Bad Calculator

Android App

Overview

I had the idea to make an calculator app that gives you the wrong answers while in math class and thought it would be interesting to "break" an application we normally trust whole-heatedly. For the Daily UI Design Challenge, I designed a calculator on day 4 and then I used that design to bring my idea to life.

The Bad Calculator doesn't just give you a random answer, it's smart! By default, it'll give you an answer that's 1 off the actual answer but if the actual answer is above 10 it'll be off by either 1 or 2. If your multiplying or dividing by a certain number then the false answer will still be a multiple of that number. ‍

I also wanted to be able to use the calculator on an everyday basis so I decided to add a "normal calculator mode" where to answers are correct and differentiating the two by only subtly changing the smiley face to a frown. To accommodate users needs better i also added a dark mode.

The Process

I coded the first version of the application in Android Studio using Java but then for later iterations I pivoted to a block based coding tool called Thunkable. I was testing out the tool for a nonprofit called Technovation, whose goal is to help inspire young girls to become leaders and encourage them to get into coding. I volunteered as a mentor for the program where I helped the teams from my school identify solutions to problems in the world around them. I then assisted with the visual design and programming of their application with Thunkable. I used this project to familiarize myself with the program to better help the teams.