In my quest to learn more about how to market Android apps, I scoured Amazon looking for the top books. I discovered a handful of titles, but one in particular stood out to me: App Savvy. Although by internet standards the book is a tad old (published in 2010), in comparison to most App Marketing books, this one had solid reviews. This post will investigate whether the theories presented in the book are still relevant today, and more importantly, whether they can be applied to Android apps.

Overview

App Savvy’s theory on marketing your app revolves around the idea of a crescendo. You should begin communicating with potential customers from right out of the gate. As you develop your app, you should continue to involve them in the process. Then, once you are ready to release the app, you will have built up relationships via Twitter, blogs, and other social media. This way, when you are ready to reveal your app to the world, it’s a much more natural climax than if you were to save all of your marketing until the end or not market the app at all.

The author of App Savvy, Ken Yarmosh believes that marketing is a process, not a tactic. I agree with him on this. If you want to survive in the app world, you have to be in it for the long haul. So it makes sense to also think about how you will build your marketing into your app’s launch. It’s silly to think that you can spend six months or a year building something in secret, and then when you launch, people will automatically care about what you’ve built.

The ideas in App Savvy stand against the notion of building in a vacuum. The opposite of building in a vacuum is working with your customers throughout the whole process of app development, and that’s what this blog post will show you how to do.

Before Your Build, Validate Your Idea

Ken Yarmosh, a graduate from the University of Pennsylvania, is an expert in the startup culture. He believes that marketing your app is similar to marketing other products: your product should be driven by what your customer wants. That isn’t what they taught me in my business school, but the idea makes a lot of sense. You need to talk with potential customers to see if what you are building is even worth your time.

I made the mistake of not talking with potential customers with my app, Phone Tracks. I built it in a vacuum, released it, and just expected people to want what I wanted. Operating in a vacuum has the potential to completely waste your time and money. If customers don’t want it, wouldn’t you want to know that before you spend time and money on development? Startup culture turns this idea on it’s head by making it a requirement to “validate your idea” with your potential customers. In the famous words of Steven Blank that means “Getting out of the building and talking with customers.”

This idea of building what the customer wants dovetails nicely with Yarmosh’s overall marketing strategy: work hand and hand with the customers, show them your iterations, let them see mock ups, let them beta test, and throughout the process build an audience. You engage the customers not because you are throwing ads or other marketing collateral at them, but because they are collaborating with you in this process. They are engaged because they are helping you shape your product. Then when the app is released, you’ll have cultivated relationships with people that already know, like, and want your product (or so the theory goes).

Ultimately, the buzz from social media, outreaches, and PR stunts will fade. A more long-term strategy would be to create a product that customers actually want and are willing to talk about. Then passionate customers will continue to promote you. This is difficult, but it all starts with talking to people in your demographic. If you are interested in learning more about validating your idea, I recommend you check out Steven Blank’s book, “The Four Steps To Epiphany.”

Now that you have a little background on Yarmosh’s philosophy, let’s jump into the details. How does he propose that you gradually crescendo your marketing? What tactics does he recommend? And are they still relevant now?

Phase 1: Discover Customers & Form Relationships

The whole idea of Phase 1 is to keep your lines of communication open between you and your customers. You want to start establishing those relationships by providing value and engaging with them. One simple way to do this is using Twitter to find thought leaders and potential customers. Yarmosh recommends tracking what is happening in the development community by listening to thought leaders via Twitter. He recommends different Twitter clients to use (Hootsuite, TweetDeck, etc.) and listening for specific keywords. For example, if your app is about brewing beer, you can add a stream in Hootsuite that shows all tweets of people who use the words “brewing beer app.” You can then engage with people who are talking about topics related to your app.

While these are good tips, one thing he doesn’t mention is that you can gain a good following simply by answering questions. Twitter, like most social media, revolves around being considered valuable. If you can be of value to someone, then they will more likely follow you. Assuming you do this with the right intentions, answering questions is a great way to offer value.

I’ll give an example from another niche that I find myself in, the Paleo diet. The Paleo diet is observed by a tight-knit community of people, and it’s growing by the day. When someone starts eating Paleo, they have tons of questions. Naturally, most of these questions end up online—including on Twitter. If I wanted to know whether balsamic vinegar was Paleo or not, I could write a tweet and get a response within a few minutes. Those people who responded were willing to give, for free, information that would help me. That made them valuable to me. If you want to become valuable to your Twitter followers, consider the strategy of asking and answering questions.

