Graphic design apps can be hard to use. But this isn’t the case with Assembly
Price: $1.99/£1.49 IAP
Size: 59.2 MB
Version: 1.0
Developer: Pixite LLC
Platform: iPhone & iPad
You might have taken graphic design iOS applications for a spin in the past, only to feel a little … overwhelmed. At times, these apps can be feature-packed, hard to use, and altogether inaccessible. But Assembly offers a mobile graphic design experience for the average, non-specialist user.
Choose your project: Assembly’s main user interface (UI) lets users pick up an old project, or start a new one
Assembly does a lot of things: you can create icons, logos, and scenes using a “building block approach to design,” according to developer Pixite. What does this mean? Well, in the application, Assembly offers a rage of pre-made shapes and objects which can be placed onto a user’s artboard. Through resizing, rotating, and repositioning these elements, iPhone owners like you and me can quickly create graphic masterpieces in little or no time at all.
Once you’ve added an object onto the artboard, you can begin resizing it, rotating it, and moving it about
Usefully, upon launching Assembly, users can opt to receive a helping hand at the start of their graphic design journey, or they can walk it alone from the beginning. An icon, “I’m new to design,” will allow iPhone owners to receive a few tutorials in order to get to grips with the app, and these are truly useful. After completing, or rather graduating, from Assembly’s crash course, you can start designing in the application. Blank projects can be created with the tap of a button, and from here objects grouped by category (including Tiles, Wilderness, Design Elements, and The Strokes) can be placed onto your blank canvas. More shapes can be revealed through dragging this interface upwards, and tapping on an individual shape adds it onto your artboard. It’s also possible to unlock additional packs of shapes for in-app purchases (IAPs) of $0.99 apiece.
Packs of objects can be purchased in-app and added into Assembly on your iOS device
Assembly features a range of tools which allow users to manipulate the shapes they’ve chosen. You can rotate and resize through tapping and dragging on the object, and you can also flip, duplicate, undo, and move shapes to the front (or back) using a set of tools which sit along the right of the page. These can also be hidden completely with a further tap, allowing users to focus on their design perspective.
Noteworthy Assembly-designed pieces are also shown off from inside the in-app gallery
Add to this special gestures for multi-selecting shapes, as well as the option of grouping shapes for quick reuse, and what you have is a smart, functional, and accessible graphic design app. After just a few minutes, you’ll be creating all kinds of designs from inside Assembly. The process really is incredibly effortless.
Finally, your Assembly projects can be saved to the app’s library or exported in a variety of formats
Designs can be exported as .jpg, .png, and .svg files, or you can send your project to a design pal using the iOS sharing menu. It’s also possible to save projects to your personal library for future editing.
All in all, Assembly is perhaps the best graphic design application we’ve used for iOS. It’s a sophisticated piece of mobile software that can produce great results, but which is easy to get to grips with at the same time.