Etsy Fans: Check Out I Heart Etsy For An All New Way To Browse Etsy On Your iPad
I Heart Etsy ($0.99) by Gesture Theory is an Etsy app that’s designed for the iPad, with an intuitive browsing layout and Retina support for the third generation device.
If you use Etsy and have an iPad, then you know that there aren’t many apps designed for browsing the site on the tablet. Most of my iPad Etsy browsing takes place in Safari as a result, but that may change with the release of I Heart Etsy.
When opening the app, you’ll get a quick rundown of the features, and then you’ll be able to sign into your Etsy account. You don’t have to sign into the account, but I recommend it because it allows you to favorite items and sellers.
From there, you can search using the big search bar at the top of the screen, or browse categories by swiping to the left. Categories are designated with pictures, and to further explore a section, you simply tap on the picture.
For example, I tapped on “Accessories” to check it out, and was presented with a four by three layout of pictures, complete with short descriptions and prices. This section is well designed, but on the actual website, there’s another layer of navigation when you click a category.
For example, the accessories section on the site is split into further browsing categories, such as apron, belt, gloves, eyewear, scarf, mittens, and so on, and that deeper navigation is missing from this app. You can search just in accessories by tapping the search icon at the top of the screen, but this app definitely needs better browsing navigation.
In addition to browsing by category, you can also check out Treasuries, which are user curated groups of items centered around a theme. A Treasury with the theme “Lilac Summer,” displays items that are both summery (lots of flowers) and lilac colored. Treasuries are a fun way to browse Etsy, and this app does present the perfect platform for checking out those user curated items.
Unfortunately, this app does not allow you to tap an item and then browse other items from the same seller’s shop. There is also no way to browse by shop, which is a huge oversight.
Searching works well, and will bring up all of the items with the search term that you input. You can flick through search results with a swipe, which makes finding what you’re looking for quick and easy.
If you have added items to your favorite list, you can also browse these within the app.
Clicking on any item, either while browsing, searching, or in your favorites list, will bring up all of the photos of that item, plus pricing information, and an item description. From here, you can add the item to your favorites, share it on Facebook or through email, or add it to your cart.
Items in your cart can be purchased directly from within the app, using Paypal, which will bring up the Etsy website in a window. It’s a simple, streamlined process that works well.
I Heart Etsy is not a perfect browsing solution, but it’s pleasing to look at thanks to Retina support and the layout makes searching for and finding items an easy task. It beats running the Etsy website just for the simple ability to swipe through items, which makes a lot of difference when you’re browsing through the hundreds of thousands of items on Etsy.
If you’ve been looking for a better Etsy iPad browsing solution, give I Heart Etsy a try. At just $0.99, it’s sure to improve your browsing experience.
