What does my audience ‘NEED’?

After reading an article on the Scringo Blog called App users WANT vs. APP Users NEED, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m going to have to cater to both of these needs to create a universal, successful app. From this article, I found a list that I found very helpful in deciphering what my users actually need in an app. The list goes as follows:

1. KISS: “Keep it simple stupid.”

I think it’s important to keep the app simple, especially since some people aren’t as technologically advanced as others. It’s important to cater to a universal audience, and keeping an app simple is the ideal way to do this.

2. Robust: Build an app with a clear idea of growth.

I definitely need to have an idea of growth in mind. In order to do this, I’d like to start small with Athens, as said in my previous blog post.

3. Dummy Proof: The app should be simple and functional.

As list item one stated, keeping the app simple is important, and I think this item focuses more on having a simple interface so as people can easily gather the information that they are looking for.

4. Go cross-platform: Let every mobile user enjoy your solution.

As stated in an article in Intel, multi-platform means users should be able to reach my app through whatever device they have in front of them. This means making my app available through Windows, Macs, iPhones, Androids and any other platform my users may have. This is important for reaching any audience that I need at any place or time. In doing this, I can make my app more global and available.

The Interface

Because I’m relatively technologically impaired (I like to blame my “dumb” phone), the interface of my app was something I had not initially began to develop. However, when asked about what it would look like, I immediately knew I wanted a simple interface- one that even people without smart phones could easily manage.

I’ve researched a number of different types of interfaces, and I’d like to integrate a similar search bar to that of the “Buzz Player UI“. I also like the simplistic yet creative edge of “Istid.” I want my app to be both visually appealing and simple for my audience.

In its entirety, I want the app to have a home page with a “City” search bar and button underneath it. From the search page, I’d like to have the city written at the top of the page with a “Bar” search option directly underneath the city. Below this search bar, there will be an alphabetical list of the bars along with little pictures to the left of the bar (like in Buzz Player).

When the user chooses a bar, he will see the number of people in the bar, along with the maximum capacity. Below this will be a meter expressing how crowded the bar is. Finally, below this will contain a link that will lead to “User comments” about the bar and social media icons so the user can Tweet/ Facebook/ etc. the information they found.

From a very basic standpoint, this is how I plan to develop the interface of CrowdControl.