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This article was taken from the September issue of Wired magazine. Be the first to read Wired's articles in print before they're posted online, and get your hands on loads of additional content bysubscribing online
Missed out on the first App Store gold rush? Never fear: the iPad offers app developers even more chances to make their fortunes. Ajaz Ahmed is chairman of AKQA, a multi-award-winning agency that has created iPad apps for Nike and Gap. He is also the executive producer of Jamie Oliver’s bestselling iPhone app, 20 Minute Meals. Here, he explains what makes the perfect iPad app.
WAIT
“With 20 Minute Meals, we learnt the benefit of ‘late mover advantage’,” Ahmed says. “We looked at what was out there and how to improve it before starting. The better (not the earlier) products go on to be more popular.”
PICK A CATEGORY
Games and entertainment tend to top the charts and are competitive, though the App Store is a level playing field. The iPhone racing game we made for Volkswagen had six million downloads, but education can also be lucrative.”
PLAY TO THE IPAD’S STRENGHTS
Design your app specifically for the iPad. “This means using an intuitive interface. Focus on making your app work fast and elegantly. Don’t retrofit an old design: it won’t be as good and the user will notice.”
KEEP THINGS SIMPLE
Don’t introduce layers of complexity by adding features that aren’t important to users. “Cramming in too many features is the biggest mistake developers make because they think the more features, the more popular the app will be. In fact, the opposite is true: the best and most successful apps do one job tremendously well.”
KEEP YOUR TEAM SMALL
“As long as you’ve got good people, the smaller the team, the better the product.” You will need an editor-in-chief or an app director. “The flakiest apps are the ones that are produced by committee where everyone is nice to everyone else and people are just putting new features in for the sake of it.”
DON’T ANNOY APPLE
“Don’t try to recreate aspects of an iPad. For example, don’t replace the iPad home screen with a new desktop.” Apple approves 95 percent of apps within a week. Study the developer rules.
MAKE SURE THAT THE PRICE IS RIGHT
Pricing depends on the perceived value. The highest-grossing apps do not always charge the highest fees, but they have captured the imagination. Where an app is free and provides a good service, advertising is justifiable. Apps that carry ads that only add clutter reduce the value.” DON’T STOP AFTER DEVELOPMENT
All apps have a natural lifecycle, so you should expect to see some drop-off. But you can keep yours in the charts for longer by updating it or reducing the price. “But it’s most important to create work that will inspire: Apple will promote apps that have universal appeal through its advertising campaigns, iTunes and the App Store. And, when a developer creates something incredible for a new device, you can’t overestimate the amount of coverage it will get.”
This article was originally published by WIRED UK