The second part of Phase 1 is reading and keeping up to date with the industry. Personally, I’ve found this hard to do on Twitter because there is so much noise—too many tweets at once, especially if you start building a list of followers. You’ll probably waste time trying to sort through information when you are on Twitter. Google Reader makes keeping up with industry leaders much easier. My strategy is to keep a short list of Android blogs that put out fantastic content. I keep this list in Google Reader and look at it once a week. This can also help you monitor your competition.

In a nutshell: Dive in, get your Twitter account, and assess your industry and competition. On Twitter, start tracking keywords you want to target and try to help people out —this will help you integrate into the community.

Phase 2: Build a List and a Landing Page

Yarmosh recommends starting some email marketing at this point. Your goal at this stage is to capture email addresses by creating a landing page for your app. As Brian Clark from Copyblogger eloquently puts it, “A landing page is any page on a website where traffic is sent specifically to prompt a certain action or result.” In this case, your goal is to capture email addresses.

Yarmosh explains that paid advertising is a cost effective way to build your list. Even at $5 to $15 a day, you can gain some traction, he says. Now, I’m no expert when it comes to paid advertising, but I doubt the costs would be so low. I suppose that whether the cost is reasonable or unreasonable will depend on what keywords or features you are looking to track.

Yarmosh also recommends numerous tools and offers several examples for how to get started. He recommends the tool Unbounce for creating splash pages. If you have a WordPress website setup already, you should consider getting Premise. Take a look at their splash page to see if it convinces you to buy.

Here are some landing page examples that I have saved in my Evernote account:

• Mutual Mobile – Attractive landing page that offers free white paper for email address
• Polar – Friendly and fun landing page
• Tripwire Magazine – 40+ landing page templates to get you brainstorming

In a nutshell: Start building a mailing list by creating a landing page and driving traffic to it—use free methods but also consider paid advertising. Check out Unbounce or Premise to create sweet landing pages for your app and look at the examples above to start brainstorming.

Phase 3: Begin Blogging and Recruit Beta Testers

At this point in Yarmosh’s process, you are already building your app. This means you have some assets like screen shots that can be used to further tease and entice your potential customers. He encourages you to share your early screen shots to get people excited about your impending launch.

He further recommends that you start your blog at this point, stating “There’s no better way to start blogging than to start blogging.” This is good advice to get you in the game. Blogging can be a little overwhelming if you’ve never blogged before, especially since concepts like SEO are constantly in the headlines. I like Yarmosh’s advice because it’s biased toward action, and anything that you are consistently acting upon you can improve if you put a little thought into it. If you want to see this for yourself, take a look at some of my earlier blog posts. Lots of bloggers say this because it’s true. You’ll improve, so don’t stress out about it.

Yarmosh’s book doesn’t dive into details about what to write your blog on because that could be a separate book itself. But in my opinion, you should have a variety of posts. You want to have some posts that explain where you are in the process to entice people to stick around, and you want to have other posts related to targeted keywords or features and benefits. Lastly, you can create content related to your industry or niche.

So let’s say your are developing a stopwatch app called TimeKlock. Here are three headlines you could use, each of which has a different focus:

1. Early Sneak peak at TimeKlock Design (the process)
2. Why a Simple Stopwatch will Prevent Procrastination (keywords/features and benefits)
3. Swatch Releases New Thought-Powered Watch (the industry)

Now, I’m attempting to boil a blogging strategy into a few sentences. But the truth is it’s easy to obsess about it. Yarmosh’s advice—that you just start blogging—is sound because it will get you going. If you want to learn how the pros blog, check out these two sites: Copyblogger (advice on how to write better blogs) and Hubspot (advice on inbound marketing—they sell inbound marketing software).

Recruit Beta Testers

At this point, you should attempt to find some early adopters though your social media. You’ll want to get a list of them ready for the next phase. I recommend that you use Google Forms (a hat tip to the lifestyle business podcast for this idea). Google Forms makes it easy to embed a form on your website. People can fill it out and all the data goes into a Google document for you to sort and view. It’s super easy.

While recruiting beta testers is easier for iPhone apps, it’s a little more difficult for Android apps because not all of the software is compatible with Android yet. This will change. But in my experience, it was difficult to find beta testing software that worked with Android. Test Flight is popular beta testing software for iOS, but it still doesn’t have the capability to test for Android. (Although, you can sign up to be a beta tester here: TestFlight Android.)

