The second major version of Square Register for iPad featured both quick-tapping tile views and a searchable list view, but one much-desired feature needed to be added: item categories. The challenge was to incorporate categories into both views, as well as keep their creation and management as intuitive as other aspects of item setup.
To solve this, I developed a "stacked item tiles" look for categories, quickly indicating their function. The tile grid view needed to keep its quick-selection nature, so tapping a category there prompted a pop-up of items. By contrast the list view was for more focused search, so categories here follow a push-in list model. Finally, in Edit Mode categories can be created and edited in-place, and items can quickly be moved between categories alone or in batches.
