1. introductions Jen Gordon Background in web design for a bunch of big companies (booring) Migrated to designing mobile apps in 2008 (yaaay!) Founder, designer & writer @ www.tapptics.com Special guest Bess Ho iOS developer & instructor “How to Develop an iPhone App in 4 Weeks” online course
4. topic What makes a successful app? According to Outfit7 the secret is to: “Exploit the touchability and rich development environment of Apple technology, then use social media to spread the word.” Andrej Nabergoj, Outfit7 CEO
5. topic And what does that mean? They understood that people love: apps that have a creative use of the touch screen. Animals Especially funny animals Or cute, fluffy animals They also knew their target audience and the the motivations of their audience: Parents (to entertain themselves or children) Kids (to laugh hysterically) And spreading the word via social media? Sounds like they got a little lucky.
6. Geoff asks I'm a professional cartoonist looking to move into gaming and mobile apps. What do I need to learn about mobile apps and gaming apps in order to make a successful leap into that area? Look at what’s trending in the App Store. Especially games that have an extended stay in the Top 10. Trends and tastes change, so it’s always a good idea to see what’s current. Have addictive game-play, lots of ways to level up. Make it impossible to put down. Don’t forget about sound effects. It’s very important to give the user audio and visual feedback when they do something right or wrong in the game. Your artwork has to be killer. Whether it’s killer in a Doodle Jump kind of way, or killer in a Tiny Wings kind of way.
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9. Jen’s follow up Why is Angry Birds so popular? Gameplay is accessible to a wide range of users (children, adults, retirees?) Loveable characters Awesome name, incredible graphics Conceptually rich (name describes something about the gameplay) It’s brand has become recognizable in popular culture. Physics type games seem to be popular (Cut the Rope, Tiny Wings)
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11. Jen’s follow up What happened to Flight Control? And how is its success different than Angry Birds?
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13. Jen’s follow up What happened to Flight Control? Flight Control enjoyed a very long run in the top 10 in the early years of the App Store. It was popular with iOS early adopters, primarily male. Other apps with dynamic game-play and characters edged them out. Customers were ready for something new? The app did not enjoy the kind of popularity that allowed it to be extended in the same way as Angry Birds, in the way of merchandising and movie deals.
14. Zsuzsi asks I just try to collect some good advice about app design, so if you have some standard wisdoms for an app-virgin designer, I would be grateful if you're sharing with me :) Spend some time in the App Store. Download tons and tons of apps. Analyze what you think makes them work well, and make a note of things that are confusing. Think about how different design aesthetics or flows can apply to the app you’re designing. Believe it or not, this is one of the best ways to learn how to design apps.
15. Zsuzsi asks I just try to collect some good advice about app design, so if you have some standard wisdoms for an app-virgin designer, I would be grateful if you're sharing with me :) Spend some time in the App Store. Download tons and tons of apps. Analyze what you think makes them work well, and make a note of things that are confusing. Think about how different design aesthetics or flows can apply to the app you’re designing. Believe it or not, this is one of the best ways to learn how to design apps. Your first app design will probably suck, so don’t waste time in Photoshop. Sit with a pad of paper and draw out how you think the app should work.
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17. David asks Please focus some time on concept through design Ok so here’s my design process: Brainstorm feature list (generally what could the app do and for who? If a game or casual tool, what kind of concepts or visual metaphors surround the idea?) Example: Celebrity Mashup Primary Task (what is the main thing this app achieves) Product Definition Statement (iPhoto is an easy to use photo organization tool for casual photographers.) Define my Target Audience Write out Use Case scenarios
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19. David asks Please focus some time on concept through design Ok so here’s my design process: Brainstorm feature list (generally what could the app do and for who? If a game or casual tool, what kind of concepts or visual metaphors surround the idea?) Example: Celebrity Mashup Primary Task (what is the main thing this app achieves) Product Definition Statement (iPhoto is an easy to use photo organization tool for casual photographers.) Define my Target Audience Write out Use Case scenarios Draw prototypes
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21. David asks Please focus some time on concept through design Ok so here’s my design process: Brainstorm feature list (generally what could the app do and for who? If a game or casual tool, what kind of concepts or visual metaphors surround the idea?) Example: Celebrity Mashup Primary Task (what is the main thing this app achieves) Product Definition Statement (iPhoto is an easy to use photo organization tool for casual photographers.) Define my Target Audience Write out Use Case scenarios Draw prototypes Assemble the screens in the proper flow
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23. David asks Please focus some time on concept through design Ok so here’s my design process: Brainstorm feature list (generally what could the app do and for who? If a game or casual tool, what kind of concepts or visual metaphors surround the idea?) Example: Celebrity Mashup Primary Task (what is the main thing this app achieves) Product Definition Statement (iPhoto is an easy to use photo organization tool for casual photographers.) Define my Target Audience Write out Use Case scenarios Draw prototypes Assemble the screens in the proper flow Finally… get into Photoshop
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25. Mark asks as a non programmer/developer, what should i do to most fully use all the stuff on the tapptics site, other than grab the images Start designing out some app ideas, even if they’re just ideas you’ve had floating around in your head. This will help you: Build your portfolio Begin to understand how apps are organized, how they flow, how to design tappable targets the proper size and bunch of other stuff! Then, once you have some ideas mocked up, start to reach out to developers to find the right match for your app project. Even if it’s not a large project, it’s helpful to get a couple of apps in the app store so you understand how the process works from start to finish.
26. Paul asks My app. is an educational game for teaching EFL. The techniques are new. What are my intellectual property right options? English as a Foreign Language? The answer is I’m not sure. If the techniques were not new, I’d say protect yourself by drawing up a Non-Disclosure Agreement with everyone who works on the project. However since your techniques are new, you may want to contact an Intellectual Property lawyer to determine if your techniques need or can be protected.
27. Daniel asks Should we switch to developing webapps now or continue developing for iOS for time being? Becoming familiar with developing for web-based mobile applications will only put you ahead of the game when the wave starts to hit. My prediction is that with the proliferation of Android and other tablet and smartphone devices that web-based mobile apps will be a requirement for businesses that do not desire to develop (and maintain) native apps for multiple platforms. The direction it is currently moving in is developers creating mobile web apps that live inside of a native shell, thus making it possible to distribute through the App Store. I see this trend continuing as the market matures.
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30. Development (of app any any web-based components)
31. Marketing (includes social media setup, web promotion, advertising)