In a nutshell: Plan and start your blogging strategy. Work on recruiting some beta testers using Google Forms.

Phase 4: Build Your App’s Website and Reach Out to Media

During Phase 4, you’ll be shifting into a launch mindset as Yarmosh describes it. At this point, you should be close to wrapping up your development. You will begin to do a variety of tasks that will help you get ready for your big push (Phase 5). In Phase 4 you’ll make sure that everything is in order for your app’s climax. You’ll also be reaching out to bloggers to spread the word about your app.

The first step he recommends is writing “launch content.” This kind of content consists of blog posts that you will withhold from publishing until your app is approved for the app store (or Google Play Store). While Yarmosh doesn’t go into a lot of detail about what to write about, he does mention that you should write about the features you might add moving forward.

But how do you actually continue to engage the audience after your app is out? Talking about upcoming features can only take you so far. You should also continue to incorporate blog posts targeting specific keywords as well as posts about the industry. By doing this, your blog will encompass the bigger picture rather than just promote your own products. Also, you will probably want to keep blogging on a regular schedule, at least twice a month to keep people coming back.

Before launching your app, the app’s website should include the following:

Pre-Launch Checklist

• A device – For Android apps, I recommend using a picture of a Samsung Galaxy S3. This is currently the most popular phone out there. If your app is targeting a more techie Google crowd, however, consider displaying your app on the Nexus 4. This device is a pure Google experience that geeks (including myself) have been swooning over. Use the Device Art Generator to create quick device screenshots of a Nexus 4.
• Teaser test – Provide something to the effect of “coming soon.”
• Social Media links – Link to your blog, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest, etc.
• Email sign-up form – Compared to your landing page, you do not want this sign-up form to be prominently displayed. You want the app device and your teaser to be featured. But have this in case people want to sign up for your mailing list.
• About & Contact Us Pages – These pages are important for any website. They allow users to quickly learn more about your company, and it gives them a method to contact you that’s separate from social media.

This pre-launch list is slightly different from what you’ll include in your post-launch website, which signals that your app is ready to be downloaded. This version of your website should have more personality and structure to it based on the finalized version of your app. Here are some items you will want to include:

Post-Launch Checklist

• Updated Device Image – Yarmosh recommends having a much more dynamic image on the post-launch site. Consider using an image slideshow that cycles through a few of your screen shots. I recommend Gickr.com to do this cheaply.
• Features & Description – Be careful not to go too heavy on the text here. Think about this like you would a PowerPoint presentation. People don’t want to read huge blocks of text. Keep your features & descriptions bulleted if you are having trouble.
• Price Tag – This isn’t always necessary, and most apps are going to a freemium model anyway. But then again, if your app is initially free, that might be a good selling point.
• App Store Button – Although this book was for iOS, it would be important to show your Android affiliation again by displaying the logo with a link. You can get several variations at Google Play Logo.
• Additional Screenshots – If you have more than what you used for the GIF, you can include them elsewhere on the site. Yarmosh recommends thumbnails that expand when you hover over them. Similarly, you could include any video footage you may have of your app.
• Media and Customer Quotes – Yarmosh recommends adding customer quotes to your website. I think this is a fantastic idea. People are heavily swayed by social proof, and having testimonials taken from your customers or from the media can add a lot of credibility and value to your product. Also, you may be able to use some of the ratings you get on the Google Play store.
• What’s New – Describe what is in the latest version of your app. Highlight features added, bugs killed, or any other key changes.
• FAQ Page – This isn’t required, and I don’t know if it’s really that necessary. Unless you’ve been saving common customer complaints or questions that you can answer easily, your app website probably doesn’t need this.

Media Outreach

Also, in Phase 4 you want to reach out to bloggers who would be interested in doing a story about your app. Yarmosh recommends that stories are more important for larger publications than for smaller bloggers, so don’t over play your story. I think that’s solid advice. Most bloggers who write app reviews probably get pitched pretty consistently though, so you’ll need some way to differentiate yourself. But don’t go crazy with the app’s background story. Most people ultimately only care about themselves, so make sure you pitch to bloggers in a way that speaks to them.

