I wanted to write about this app before, but I couldn’t manage to get it working properly on my iPad running iOS 4.2 beta. Luckily enough, the Tapmates developers worked hard on releasing a compatibility update, and here I am testing Dribbblr on my iPad running iOS 4.2 GM. Dribbblr is a free client for Dribbble.com, a gallery of great works submitted by popular and new designers who managed to get an invite to the website. It’s a great place to discover new talents and, why not, new apps coming out on iOS and OS X.

You can browse Dribbble from your iPad without an account, but thanks to the recently opened API Dribbblr adds native features like a completely redesigned interface and navigation that wraps Dribbble’s screenshots around a polished and minimal iPad interface. The app is free, but you can upgrade to a Pro version via in-app purchase ($2.99) that removes all the ads, although they’ve been cleverly integrated in the “timeline” and they’re good-looking enough to not get in the way all the time.

Dribbblr allows you to check on popular creations and “debuts” – artworks submitted by new Dribble members. The UI schemes are easy to understand, all you have to do is swipe across these pages containing large thumbnails of the aforementioned artworks. Once you tap on something you like, you can read the comments, jump to the author’s profile and see how many times that picture has been viewed so far. I liked the fact that comments are arranged vertically in portrait mode, but they slide to the side of the screen when in landscape.

Of course the app is more enjoyable if you’re a Dribbble user yourself and can comment on other people’s works and thoughts. Even if I’m not a member, though, I found myself regularly coming back to the app for a quick 5-minute browsing session on what’s new. The website offers a larger feature set (tags, browse by author’s tags, recommended users), but I believe the lack of these features is mainly due to the still fresh API. More should come soon.

Dribbblr is free, fast enough at fetching screenshots and the UI is deliciously elegant. I don’t see why you shouldn’t give it a try.