L1_mobile_apps.pdf

Developing apps for mobile phones by Scot C. Nelson Lecture outline: 1. Concept development 2. Outlining the app 3. Design considerations and platforms 4. Budget development 5. Programming 6. Graphic design 7. Submission, approval and updates 8. Common pitfalls Concept developm...

Developing apps for mobile phones by Scot C. Nelson Lecture outline: 1. Concept development 2. Outlining the app 3. Design considerations and platforms 4. Budget development 5. Programming 6. Graphic design 7. Submission, approval and updates 8. Common pitfalls Concept development Identify the purpose of the application (“app”). What will the app do? Specify the minimum functionality. Will the app perform a specific task and/or deliver information? Most apps do one thing and do it well. Avoid overly complex functionality. Example: The “The Plant Doctor” app provides interactive diagnosis for plant health problems. Users submit text and photographs to assist the diagnosis. Identify the intended users of the app. Who will use the app? What is the target audience? Is the app free or for payment? Example: Users of “The Plant Doctor” app include: Farmers, gardeners, homeowners, landscape professionals, County Agents, plant quarantine workers, professionals, and scientists. To date, users reside in 40 foreign countries and in 41 states in the USA.  Different types of audiences Children Adults Various levels of education Various levels of expertise Types of devices: Android versus iPhone Nationalities: Language, translations Your app and its design should appeal to and serve your target audiences: appearance, colors, functions, tasks Specify the device(s) to which the app will be delivered Web app vs Native app Phones vs Tablets iPhone vs Android The choices determine the programming language and coding API Application Programming Interface Memory and space considerations App size is limited only by the space available on a device. There is no recommended size for apps. Name the app The app name should accurately reflect the function of the app. The app name should be unique, if possible, and not replicate the names of other apps. Outlining a draft of the app  Create a draft step chart: Identify each thing the app will do, in a stepwise fashion. Create a draft page chart: Sketch and compose the appearance of various pages. Specify the graphics and navigation buttons needed for the app functions Specify the outputs and calls Design considerations Design the app for fingers (not for a mouse) 44 x 44 pixels for buttons 6 buttons maximum per width of screen (smart phone) TEXT INPUT: People do not like to type, so keep typing at a minimum TEXT OUTPUT: People generally do not like to read, so keep text at a minimum unless your app is designed primarily to deliver information in text format Budget development How much will it cost to develop the app? 1. Personal vs. contract development 2. By hour or by project development. Costs per hour vary among countries ($15-20 for India: $50-60 for USA; $100 for USA technical) Example: “The Plant Doctor” app development and deployment cost 80 hours (at the US rate) for each platform (iOS and Android), for a total cost of $9,600.00 ($4,800.00 for each platform). Programming Self-programmed versus Contracted programming (note: people without programming experience should probably not try to build an app) Apple (iTunes): programming language = iOS Google (Android): programming language = Java Before budget development: Prepare detailed requirement documents (what the app does). Prepare a detailed use case document (describe each functionality of the app) We contracted the following companies for the development of “The Plant Doctor” app. App development company: Adelante Consulting (Canada) www.adelante.ca 1 (647) 501-3737 Graphics design company: AQUASoft (Romania), normally only does large jobs http://aquasoft.ro/ Sample pages from the Apple Developers programming software environment appear on the following screens. Remember: Developing an app is writing a program using a specific programming language suited for a particular device. Therefore, a developer should be familiar with the software and the programming language. Example: The requirements and the use case documents for the “Wordissimo” app appear on the following screens. Graphic design  Appearance of the app is very important and should be a high priority, with sufficient budget provided for graphics. Graphic design is best done professionally. Costs: Romania = $200 to $300 per screen USA = $500 per screen One can expect much higher costs for the unique design of multiple screens. The cost for “The Plant Doctor” graphics design was $300. Considerations in graphics design: Colors and color theme (background, buttons) Art Text (size, color, font) Layout Balance Layering Before professional design After professional design Before professional design After professional design Before professional design After professional design Submission and approval The app submission process varies by platform Apple: checks for no crashes; the app does what is says it will do; and minimum information content may be needed Developer accounts: Apple: Developer’s license = $100/year Google: Developer’s license = $20/year Note: For the for-sale apps, payment to Apple or Google is 30% of your profit. Free apps do not incur this charge. Google developer console (Android) Google developer console (Android) App description and download page at the iTunes store for “The Plant Doctor” app Updates for apps may be required as new versions of phones emerge onto the market. The new phones may have updated or newer versions of software which require app updates. App developers should prepare for this eventuality. Example: “The Plant Doctor” had to be updated for use on iPhone 5. Common pitfalls 1. Do not build an app without having the intended device nor without having experience using the device (the environments, menus and appearance differ among devices) 2. Have a very clear idea of what the app will do 3. Develop the flow of processes clearly and precisely 4. Ensure that your budget is sufficient to completely fund the development of the app Presentation prepared by: Dr. Scot Nelson University of Hawaii at Manoa Dept. of Plant & Environmental Protection Sciences 3050 Maile Way 513 Gilmore Hall Honolulu, HI 96822 (808) 956-6741 [email protected]