Introducing Nucleo 2
Icon library & icon organizer | nucleoapp.com
It took us almost 1 year, but here we are with a new version of Nucleo! This release is not just a design update, it’s a new direction for our product. In order to take this new direction, we had to rebuild the whole system from the ground up.
Download Nucleo 2 and give it a try! We hope you enjoy it ;)
A new approach
Over the last 2 years, Nucleo has been used by ~3000 designers and developers. We consider this a huge achievement. We started very small (team of 2), and decided to build the first version with the sole investment of our time. This is why we used Wordpress to build the web app. We knew it was far from being ideal, but it was the only way to start. Sometimes you can either plan big and never actually do something, or plan small, launch a product and see if it’s worth further investments.
Almost 1 year after the launch, we invested the first profits into a Mac native app, and it was a game changer. The app was fast and reliable, the icon library was growing. Everything was good. But not good enough. As a web design agency (Amber Creative Lab), we worked for some clients in order to invest more in Nucleo. We ended up hiring 2 talented developers to help us bring Nucleo 2 to life.
Why the need for change? Nucleo v1 had become difficult to maintain, the web and OS X apps were 2 separated systems that worked and looked differently. In a nutshell, it was not a system built for growth. There was no modularity in our approach, therefore adding new features was complicated.
Hence the change: we designed and coded the web app, then used electron to build a cross platform desktop app. A single codebase, a new system we could build upon. At the same time we developed a new CMS to manage all Nucleo icons, as well as users and payments. The new version is not just a change for our members, but also a big step up for us working behind the curtains!
What’s new in Nucleo 2 then?
A new design
The apps and website have been re-designed to reflect the new branding and accomodate the new features.
Nucleo for Windows
Windows users can now download the desktop app, and take advantage of features like drap-and-drop icons into graphic tools, as well as the speed that comes from having a local database for all icons.
Icons import
By far the most popular request: in Nucleo 2 users can import their own icons, as well as organize them in sets, projects and favourites.
Icon font generator
In Nucleo 2 users can export custom icon fonts directly from within the app!
Team management
Now it’s possible to manage a team, invite new members as well as share projects and collaborate with teammates.
What did not change
We’ll keep adding new icons! Now even faster than before. Also, you can expect more app updates and new features on a monthly basis.
What’s next
Now that Nucleo 2 is here, we can focus on delivering new icons and app features at a pace that was not possible before.
Any ideas? Keep getting in touch, we’re listening to your requests ;)
