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Two entry methods shown in the in-app tutorial.
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Media viewer with illustrative fictional memories; sample media, not customer photos.
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Media library with illustrative fictional memories; sample thumbnails, not customer photos.
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12 Home Screen icon choices; the Home Screen name stays Elsewhere.
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Inspiration
A collection of meaningful media can have a softer beginning than a grid of files. Elsewhere starts with an atmosphere: illustration, sound and a little space. The transition into a library is deliberate, giving the entrance as much care as the content view.
What it does
Elsewhere opens to a calm, hand-drawn scene with music. A deliberate pull and hold reveals an entrance to a personal collection of photos, videos and files. Two different entry gestures lead to separate libraries, with a quiet return to the ambient scene when the app is left.
The ambient home combines hand-drawn art and music. Pull down and hold to reveal the entry grid. A pattern and a silent-tap sequence can lead to different libraries. Inside, import and browse photos, videos and files, then open them in the media viewer.
Twelve app icons and dark mode let the outer appearance change while the product remains recognizable. Leaving the app closes the open library and returns the next visit to the calm entrance.
How it is built
Elsewhere is a native SwiftUI iPhone app built through Bitrig. The interface connects ambient artwork and audio to gesture-driven entry, local media organization and viewing. The current development branch also contains RevenueCat and AdMob integration plus a one-time Remove Ads product; its release status is stated separately below.
Challenges
The entry gestures need to be learnable without disturbing the calm surface. The same care is needed in the transition from artwork to library to media viewer, especially when handling photos, videos and files of different sizes.
Accomplishments
The product brings the ambient scene, two entry routes, separate libraries, media viewing and icon choices into one restrained visual experience. Its design gives the beginning and ending of a visit a recognizable rhythm.
What we learned
Motion is useful when it explains a transition. A deliberate hold, a change of scene and a quiet return can make an unfamiliar navigation pattern understandable without filling the surface with controls.
What's next
The next priority is device testing of both entry routes and the media flow, followed by completion of the new monetization configuration and release validation. The artwork and ambient sound remain central to that work.
Monetization status
An album-banner and one-time Remove Ads implementation exists in a development branch. Production ads are off, and a live purchase has not been validated. This entry does not claim the App Store version already includes qualifying RevenueCat monetization.
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