Elk Currency Converter

What it does

Elk is a currency converter designed for speed and simplicity. It presents a clean, list-based view of exchange rates, starting from 1 to 10 units of a base currency. Its primary innovation is its gesture-first interface, which allows users to instantly scale these values up or down by factors of ten with a simple swipe, avoiding the need for a numeric keypad.

Where it shines

Elk's design philosophy shines in its interactive onboarding (00:00 - 00:14). It teaches the core swipe and tap gestures through an overlay on the live interface, making the learning process intuitive and immediate. The core interaction of swiping left or right to multiply or divide all values by ten (00:04) is both playful and highly efficient. For paid users, the ability to create a custom wallpaper with a live rates table (01:44) is a standout utility that extends the app's value to the device's lock screen.

UX highlights

Gesture-based scaling: Swiping horizontally to change the magnitude of all listed values is a fast and tactile alternative to typing.
Contextual onboarding: The app teaches its unique interactions directly on the main UI, which is far more effective than a separate tutorial.
Tap to drill down: Tapping between two rows (00:08) smoothly zooms in to show incremental values, a clever use of space and interaction.
Minimalist UI: The interface is clean and focused, displaying only the essential information without clutter.
Haptic feedback: Though not visible, the app likely uses haptics to make gestures feel more responsive and satisfying.
Useful premium features: Features like setting custom rates (01:10) and creating wallpapers provide clear and tangible value for subscribing.

Monetization & growth

The app uses a freemium model with a soft paywall. Core conversion is free, but advanced features like using custom rates or accessing all currencies are locked. When a user tries to access a locked feature (00:48), a paywall appears offering a monthly or annual subscription, with the annual plan highlighted with a '58% OFF' tag. The offer includes a 3-day free trial, which is a common strategy to lower the barrier to conversion. After subscribing, the app prompts the user to rate it on the App Store (02:11), a well-timed request to capture positive sentiment.

Who it’s for

Elk is designed for frequent travelers, expats, and online shoppers who need to perform quick, approximate currency conversions without fuss. Its gesture-based system is perfect for one-handed use on the go. Users who need to constantly monitor a specific exchange rate would find the premium wallpaper feature particularly useful.

Notes & opportunities

The app's minimalism is its greatest strength, but could also be a limitation. While the swipe-to-scale feature is excellent for round numbers, entering a highly specific amount (e.g., $137.50) isn't shown and might be less convenient than a traditional keypad. Additionally, the menu at the bottom (00:26) is quite dense. Simplifying the menu or making feature discovery more gradual could improve the experience for new users after they've mastered the basics.