Developing Apps - Where do you start?

Skills software and technology
1

Hello Core77 community. I have been a regular reader of articles and infrequently read discussions for just under a year now.

I have performed a reasonably thorough search on google and a quick search of discussions here. But I am still not sure the best way to approach the development of applications. So my hope is that someone here can give me some guidance. :smiley:
I have sketched up some basic designs of the interface I would like and know the direction I would like to take with my app. But I am completely stuck on how to take it from my drawings on paper to a working app.

I have been told that I must design the interface, the graphics and develop a mock-up in HTML. Basically do as much as I can because apps are expensive to have made. However the differences between iphone, ipad, android phones and tablet pc’s as well as desktop and web apps kind of scares me (feel like I might be biting off more then I can chew). I came across SOURCEBITS which boasts doing all of these with a very strong design focus, it seems very enticing but I have no idea of their pricing (Not that I have any money to throw around).

So almost everyone had a different approach of doing mock-ups and all of these people said their way was the best… doesn’t help.
These were, InDesign,Fireworks, Illustrator, PS and Omnigraffle. I also read somewhere that it is much faster to start the mock-up by establishing most things in HTML first, then developing the graphics once you have your dimensions and layout organised.

KICKSTARTER - I am assuming you all know this website. I would like to use this in some way to help fund my project and get some good exposure. What stage would you have to have an app idea at to place it on Kickstarter?

As you can see I am very stuck. Any help, advice would be much appreciated.
(It should also be noted I have no experience in any of the design programs nor do I have experience in HTML)

2

Well I am less then satisfied with not getting a single response lol.
I have started mocking it up my designs in Balsamiq and will be transferring into Fireworks or Dreamweaver once I have established the UI further and have consulted with people to confirm it is sufficient. I am new to every one of these programs but I will get through it I believe.
I have found a couple of developers utilizing Corona SDK and will be looking into this further as I progress. Possibly having a crack at doing it all myself.

3

you should post in the interaction design forums. you will probably get more response, as that is their area of expertise.

if you have any questions about any of this software, this is the right forum for that.

It sounds like you are proceeding correctly, though i know little about creating apps. id recommend you buddy up with a programmer.
Goodluck

4

I have been told that I must design the interface, the graphics and develop a mock-up in HTML. Basically do as much as I can because apps are expensive to have made. However the differences between iphone, ipad, android phones and tablet pc’s as well as desktop and web apps kind of scares me (feel like I might be biting off more then I can chew). I came across SOURCEBITS which boasts doing all of these with a very strong design focus, it seems very enticing but I have no idea of their pricing (Not that I have any money to throw around).

Yes, you are biting more than you can chew. Pick one platform (don’t don’t don’t do Android as your first, it’s hell to develop for it because there are so many variations/fragmentation of the OS) and start with that. If that becomes successful, then move on. Start with the platform you feel your application will have the most impact. If it’s an on-the-go, location-based application, iPhone will make more sense. If it’s something that involves uploading of files and lots of typing, then web/native PC apps will make more sense.

So almost everyone had a different approach of doing mock-ups and all of these people said their way was the best… doesn’t help.
These were, InDesign,Fireworks, Illustrator, PS and Omnigraffle. I also read somewhere that it is much faster to start the mock-up by establishing most things in HTML first, then developing the graphics once you have your dimensions and layout organised.

Since you have no experience in any of the programs, you need to start learning one of them. Omnigraffle is for wireframes and navigation flows and is a useful program when designing the interactions in your application. I would start with that. After you’ve really developed the barebones structures for your application, you may want to give it a go in visual design. In that case, it will depend on what platform you are developing for (remember, pick ONE). If iOS, Photoshop is a good bet since there are many iOS templates in PSD formats out there (just google iOS PSD template). If it is a website, Fireworks may make more sense (personally I use PS for web as well). InDesign is for print: don’t use it. Illustrator is for vector work: probably not the best for someone just starting out in Adobe applications, though. Starting out with HTML is something you should do only when you are familiar with the language. You will be very frustrated if you don’t have a design set up before you start. I’ve been coding for years, so I can actually go ahead and start with HTML first before I refine the visual design, but I still prefer to have a design specced out to dimensions before hand in PS.

KICKSTARTER - I am assuming you all know this website. I would like to use this in some way to help fund my project and get some good exposure. What stage would you have to have an app idea at to place it on Kickstarter?

You should have the visual design sort of on its way, as well as animations/demos to show in video form. Best to show it in a scenario/story/day in the life of someone who uses it. This will appeal to Kickstarter contributors the most. How does it improve their life? Why do they want it?

(It should also be noted I have no experience in any of the design programs nor do I have experience in HTML)

Good luck!

5

DONT. USE. DREAMWEAVER. It is the work of the devil and creates demon spawn code.

6

Dreamweaver as a WYSIWYG tool is pretty amateur at best. You can expect your site to look one way in one browser and completely different in another if you do anything even slightly complex.

But it does make a great coding tool for those that can script stuff by hand and want a semi-real time preview.

7

The thing is, you can do real time preview with any old browser while you code… Dreamweaver generates bad code and Adobe is famous for terrible UI. I code in Coda, which also has built in browser preview, and is cheaper.

8

Looks like a nice tool, though only Mac based.

I haven’t used an up to date version of Dreamweaver in about 4 years (Maybe it’s time to update the ol’ Folio?) but like anything it’s a tool. If you let it do all the work for you it’ll spit out crap, but I used it ever since the days when it was still HomeSite up through about 2007 and it always treated me pretty good working by hand and taking advantage of the UI for managing certain pieces of code.

9

Don’t get too hung up on “building an app” specifically for a set of platforms, most of the functionality can be accomplished in javascript and html running in a web browser on a multitude of devices. Not only for mock-ups, for the actual application. Iphones and ipad can take a lot of that and run it offline if needed, probably the other platforms as well.

Conversion tools such as Nimblekit, Appcellerator can convert the HTML and Javascript into native ios code if you decide to go the Apple app store route.