Are you creating a total package? Presentation is everything, part II

In the second part of her guest posts about app presentation, Designer and Asilia's Creative Director Lulu Kitololo lists some tips that app developers can take to help them differentiate and promote their apps.

In part I, I posed the following question to app developers: what are you doing to ensure that we notice your app for long enough to see what it's really about?

Considering that you will be competing with apps from around the world, not only does your app need to look good but, it needs to address the widespread thinking in Africa that, foreign is better. It's a presentation (or image) exercise that goes beyond the purely visual.

Below are 4 key areas to address when working on the total presentation package of your app:

1. Research
Have you considered the platform(s) that you are creating the app for (i.e. Android, iPhone, iPad or web)? Have you used apps on that platform and talked to other users about their experiences, frustrations and likes? Have you looked at other well-designed apps on that platform and thought about why they work so well? Are there standard buttons styles that you need to comply with and are there templates available? See below for links to some articles that provide just that.

2. Positioning
Have you thought about how you will describe your app to people? Can you come up with a short strapline that explains clearly and concisely how users will benefit from the app? Have you thought about why people should care about your app (i.e. what value it will add to their lives – how is it desirable)? How you will communicate this to them?

3. Design
Less is almost always more. When it comes to technology, good design is evident where user experiences are simple and straightforward, pleasant and intuitive. Not confusing and overwhelming. Design should assist rather than distract.

In designing your identity/style, have you considered coming up with a restricted colour palette and 1-2 fonts that you will use consistently across the app? If you are using or creating images, are they all in the same style (e.g. all in the same illustration style, all black and white photography etc.). This Mashable article from earlier this year observes 7 trends in mobile app design. Most of the examples shown pick a particular visual style/element that drives the look of the app – be it font style, background treatment or something else.

Have you considered not only how design will be applied to the app itself but also how you can consistently use elements of that design, or identity, across supplementary materials that you will use to promote the app (e.g. a website)?

4. Promotion
How will people find out about your app? Will you spread the word via social networks, events, online communities or other avenues? Have you prepared complementary graphics, in keeping with the identity you've developed, to help establish recognition of your app in different places (e.g. ads on relevant sites, avatars for Facebook fan pages and Twitter)?

A great starting point is thinking about who your app is for in the first place. What places (on- and offline) does your target audience frequent? How do they keep up with what's new? What communication channels are they most responsive to? What kind of marketing turns them off?

The suggestions above will help you to present your app in a professional fashion and promote it effectively. This will help to increase its exposure to the people who will benefit from it most.

Are there other important areas that I've missed? What else do you take into consideration when creating apps? What's your process?

Useful links:

Illustration by Lulu Kitololo

Posted on Fri, 2011-07-22 13:51 by lulukitololo  |
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