Signature Digital

Choosing the right iphone application developer is not as hard as you might think.

The key to finding the right application developer is to realise that the sum of the time and money you invest into an application is going to determine what kind of application is returned. In other words, if you do not want to put the money into an application, or you find a cheap developer, chances are the application is not going to be the best it can be. 

Find a developer that puts time into the design and build of the app, and also importantly who puts thought into the development of the app, its usability and how the app can develop into possible 2^nd and 3^rd generations of the app in the future.

Before signing a contract to start your iphone app development, look into the company, speak to other clients, and most importantly meet with the developer and know what is expected from both parties - see if they are people you would work well with. Knowing what you are getting into before papers are signed or agreements are made is another key into being happy with the completed iphone application.

It is also helpful to know what kind of application you want to develop. Look for someone with the skills and tools to develop the desired application, there is a big difference between games and general business iphone app development.  Talk with the developer before any agreement is made and know where they stand!  Ask the developer for a timescale, ask what work you will have to do and what work they will do.  Think of the project as a partnership, the best iphone app will come from both you and them working closely together.

Looking around, and having a planned agreement before the contract is signed is the best way to choose the best application developer. With a little bit of research and a lot of patience, you can be sure you’ll get the app you want.

We were very excited to pick up our iPad on UK launch day.  Although at around 530 quid it’s quite a purchase for a normal consumer to justify (16GB, 3G model). So, what is the fuss all about? The iPad revolutionises the concept of a tablet computer. Previously, tablet devices addressed a legitimate consumer need (casual, lazy, couch-bound computing), but left most people frustrated with stylus-driven handwriting recognition and operating systems that were really designed to be used on desktop PCs.  But is the iPad different than all the other tablet devices before?

Different… yes, the iPad is different from other tablet devices.  I’ve used the iPad for the weekend and what have I learnt?  I love the iPad, it’s a lovely gadget, smooth to touch and every time I see it I want to pick it up and play with it.  The interface is really the same as the iPhone, easy to use, natural to learn and a joy to watch.  Because it’s iPhone OS based rather than windows based then it’s hard to break, doesn’t need constantly resetting and you don’t have to resort to a mouse pointer and a keyboard to move around.  It’s so much better than all the tablet devices that have gone before (even Apple’s own 1^st try a few years ago)

The battery lasted all weekend without needing a charge, which is good… but what I’ve found though is that I ended up using my iphone over the weekend more than the iPad.  The main reason I found myself using the iPhone rather than the iPad was size.  The iPad is just too big to carry round all the time, even around the house… and I don’t want to drop and break it!  Also I had some issues with the iPad wireless keeping dropping out – very frustrating!

The best thing about the iPad was how it kept the kids entertained. They loved the big screen and whether that was watching the free Toy Story ebook application (which is very good by the way) or watching Cinderella on youtube, the kids loved it and kept asking to watch my “big phone”.

So what do I think to the future?  And specifically how we can use the iPad at Signature Digital?  The iPad will be fantastic for Signature Digital to develop apps for! It’s big screen will make our well designed apps look even better. It’s exciting to think how our current iPhone apps would look being redesigned for the iPad, at the moment they all currently work on the iPad – but with a redesign they will look even better on the full size screen.  So I feel that apps such as Missguided (where you are seeing high quality picture of clothing) will work well.  iPad apps that need a lot of information on the screen at the same time would work well, CRM systems etc. There are many app ideas that would work well on the bigger screen…

If you’ve got an idea than get in touch with Signature Digital to develop your iPhone or iPad application.

Chris.