This post will explain the process of building an app for a complete beginner. Just like me. Obviously, it’s not a tutorial and won’t teach anyone how to make their own Snapchat, but doing some research helped me to understand what the steps are and where to start.
I found an interesting article which presented every stage of building an app and gave me a better understanding of my project. All of the points could be given a very complex explanation, but I’ll keep it simple just to show a rough outline for someone who would be too scared to even think about the process of creating their own app. This post is heavily based on that article (link under the post), but I read a few and it was the most solid basis for the start. It’s mainly focused on developing gaming apps, which suits my task perfectly.
MARKET RESEARCH
1. Committing to the process of building an app.
Setting up an idea, preparing a budget and being ready to overcome the obstacles is important. Good preparation and following the procedure will give better results rather than chaotic attempts without any research and plan.
2. Download and test similar apps to what you plan to create and look for the reviews.
It’s important not to copy other ideas from A to Z. We can learn from the original apps, but also try to improve them. Our app shouldn’t be so complex that it won’t be understandable for an average person. Observe and look at the game mechanics, how they promote social sharing, how the tutorials look like and whether they work, what makes the graphics and design appealing, analyse the fun subplots and how the progress is measured. Apply the process of Review Mining. Read what people have to say and use it to improve your own ideas and avoid common mistakes.
UNDERSTANDING THE TECHNICAL STEPS BEHIND HOW TO MAKE A GAME APP
1. Wireframe the game.
Create a wireframe to describe how your game will look like (https://marvelapp.com/pop/).
2. Programming and design.
When the wireframe is ready, it’s time to code. There are two possible ways: outsourcing someone who has the skills that we don’t, but that could be expensive, or learn how to code ourselves. There’s a free software for Mac called Xcode. For the Xcode, you have to learn a language called Swift, which I might try to get a grip on soon.
REGISTER AS DEVELOPER
It’s essential to load up the application and test it in as many ways as possible in search of the bugs and glitches. It costs $99 a year to join the full iTunes developer community. You can load up the apps and ask other people to help with the testing. I had a chance to work with my friends who have the developer account and developed an app. I downloaded the app on my iPhone through the FlightTest and had a chance to experiment with it before it’s released to the public. After the app is ready, checked and running, you can launch it.
This is just a very basic guide, but I thought it’s vital to understand the process. My app for the Digital Media project is most likely to rely on graphic designs and a form of presentation rather than fully functioning program, but now I know how to fully develop it at least in theory. After getting to know how it works, I will set myself a goal to learn (at least the very basic) coding with Swift.
Sources and articles to look at:
http://www.bluecloudsolutions.com/blog/develop-app-angry-birds/
http://blog.digitaltutors.com/begin-create-first-mobile-game/
http://codewithchris.com/how-to-make-iphone-apps-with-no-programming-experience/