Interact - How to create an App?

How to create an App
Interact Youth Festival
29th July 2011

Presented by The Design Zoo

Wednesday, 3 August 2011

Introduction
Our Company
We are a small digital production company
specialising in games and digital entertainment. We
are based in Belfast and have been running for ﬁve
years.
Us
Adrian Campbell - Technical Director
Ross Hompstead - Developer


Introduction
Recent Projects
Rock Out (www.youtube.com/user/thedesignzoo)
GoToBelfast
Literature Belfast
Where does our inspiration come from?
Snow Time
The Black Helix


Snow Time
Background
Ross let it slip that he was a Christmas grinch who
didn’t enjoy the festive season.
Being caring work colleagues the rest of the team in
the ofﬁce decided to do their best to change his
opinion on Christmas...in typical Design Zoo
fashion.


Introduction
App Development
The Design Zoo has worked on large scale apps for
iPhone, Android and Mobile Web.
We work on both Mac and PC platforms when
developing apps.


Introduction
App Development
Our main skills within the company lie in the
following languages:
Objective C
Java
PHP
HTML
Javascript

Introduction


Introduction
About You


Introduction
About You
What background are you all from?


Introduction
About You
Design


Introduction
About You
Design
Developer


Introduction
About You
Design
Developer
What inspired you to come to this workshop?


Introduction
About You
Design
Developer
What inspired you to come to this workshop?
Have you ever developed an app before?


Introduction
What will we cover today?


Introduction
Application Types


Introduction
Application Types
Usage Statistics


Introduction
Application Types
Usage Statistics
Platforms


Introduction
Application Types
Usage Statistics
Platforms
Development


Introduction
Application Types How to make money
Usage Statistics
Platforms
Development


Introduction
Usage Statistics Marketing
Platforms
Development


Introduction
Platforms Reporting
Development


Introduction
Platforms Reporting
Development Overview


Application Types


Application Types
Popular Apps


Application Types
Popular Apps
What is the ﬁrst app you think of?


Application Types
Popular Apps
What categories do these fall into?


Application Types
Popular Apps
Who uses these type of apps?


Application Types
Popular Apps
Who uses these type of apps?
Can you see any trends developing?


Application Types
Top 10 iPhone Apps - iTunes, 28th July 2011
1. WhatsApp Messenger 6. Blobster
2. Angry Birds 7. Monopoly
3. Zombie Gunship 8. Angry Birds Rio
4. Stickman BMX 9. Akinator
5. Fruit Ninja 10. Angry Birds Seasons


Application Types
Application Type Task


Application Types
Split into two groups - one with Adrian one with
Ross


Application Types
Ross
If you could build your perfect app now what
application type would it fall into?


Application Types
Ross
Why would you choose that type of app?


Application Types
Ross
Why would you choose that type of app?
At the end each team will pitch their idea


Application Types
Top 10 Grossing Apps on iTunes
1. Tap Zoo 6. Zynga Poker
2. Tiny Tower 7. Happy Park
3. TomTom UK & Ireland 8. Tap Pet Hotel
4. TomTom West Europe 9. Angry Birds
5. Zombie Gunship 10. WhatsApp Messenger


Application Types
Top 10 Grossing Apps on iTunes
1. Free 6. Free
2. Free 7. Free
3. £49.99 8. Free
4. £49.99 9. £0.69
5. £0.69 10. £0.69


App Usage
Basic Usage Overview
Before we start to look at how to go about
developing an application we need to have in place a
solid understanding of how apps and smart phones
are used.
This allows us to consider a larger amount of
possibilities throughout the development cycle -
ultimately leading to a better app.


