Universality (and why it’s absolutely essential)

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.

Brainstorming features (and which ones are feasible)

During class today, we completed a brainstorming activity that was meant to determine the best possible features for our apps. I wanted to keep this list, so I decided to put it on my blog. The list includes:

1. Connect with social media, like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.

2. Include coupons where you can just show the bartender your phone to receive discounts

3. Show happy hours, specials, etc.

4. Connect with other users (become “friends” like on Facebook)

5. Let users message each other through the app

6. Include a photo album of each bar

7. Let users synch with electronic gaming machines at the bar (like electronic blackjack, etc.) without paying

8. Allow users to find out the bartenders working that night

9. Feature a rating system of the bar (user ratings similar to IMDB)

10. Feature user comments about the bar

11. Have a cleanliness rating of the bar

12. Show the average age group that goes to the bar

13. Identify the bar as a dance club, casual bar, really nice bar, etc.

14. Synch with the user’s location to determine the closest bar

15. Synch with the user’s interests to find the best bar for their personality, age, interests, etc. (like how Facebook synchs with the user interests and suggests things they may want to “like”)

16. Determine if the bar is 18+ or 21+ and if there are cover charges

17. Find out if the bar has food and, if so, include the menu and prices (including drink prices)

18. Let the users determine if there is a line to get in or if you need to be waitlisted

19. Allow it to make reservations if they are necessary

20. Allow users to find out if there are performers at the bars, including musicians or comedians

As we continued this brainstorming assignment, we were asked to choose two of our favorite options to feature in our MVPs, or minimally viable products.

The top two options that I chose include:

1. Synching with the user’s interests to find the best bar for personality, age, interest, etc.

A common feature of social media, like Facebook and Twitter, is synching your interests to get more connected. They take your interests, age and other demographics to suggest pages to like or events to attend. I would like my app to have a similar feature, where it synchs the user’s age and interests in order to determine what bar would fit best for him or her. My audience for this would be students at Ohio University from about ages 21-25. This feature would be awesome for students going on internships in big cities like New York (where there are too many bars to count) or Chicago. It would be an excellent way to meet new people and find others that are around the same age as them.

2. Feature a rating system of the bar similar to that of IMBD

My audience for this would also be students at Ohio University from the ages 21-25. I like the IMDB aspect because IMDB features many user ratings, as opposed to just using critics. It would be nice for college-aged students to rate the bars based on their experiences in order to get a more accurate rating of the bar (instead of having a critic rating by critics that do not fit the bar demographics). Having reviews from other college students would make it much easier to determine which bar a student would like to go to.

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.