open days app - summary and lessons learnt

Open Days app- summary and lessons learnt

Sebastian Lopienski(with slides from other team members)

CAPPS, November 2013

The team

Forming the team:– on “CERN Apps” forum– via word of mouth– by personal initiative

The team

This bottom-up process contributed to high motivation:– “own” the project– learn new things / get experience– do something different– be part of something cool– work with new people

“It's a pity that it took me so long to find an excuse to work with people outside my own section.”

Requirements: bilingual (at least)

i18next.js library

Requirements: must work off-line

~ CouchDB + CouchBase Lite (for data replication)

leaflet.js (for offline map tiles display)

Maps● The challenge

○ Work offline○ Maximum app size: 50 MB○ Easy integration (links to visit points, etc.)○ Look like the paper map

● Display tiles, markers● Cluster markers

Requirements: target platforms

HTML5/JavaScript/CSS

wintersmith + nunjacks (for templating)

Apache Cordova (aka PhoneGap)(for generating apps from HTML5/JS/CSS)

Requirement: responsive UI / good UX

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BTW, follow UI guidelines for each platform(for example: back button on iOS)

UI and UX

September

AugustJuly

Map data: quality (look & accuracy)

Feature tsunamiAbout CERN,LHC,...Data replicationDay choice"Done/seen" flagE-tickets importFood and drink"Favorite" flagGeo-locationI'm feeling luckyLanguage choiceLecture schedules

MapMore languagesMovies"Near me" sortingOff-line map routingParkingPhoto contest

submissionPhoto galleriesPractical informationPush notificationsQR codes reader

RecommendationsReal-time updatesSearchSettingsShuttle bus itinerariesSocial networksTopic choiceUsage trackingVisit point descriptionsVisitors' flow dataWebcast

Feature tsunamiAbout CERN,LHC,...Data replicationDay choice"Done/seen" flagE-tickets importFood and drink"Favorite" flagGeo-locationI'm feeling luckyLanguage choiceLecture schedules

MapMore languagesMovies"Near me" sortingOff-line map routingParkingPhoto contest

submissionPhoto galleriesPractical informationPush notificationsQR codes reader

RecommendationsReal-time updatesSearchSettingsShuttle bus itinerariesSocial networksTopic choiceUsage trackingVisit point descriptionsVisitors' flow dataWebcast

Late August: “Panic”● Graphic design was ugly● Performance was bad● Lots of missing data

○ Lectures, parkings, shuttles, toilets, etc.

Testing is not trivial

Devices:– from iPhone 3GS to 5– various iPads– Nexus 4

Operating Systems– from iOS 5.1 to 7– from Android 3.0 (2011) to 4.3

Advertising: visitors

Open Days website Email to e-ticket holders

Visitors, via social media

App Downloads (Android & iOS)6,200

3,87262%

2,32838%

Distribution by Country

Distribution by Country (stores)

Distribution by Country (IPs)

Fans in unlikely places? Fiji, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Myanmar, etc.

Feedback

Very few negative comments:– no support for Android < v.3.0– low performance (for the early versions of the app) – impossibility to move the app to the SD card

“Independent” review ;-)

Document reference

Feedback– “awesome!”

– “Very good app . Parkings, lectures timetable and locations, where to eat, how to travel among sites, where to buy souvenirs, a complete map of the zone... everything available offline! Good job, CERN people!”

– “I don't see the information it provides available any other way.”

Feedback (continued)– “The offline map is very appreciated, great

work!”

– “CERN Open Days app is another beautiful example of @phonegap for hitting many platforms, one codebase, with great UI/UX. Yes it can happen.”

– “Je n'ai qu'un mot à dire pour cette application mise à disposition pour ces OpenDays MERCI ! Elle était d'une grande aide pour s'y retrouver que ce soit pour les navettes ou trouver le bâtiment. ”

Ranking and ratingsGoogle Play Store

– ranked 2nd in category “Education”, free apps

Apple App Store (Swiss)– ranked 3rd in category

“Education”, free apps

Ranking and ratings

Stores do not provide all numbers– Play Store does better than App Store– App Store provides sales only

(no language distribution, devices, etc.)– ratings only shown when sufficient number of reviews per store– need to rely on third parties for more advanced stats,

e.g. http://www.appannie.com/app/ios/cern-open-days-2013

CERN

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Thank you

Backup slides

Backup slides

Backup slides