App Usage


App Usage
(IDC) - Over 300,000 mobile apps have been developed in the
last 3 years and these applications have been downloaded 10.9
billion times in December 2010


App Usage
IDC predicts that global downloads will real 76.9 billion in
2014


App Usage
2014
(Nielsen – June 2010) - in the US the most used apps across
all smartphones are Facebook, Google Maps and The Weather
Channel


App Usage
2014
(Nielsen – June 2010) - in the US the most used apps across
all smartphones are Facebook, Google Maps and The Weather
Channel
(Localytics – January 2011) – Around one in four mobile apps
are downloaded once then never used again


App Usage
(Flurry – June 2011) - average US mobile user spends 81
minutes using apps. This overtakes usage of both desktop and
mobile web


App Usage
(Flurry – May 2011) - market share of app usage is held by
games and social networking


App Usage
Even though games are popular on mobile devices, they are
making minimal impact on revenue in comparison to console
and traditional portable games


App Usage
(Flurry – February 2011) – Mobile Social Gamers in
comparison to Traditional Gamers - Ages


App Usage
(Flurry – February 2011) – Mobile Social Gamers in
comparison to Traditional Gamers - Gender


Platforms


Platforms
General Ideas


Platforms
General Ideas
Who uses what type of phone?


Platforms
General Ideas
Symbian


Platforms
General Ideas
Symbian
Windows Mobile


Platforms
General Ideas
Symbian
Windows Mobile
Blackberry


Platforms
General Ideas
Symbian
Windows Mobile
Blackberry
Android


Platforms
General Ideas
Symbian
Windows Mobile
Blackberry
Android
iPhone


Platforms
General Ideas
What platform would you immediately want to
develop for?


Platforms
General Ideas
develop for?
Are there any that you would have no interest in
developing for?


Platforms
General Ideas
develop for?
Are there any that you would have no interest in
developing for?
WHY?


Platforms
General Ideas
What type of phone do you think is most popular?


Platforms
General Ideas
What type of phone do you think is most popular?
Should you develop for it?


Platforms
The Design Zoo Ideas


Platforms
So which of the platforms do we choose to develop
mainly for?


Platforms
mainly for?
iPhone


Platforms
mainly for?
iPhone
Android


Platforms
mainly for?
iPhone
Android
Mobile Web


Platforms
mainly for?
iPhone
Android
Mobile Web
Each has its advantages and disadvantages which
leads to the great battle of native vs. web apps...

Platforms
Native vs. Web Apps
Native App - Downloaded from an App Store
Web App - Accessed through mobile web browser


Platforms
Native App Positives
• Available ofﬂine
• Access to all API's (GPS, camera, voice control
etc.) allowing more functionality to be achieved
• Nearly full control of UI and user experience
• Optimised performance for the device the app will
run on
• App stores allow easy payments to companies
• Easier to market


Platforms
Native App Negatives
• Most native apps require access to the internet
(except games) in order to achieve functionality
• The app must be redeveloped for each platform
• Apps may be rejected on submission to each
respective app store
• Development costs for each platform
• Each platform will take a cut of sales proﬁts
• Apps will not appear in internet search results


Platforms
Web App Positives
• As long as it isn't illegal you can develop any form
of web application without any approval process
◦No submission and immediate launch
• It is free for anyone to develop a mobile
application (if hosting etc is already set up)
• Platform and device independence leads to a wider
potential audience
• Mobile site will appear in search engines
• 100% proﬁt goes to company

Platforms
Web App Negatives
• Access to device speciﬁc API's is currently limited
• UI and user experience will change dependant on
the device and browser
• Longer loading times that a native app
• No simple way of selling
• Harder to market
• Not available without a reliable internet
connection
• Not good at running graphical intensive games

Platforms
Native vs. Web Apps
So whats the answer?
• Audience - who will be using the app?
• Content - what will the app contain?
• Functionality - what does the app need to do?
• Maintenance - how often will the app be updated?
• Timescale - how long is available for
development?
• Direct Competition - what strategy have other
competitors adopted?

Platforms
Design
All devices use different screen sizes and resolutions

Web apps must be ﬂexible for as many devices as
possible

Native apps can be targeted by designers to speciﬁc
sizes


Final Considerations
Target market
Research
App type
Platform usage
Development costs
Marketplace & marketing costs
Turnaround time
3rd party requirements e.g. Purchasing, gaming
network


Development
Android
http://developer.android.com/index.html

Android Development is done in Java (JDK) through
the Android SDK


Development
Blackberry
http://us.blackberry.com/developers/

Blackberry development is done in Java to allow
greatest ﬂexibility


Development
Windows Mobile
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/windowsmobile/
bb264318

Windows Mobile uses the Windows
Mobile SDK which is based on the .net
framework. Visual Studio is
used for compiling.


