App Creation Series – Beginners Guide to App Design, Development and Marketing

There are literally hundreds of thousands of applications and games available to download using the digital marketplace. These range from basic clocks to fully fledged 3D gaming experiences rivalling even the leading portable devices that usually only specialise in this field.

Your challenge is competing with this vast library of already impressive offerings which, although a daunting prospect to the fledgling traveller, can be navigated successfully with the right ideas and implementation. Whether you want to create an income generator or simply desire recognition for your efforts, this series will aim to show you the path and inspire your imagination to overflow with possibilities.

Allow me to guide you through the wilderness and raise your chances of realising your development dreams by detailing different routes with this light hearted tour of the Apps terrain. Featuring a myriad of exciting and surprising examples, you can glean important suggestions for your own creation.

Introduction

So you want to dabble in applications or gaming development? This opening chapter introduces some of the challenges that may lay ahead and what you will need to conquer the application domain. The benefits of working on your own, in a team or even in co-operation with another business. Maybe you just want to be the visionary and hire a developer to write the code instead. If you are willing to pay for help or offer royalties, you could soon have a team of your own.

App Inspiration

To make your mark on the App marketplace you require more than just coding knowledge (if any) to realise your applications potential. With thousands of existing applications available, let’s trek through the methods employed that have already proven their worth. Research into favoured mechanisms will save you valuable time and potentially a lot of money. Testing the various methods that other developers have designed will either impress or frustrate, so pick out what personally excites you and add your own twist.

There are a number of ways to tackle this vast expanse of promise. Applications can be so incredibly basic, yet still radiate with purpose. Whether you aim for fashionable, funky, clever, interesting, useful or the outright barmy, this chapter will reveal various successful products that have become popular due to specific elements that could be tied in to your own concepts.

Game Inspiration

Gaming presents the most challenge as no matter what genre you select, the public will already have a perception of what is a platformer, shooter or puzzle. If you miss the sweet spot expected, no matter what you add to justify the purchase will be lost. With so many variations of a theme available to select from, the world truly is your oyster. Whether you aim for emulation, remastered, reinvention, intrigue, time sapping or just effortless pleasure, this chapter will reveal various lucrative products that have become popular due to specific elements that could be tied in to your own concepts.

Your Personal Mentors

Exclusive interviews with leading application designers and publishers who divulge part of their vast knowledge with you, the lucky student of development. With years of experience and accumulated tips and tricks, we delve into the inner circle of talented inventors and visionaries.

App Design

The research is complete and now you are looking into actually putting pen to paper and scribbling away those thoughts in your head into something practical in the real world. Focusing on the hardware capabilities is of course vital, while also maintaining compatibility with a wide a range as possible to broaden your audience. Consistency, clarity, versatility and pleasing operation will all need to feature.

There are by now applications for almost anything you can imagine, so the chances are you will be competing with someone else whether you like it or not. The mobile phone is as much a fashion statement as it is a device to make and receive phone calls, so your unique approach is vital to stand out. The competition won’t be a threat to your application if you were first in line with the killer design.

Game Design

The balance between visual pizzazz and smoothness will give you nightmares, however it is the style factor that will win the day not the number of polygons. Is your game going to be cute, flashy, fast, slow, jazzy, relaxing, hypnotic, sociable or just plain crazy. Focusing on gameplay, graphics, controls, music, sound effects, level design, atmosphere, unlockables, leaderboards, camera angles and that is just the beginning! Nervous?

  • Articles coming soon…

Marketing

Your product is destined to release to the world, however you now need to earn yourself recognition and loyalty from your audience. Quantities sold is just a figure that fills your bank balance and is only part of the equation as we delve into maximising opportunities both now and in the future. There is a vast army of digital voices waiting to blog, post and discuss your creation, so we need to increase your chances of positive feedback by avoiding school boy errors yet gently pushing for appreciation, which in turn results in further sales and developments. Get this wrong and you might as well call it a day right now!

  • Articles coming soon…

Final Thoughts

A look back over our page turning travels, highlighting the key principles of a successful application or game for a mobile device.

  • Articles coming soon…

THANK JAMES WITH A COFFEE!
If you enjoyed this content, you can support James' work by purchasing them a coffee...