Yarmosh also discusses how to pitch your story. Basically, you want to write your email as a cover letter. First, you need to show how writing about your app will add value to the blogger, or at least describe how you heard of them. Ken recommends the line “Been reading your stuff for many years now.” This is obviously generic. If you want to spice it up a little bit, try adding some specifics, like “I particularly enjoyed reading your post on the Android Design Guidelines. I had no idea the action bar was so different from iOS’s navigation bar.” This demonstrates not only that you are familiar with a specific example of the blogger’s work, but that you’ve taken the time to think critically about it.

Yarmosh then says: “I wanted to drop you a note about my latest iPhone app ‘tweeb.’ It’s focused exclusively on twitter stats and includes click data from bit.ly/j.mp links shared in tweets. Would love for you to check it out. Feel free to drop me a line with any feedback.”

Again pretty generic, but the key here is that you want to keep it short and actionable. You’ll also want to add any assets you have like screenshots or videos. This can be compelling, especially if you’ve got a slick design.

Yarmosh suggests that the timing for sending these pitches out is important. Larger sites will have more developers pitching to them, so they may need more time than smaller blogs. One of the benefits of developing for Android is that the Android approval process happens quickly, often within 24 hours. Unlike the Apple approval process, your chances of getting rejected are quite slim unless you violate one of their terms and conditions.

In a nutshell: Go over the pre- and post-launch website checklists and make sure that you have everything ready to go. Make a list of 20-40 bloggers to reach out to in your industry. Create an email template, then customize it for each pitch and send pitches to the bloggers on your list.

Phase 5: Launch Your App

By this point, you’ve done all the hard work. This stage is all about making sure that everything runs smoothly. Yarmosh has a checklist to help developers ensure a swift and successful app launch. Here is the list:

1. Notify your media contacts – Yarmosh recommends sending promo apps out to the bloggers that agreed to review your app and that you let them know your app has been approved. This stage is unnecessary for Android since the approval process happens so quickly. And since the process happens so fast, you should send emails to your media contacts a few days before you submit your app.
2. Deploy post-launch website – Now you can publish your post-launch content. Most importantly, you’ll have your link to the Google Play Store, which should be added to your website.
3. Publish a blog post – Announce that your app has been approved.
4. Notify other contacts – Ask family, friends, etc. to check out your app.
5. Get ratings reviews – Reviews are key to getting downloads, so make sure to ask your friends, family, and key media contacts to leave an honest and fair review of your app. This will help your app gain some traction.
6. Adjust app store description and website – Yarmosh recommends placing some favorable reviews at the top of your description. This is a good idea, but it might be difficult if you don’t have many to choose from right off the bat.
7. Send email newsletter – Don’t forget to notify your mailing list that your app is ready to download.

So, That’s It?

Yes. The main idea of this process is that throughout your app’s development, you show your potential customers what you are working on. The final push should simply be a natural extension of all the other work you’ve been doing. If you hadn’t made friends on Twitter or been blogging this whole time, you wouldn’t have any of that traction.

App Savvy’s approach to marketing will likely last longer than most tactics you see online. It’s essentially how to build a better product and how to establish relationships with people who are genuinely interested in your app. This is a long-lasting approach to marketing. But I do have some concerns.

Concerns with this Approach

Relationships aren’t exactly scaleable, so you have to be smart about how you decide to implement this into the marketing strategy for your app. It’s possible for you to follow the phases above and achieve success with one app. But what happens when you have five apps or ten apps? If you try to manage ten blogs or Twitter accounts at once, you’ll drive yourself crazy, and you won’t be able to establish those relationships like you can when you only have one account.

This book turns me toward an important conclusion:

If you want to keep your sanity and continue establishing relationships, you have to consolidate your app marketing. Click here to tweet this quote.

You need one blog and one Twitter account for all your apps. This might sound like obvious advice, but when someone is building his first app, the last thing he thinks about is how this current app will fit in with the next nine apps he makes.

If you are planning on only making one app, you will have a much lower chance of making a decent return. If you just want to build an app for fun, then Yarmosh’s strategy might be okay for you. But most of us want to make apps because we’d like to see a little return. To do this, you need to build your own app family.

Take a step back and think for yourself. What do you want to achieve with your apps? Are you looking to have fun? Are you trying to gain some business skill? Are you seeking other tech enthusiast? Do you want to make a side business out of this?

