I think one of the most important components of developing a successful app is universality. And no, I don’t think this because I want to access millions of people all at once- it’s because I need to access all of the people that will use this app (yes, even if my audience consists of only 21-25 year old Ohio University students).
Even if I start small, I have to think not big, but universal. And I know this will require extra work.
But what, exactly, is a universal app? According to an About.com iPad forum, a universal app is one that runs on the iPhone, iTouch and iPad. For some reason, though, when I Googled “universal app,” the majority of the definitions offered only described apps that run on Apple products.
My definition of a universal app goes a bit beyond this. It means being able to access my app on any device, no matter what brand, product or platform. I want both people using Droids, iPhones and whatever other smart phones to be able to access my app. Apps like this include Facebook and Twitter. I’d like to say that Instagram was the same way, but users don’t have the power to use the same functions on Instagram on computers as they do for Instagram on smart phones.
This universal error in Instagram is something I would like to completely avoid when developing my app. Since I don’t have a smart phone, I cannot use Instagram or make an account (it MUST be done on a smart phone). Even if I could make an account, I can’t upload photos unless I’m on a smart phone. I think this takes away from the “universal” concept of the app- not everyone can be connected; not everyone can use it on multiple platforms.
As this is a problem for me, I’d like to avoid it altogether on CrowdControl. Even though I know it will take more work, I will make it so CrowdControl allows users to access all features at all times AND on all devices. Universality, in my opinion, is one of the most important concepts in developing a successful, user friendly app.
Developments on CrowdControl 