Christoph Wiesner

Articles

Writing

From the archive

Visual Timer in 2020

A look back at Visual Timer's fourth year — 4.3 million completed timers, 60% growth, and the updates that shaped the app.

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Simple In-App Feedback System

How we replaced a clunky web form with a lightweight in-app feedback flow — and connected it directly to our helpdesk.

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App pricing with GDP in mind

Why exchange-rate-based app pricing doesn't work globally — and how I adjusted Visual Timer's pricing using GDP per capita.

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First app experience — don't get too much in your user's way

How we simplified an e-scooter app's sign-up flow to a single SMS verification step — and why less data collection means more conversions.

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dayTrace — effortless activity journal

Building an automatic activity tracker that uses motion sensors instead of GPS — no setup, no battery drain, no location data.

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Function follows Form — Philips Wake-up Light

A UX teardown of the Philips Wake-up Light after 18 months of daily use — great concept, frustrating controls.

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Case Study — Visual Timer App

How a side project grew to 40,000 installs through user-first design, iterative development, and organic growth.

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Putting my app on a diet — Android App Bundle to the rescue

How switching to Android App Bundle cut Visual Timer's install size from 7.2 MB to around 2–3 MB.

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