What’s the point of buying TRMNL device if what it displays does not make you happy? I am not saying that all the plugins need be pretty, but for something that becomes an integral part of your home, it’s nice to have something that was made with taste.
Here are a couple of plugins in no particular order that I find particularly beautiful and inspiring. If you plan to implement your own plugin, I highly recommend browsing their integration and recipes catalog to get inspired and to discover which ones you like the most, and which are closest to your sense of aesthetics. Building something pretty is much more fun and rewarding than building something that just works. It will keep you motivated and proud.
Enough talking, here is the list.
BVG - Berlin Public Transport
I simply love the icons, how symmetrical it is, the table layout, the usage of badges, and the readability. It’s just a table, but it looks so good. It sparks joy.
EPL Fixtures - My Team Only
Very similar category, of just a table that just looks visually stunning. It does not try to do too much. The outline for your team makes so much difference. And the Premier League logo is a nice touch that makes it feel right.
STRMNL
My own creation. A lot of effort went into choosing the right e-ink readable icons. Also the map is a great touch. Nicely combines info about recent Strava activities and the latest activity in a single view. Automatically displays different data depending on exercise type.
https://strmnl.app/ - check it to see the variations.
Top Hacker News Story
Not the most useful one definitely as it requires scanning the QR code, to open and read the story. But damn… those images sometimes hit hard.
Horizontal World Clock
It reminds me very much of https://everytimezone.com/ but adapted very well for e-ink aesthetics. Great use of background colors and inverted colors for significant cells.
GitHub Commit Graph
The famous github tiles make all the hard work here. And just a few numbers that might keep you motivated to keep the streak and continue working on your side project. It works for me.
Weather Glance
Weather is a very common use case for e-ink displays, but this one chose a slightly different approach. Very clean, minimalistic and yet very informative. I like it because it gives me a good overview of what I can expect at different times of the day and helps pick the right time for riding my bike and clothes for the kid.
TFL - Underground Line Status
I am not a Londoner, but I can appreciate the beauty of this integration. Technically it’s just a grid. But it’s a pretty grid. Just so symmetrical and well balanced. The inverted badge for the line with delays immediately draws your attention.
F1 Races
Very minimalistic, but it works because circuit outlines are iconic. Just not sure if I could enjoy it for the whole time between races when they are 2-weeks apart.
Shan Shui Chinese Landscape
Can generated art be beautiful? This one is a great example that it can. The algorithm generates a random landscape inspired by the traditional Chinese Shan Shui paintings. The result is a unique piece of art that can be appreciated for its aesthetics and the beauty of randomness. Maybe someone should also make a plugin showing actual Shan Shui paintings.
Biorhythms
I don’t know anyone who believes in biorhythms, but I think it’s a good example of showing readable charts on an e-ink display. TRMNL OG was updated some time ago to 2-bit support (4 colors) which makes that kind of visualization even more readable.