CREATING A MOBILE

APPLICATION

1. PICK A PLATFORM

1. PICK A PLATFORM

Smartphones reached 30% market share in 2011.

Globally.

1. PICK A PLATFORM

1st Qtr 2012106M Americans own smart phones

Operating Systems• 51% Android• 31% iOS• 12% RIM

1. PICK A PLATFORM

1st Qtr 2012 76.2M PCs shipped, down 15%

Apple:•17.2M “mobile PCs”, up 118%•13.6M iPads, 63% of market, up 162%

HP: 8.9M; Acer: 6.9M

1. PICK A PLATFORM

2011 estimate

Apple store:•Twice Android storeAndroid owners:• “Less likely to buy”Apple owners:• 83 apps, 61% increase; free-to-paid: 4.5-to-1

2. CONTEXT

What makes your idea MOBILE?

THE JARGON3. GET TO KNOW

The more GeekSpeak you know the better. Visit the UW Smartphones website

THE JARGON3. GET TO KNOW

Understand What Makes Apps Successful

4. PICK A CONCEPT

Understand What Makes Apps Successful

4. PICK A CONCEPT

Today, we’re gonna talk (mostly) Mac

BE THE DOVE IN A

STORE OF PIGEONS

There are 1,000s of apps in the app store.There are 1,000s of apps in the app store.

BE THE DOVE IN A

STORE OF PIGEONS

What will make yours STAND OUT?What will make yours STAND OUT?There are 1,000s of apps in the app store.There are 1,000s of apps in the app store.

BE THE DOVE IN A

STORE OF PIGEONS

ANSWER THESE

QUESTIONS1.Does your App solve a unique problem?

~Jen Gordon, Smashing Magazine

ANSWER THESE

QUESTIONS1.Does your App solve a unique problem?

“Figure out what sucks, and how your app can make the life of its user more comfortable.”

~Jen Gordon, Smashing Magazine

ANSWER THESE

QUESTIONS

2. Does your App serve a specific niche?

Smashing Magazine

ANSWER THESE

QUESTIONS

2. Does your App serve a specific niche?

Find a passionate niche audience (i.e. dog lovers) and watch your app go viral. Passionate people spread the word.

Smashing Magazine

ANSWER THESE

QUESTIONS

3. Are you building a better wheel?

Smashing Magazine

ANSWER THESE

QUESTIONS

3. Are you building a better wheel?

You must do something better.

Smashing Magazine

ANSWER THESE

QUESTIONS

Smashing Magazine

4. Is your app sticky enough to warrant return visits?

ANSWER THESE

QUESTIONS

Smashing Magazine

4. Is your app sticky enough to warrant return visits?

Attention spans are short. Make sure you’re engaging your user enough by encouraging participation.

ANSWER THESE

QUESTIONS5. Should you build a web app?

ANSWER THESE

QUESTIONS5. Should you build a web app?

Mobile devices are “task compromised.” How intensive is your app? If you’re replicating web content, consider HTML5/CSS.

5. RESEARCH YOUR

COMPETITION

What are their core functionalities?

What are their core functionalities?

What are their core functionalities?

What are their core functionalities?

How are you going to be better?

How are you going to be better?

5. RESEARCH YOUR

COMPETITION

Play with the Top 10 apps.

4.

Smashing Magazine

5. RESEARCH YOUR

COMPETITION

Play with the Top 10 apps.

4.

How do they navigate?

Smashing Magazine

5. RESEARCH YOUR

COMPETITION

Play with the Top 10 apps.

4.

How do they navigate?

How are they organized?

Smashing Magazine

5. RESEARCH YOUR

COMPETITION

Play with the Top 10 apps.

4.

How do they navigate?

How are they organized?

Smashing Magazine

How do they take advantage of the unique characteristics of mobile (GPS, touch, etc.)?

5. RESEARCH YOUR

COMPETITION

6. USER EXPERIENCE

6. USER EXPERIENCE

Using your app should be ‘as easy as pie.’

SUCCESSFUL APPS ARE:

6. USER EXPERIENCE

FAST

SUCCESSFUL APPS ARE:

6. USER EXPERIENCE

FAST

SIMPLE

SUCCESSFUL APPS ARE:

6. USER EXPERIENCE

FAST

SIMPLE

EFFECTIVE

SUCCESSFUL APPS ARE:

6. USER EXPERIENCE

4. No one wants to dig through layers, icons or prompts to get where they need to go.

6. USER EXPERIENCE

Easy Navigation is Key.

No one wants to dig through layers, icons or prompts to get where they need to go.

6. USER EXPERIENCE

Become familiar with Interface Guidelines and usability principles.

4. 6. USER EXPERIENCE

FIND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

Understand what they will want to do.

6. USER EXPERIENCE

FIND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

EX: If Your App is a GAME users will want to beat their high scores, and new users may need guidance and encouragement to keep playing.

Understand what they will want to do.

6. USER EXPERIENCE

FIND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

EX: If Your App is a UTILITY think about how or where the task will be completed in real life, what will happen when the task is completed?

Understand what they will want to do.

6. USER EXPERIENCE

FIND YOUR TARGET AUDIENCE

Figure out what types of people will use your app. Don’t leave anyone out, and create live scenarios for testing.

Understand what they will want to do.

6. USER EXPERIENCE

SKETCH YOUR INTERFACE

6. USER EXPERIENCE

SKETCH YOUR INTERFACE1. What info will be on each screen?

6. USER EXPERIENCE

SKETCH YOUR INTERFACE1. What info will be on each screen?2. How will you guide your users?

6. USER EXPERIENCE

SKETCH YOUR INTERFACE1. What info will be on each screen?2. How will you guide your users?3. How should items be displayed?

6. USER EXPERIENCE

Developers:

Get involved early so designers know what’s feasible and what isn’t.

6. USER EXPERIENCE

7. TOOLS

1. Get a SmartPhone or iPad.

2. Join the developer program and download the SDK.

3. Prepare a Non-Disclosure Agreement.

Make sure you have all the basic tools needed to execute the app.

7. TOOLS

1. Create your Certificates

2. Define App IDs

3. Create your Distribution Provisioning Profile

4. Prepare Application

5. Upload iTunes Connect

8. PROMOTIONGet involved in Social Media.

Set up fan pages and start creating hype about your app to your target market(s).

Contact Friends and Family.

Create email lists and start spreading the word. You may be surprised at how quickly 20 “likes” turns into 2000!

Smashing Magazine #2

8. PROMOTION

Prepare for a Huge Launch.

8. PROMOTION

Prepare for a Huge Launch. Exploit all

resources including online PR, App review panels, niche networks and social media to build launch anticipation.

8. PROMOTION

Prepare for Multiple Releases

8. PROMOTION

Prepare for Multiple Releases

Save some features for future releases; iterate often. Multiple releases also give an opportunity for ongoing promo.

8. PROMOTION

KEEP THE MOMENTUM GOING

If you have a great app, following these steps are guaranteed to bring you mobile app success.

CREDITS

Danielle GatsosMCDM: UWSmartPhones

Kathy GillUW, MCDM@kegill, wiredpen.comhttp://www.slideshare.net/kegill/creating-mobile-applications

Photos CCMobile web/Native charts, Peter Friese