” It’s a great way of sharing experiences.

Your friend then gets a notification with a set time to claim the drink. If the time runs out, your card is refunded.

Logo and branding

Part of this project was the brand. The logo is made up of two shapes. Look closely and each one is the top of a wine glass turned on its side. They’re cut together to form boomerang shapes, suggesting you’re slinging something (and with the founders being Australian, that came to mind too).

I really enjoyed this mobile app project. It was a complicated one, with a lot of features to fit into the app, but I’m really happy with the results.

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I write lots on my design blog. Try reading “It’s OK Not to Chase Constant Growth With Your Freelance Business”.