Development
Symbian
http://www.developer.nokia.com/Devices/Symbian/

The recommended way of developing for Symbian
devices is through QT Creator.


Development
iPhone/iPad (iOS)
http://developer.apple.com/

iOS Development is done through Xcode/interface
Builder using Objective C


How to make Money
You will have noticed in our earlier slides that most
of the top grossing apps in the iTunes store were in
fact free to download.
How do these apps make money?


How to make Money
Freemium Model
This model involves giving the app away for free!

Why?
There is probably another app doing the same thing
Users are unwilling to download ‘expensive’ apps
Once a user sees quality they will be willing to spend
money


How to make Money
Freemium Model
Most users are unwilling to pay for an app due to
previous bad experiences. Users will download a
free app over yours if you charge for it, even though
the free app may be of inferior quality.

You have to prove the quality and usefulness of your
app to make money.


How to make Money
Freemium Model
A trusting relationship is established with the user
through producing a good, functional and reliable
app.

Only then should you be looking to gain revenue
through In App Purchases etc.


How to make Money
In App Advertising
In app advertising can be used to gain revenue -
especially effective if you have a large user base.

iAds is Apple’s version of advertising. Advertisers
must go through Apple to manage advertising space.

AdMob allows the same service across various other
platforms.


How to make Money
Complement Another Product or Service
Facebook is a great example of this. Although they
make no money through their apps (no in app
purchases/advertising) they gain exposure and
expand their community through the app.

The primary aim of the applications is to increase
trafﬁc and users on the main Facebook web site.


How to make Money
Have a GREAT idea and follow it through!
One of the best ways of making money is to ﬁnd a
gap in the market and produce an app to ﬁll that void.

If there is demand for it people will buy it. The key
to being successful is producing a good quality
reliable application.


Marketing
So your application is ﬁnished. It has been tested,
submitted and its in the app store. What now?

Only a small number of people will know its there -
what can you do and who can help you?


Marketing
Social Media
Social Media Advertising can target potential user
groups and guide them towards your app.

Create your own app FB and Twitter accounts for the
app to create a buzz around it. Continuously
communicate with the community.

Adding social media integration and share ability
within the app will add to buzz.

Marketing
App Microsite
Having a connecting microsite for your app gives
you more of a chance to convey the beneﬁts and
reasons people need your app in comparison to the
short description ﬁelds offered throughout app stores.
It also allows the possibility of great user interaction
through web based methods.

e.g. Ben the Bodyguard, TypePlace


Marketing
Publishers
Specialist Mobile Publishers do exist and are always
on the lookout for the next big thing.

As an example Angry Birds would arguably not have
had its massive success without the involvement of
ClickGamer.com who teamed up with them to
improve their publishing strategy.


Marketing
Online Communities
If you have developed an application with a speciﬁc
group of people in mind...let them know the app is
there! If you don’t who will.

Take advantage of online forums and communities
and use these to inform potential users of your app.


Marketing
Banner Ads
Banner ads placed in the correct and relevant places
still provide an excellent method of online
advertising.

Try to get an advert featured on app feature sites,
relevant web sites, blogs, gamer blogs etc.


Reporting
Overview
When developing any type of app, web site,
Facebook page etc. it is always useful to add some
form of reporting so you can see how it is being
used.

Apps should be no different, you want to know who
is using your app and how.


Reporting
Google Analytics
Google provides analytics functionality primarily for
web site analysis.

This same logic can be used to track movement
within an app through inclusion of the Analytics
library and a few lines of code.

See iPhone example


Reporting
Flurry
Flurry is similar to Google Analytics but more aimed
towards apps.

Support is given for all types of apps as standard, and
integration is as simple as adding a few lines of code
to your project.

Coding is less than Google Analytics.


Overview


Questions?


Interact - How to create an App?

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