Manage a happy household with Chorma

Chorma is an iOS app from independent developer Stephen Bennett. It's available now as a free download from the App Store. Chorma builds on the concept of collaborative listmaking and ties it in with an everyday theme that everyone can relate to -- household chores. The app is designed to be used by all iOS device-wielding members of a household and help them work together to get everything done. It also incorporates an element of light gamification in an attempt to make the experience more fun and rewarding for everyone. Chorma requires users to sign up with a proprietary account before it can be used. There is no means of signing in with Facebook, Twitter or other social networks -- users must use their email address as their user ID. Once signed in, the app's main interface is split into four sections -- chores which have been assigned to the user, all chores for the household, recent activity and a household management screen. Creating a new chore is a simple matter of tapping the "add" button in the corner of the screen, at which point the task can be given a title, assigned between one and five "Chorma Points" according to the difficulty or length of the task, assigned to an individual and marked as repeating or having a specific schedule. Tasks may also be marked as "Claimable," which means that any household member can volunteer for a task and claim the Chorma Points when it has been completed. Adding household members is a matter of inviting them via their email address. Invitations to households may be accepted or ignored from the account management screen, and a household left if desired. The purpose of Chorma Points is twofold: firstly, it provides a means for household members to see who has been doing the most chores and/or to ensure everyone is doing their fair share. Secondly, the app provides an option to redeem the accumulated Chorma Points of the household. This is simply a function which proposes a meal out with all house members, and suggests a split of the check according to how the total accumulated Chorma Points are divided between everyone. This then sends an email to all household members informing everyone of what share they will be paying and how much each Chorma Point reduced their share by. Although the app uses the term "schedule" to describe this process, it does not directly interface with the user's calendar -- it is simply an integrated means of contacting all household members simultaneously and proposing a meal out. Chorma is a very good idea at heart, and the addition of the "Chorma Points" and the bill-splitting function is a nice touch -- though the latter could perhaps be fleshed out a little more with an actual bill calculator and connectivity with the calendar. The app itself is well put together with a simple, clear, attractive and functional interface, and everything is laid out in an intuitive manner, making it suitable for all ages to use. How practical it is for an individual to use depends on how many iOS devices they have in their household, but for those who are suitably equipped with sufficient gadgets, it's a good collaborative solution. There are many better task-management apps for individuals, but for casual group work Chorma is a good option. You can follow Chorma's progress with AppData, our tracking service for mobile and social apps and developers.

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Manage a happy household with Chorma

Pete Davison

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Pete Davison