Crowd-funding site Kickstarter has launched its first official app, for iOS.

The free apps purpose is threefold. Firstly, it enables users to find projects they might want to back, through a variety of filters including Staff picks, category, and popularity – or, using location-based functionality, projects started near them. It also updates backers on how projects theyve funded are progressing, through push messages. Finally, its intended to let creators manage their projects, updating with the number of pledges and enabling them to write updates on the fly, adding photos from their devices camera.

Its worth noting that Kickstarter doesnt currently have a mobile-optimised site, so the app represents its first step onto mobile.

“We took things weve learned from the past three years of building the site, and applied them to a total redesign for the iPhone,” said Kickstarters founders in a blog post. “We redesigned the project page, browse pages, and others. And we focused on making three things really useful and fun: finding new projects, keeping up to date with projects youve backed, and offering great tools for creators.”

The app has a chunky, easy-to-navigate design which is both attractive and well-suited to the smaller screen, with big buttons making it simple to whittle down the projects until you find something youre interested in. However, for anyone looking for a particular project, the search function is slightly more hidden than were used to in most apps.