If you want to make apps for profit, you need to seriously consider a long term branding approach. Having ten different Twitter accounts or blogs doesn’t make sense. You’ll need to come up with a unifying theme for all of your apps. This theme might just be carried by a business name—and that’s fine. But you need to tie your apps together so you can cross-market them and continuously build on the previous app’s success.

Should You Read App Savvy?

App Savvy will give you a basic understanding of how to build an audience around any product, but the advice is specific to mobile apps. This book is more of a foundation upon which other marketing tactics may be built. Establishing relationships with your customers is the baseline of marketing efforts.

In future posts, we will discuss more tactics to fine tune your app marketing. But in the meantime, I highly encourage you to check out Ken Yarmosh’s book, App Savvy.

Available on Amazon 

After months of writing and editing, I’ve finally finished my book. It’s called “How to Make Android Apps: A Non-Code Guide to Creating Your First Android App,” and it can be found here on Amazon.

So Who Is This For?

Like my blog, I catering to people who don’t have any programming skills. I was able to create a few apps using the outsourcing techniques that I describe here on my blog.

• No development skills? No problem
• Limited time and money? This 7 week course can be done in your spare time.

The app industry is getting more competitive every month, and creating an app that makes money is difficult. You first step is to get in the game. All you need is an idea. This book will take you step by step through the process that I used to create my Android apps. This book will compel you to take action on your idea.

Why You Should Read It

Yes, some of this content is available on my website, and I encourage you to look around if you want. However, if you want all of the information organized, expanded upon and compiled, then this book is for you. The whole process is detailed and laid out into proven repeatable steps. Also, there is new material that you will only be able to find in this book. Here is what you will get:

• A proven process to get you from idea to app as quick and efficiently as possible.
• Action steps to help you move every step of the way.
• Support – Anyone who buys a copy can ask me for help on any topic. I’m willing to work with you to get your app going.

Best of All

The book is on sale for .99 cents (for a limited time). I will slowly be inching the price up as more people buy, so if you are interested I encourage you to check it out now.

Now is the time to get your idea out there. So if you are ready to make the jump into the app industry than head on over to Amazon and get the best advice you’ll ever hear about Android apps for only .99 cents (while it lasts).

I’ve learned the hard way with my app that designing easy-to-use software is hard to do. My first attempts at an app included detailed instructions on how to use my app, but when I did a usability test, I realized that few people read the description. They just closed it and started to fumble through the app, so I decided not to include it.

You can use usability testing to check whether or not your app’s design is easy to use. In this post, I’ll explain what a usability test is, why you want to do it, and how you can do it. I’ll also show you a video of my first usability test for Android apps.

What is Usability Testing?

Usability testing is to software design as editing is to writing. Designing your app is only the rough draft stage. You’ve created an initial concept that needs a little tweaking and polish. It’s not always apparent what you should change in your mobile design. So that’s why you will be showing your app to some friends. Like editing, the more eyes that proof your designs, the more errors you will catch.

The basic idea behind usability testing is to prove that your app functions correctly. Having users test your software, you can either prove or disprove that your app works like it should. Here is a definition from Duke’s website that is short and to the point: Usability tests are for “[t]esting the ease with which users can learn and use a system.”

Why Should I Do Usability Testing?

Your overall goal is to create an app that is simple to use even for a first time user. They should be able to pick it up and understand how to use it within seconds. Simplicity is powerful. The easier it is the more compelled people will be to use it. However, simplicity takes work. Like editing, you may have to go back a few times to iron all the wrinkles out.

Usability testing will help you see things through the perspective of the first-time user. After you’ve been working on an app for while, you no longer can see that perspective, because you know too much. Your navigation might seem natural to you, because you created it, but to a user it might be highly disorganized. The point is, you don’t know unless you test. Using usability testing is one way to quickly find errors.

The best part about usability testing is that you can find the problems before you pay for the cost of development. Buttons and navigation might be clear to you, but it must be equally as clear for someone who is new to your app. You may think that your Android app is intuitive, but until you watch someone else use it, you really have no idea. Watching someone else attempt to navigate your app can give you major insight.

How to Do a Usability Test

Grab a friend, a computer, and a notebook. It can be as simple as that. Here are the steps to doing your first usability test.

1. Create a prototype – You can use the prototype you created last chapter, and have your participant click through a PowerPoint presentation, or you can use your wireframe and have someone tap through it with their fingers. Both options work well, but if you use your wireframe, you will have to be more active during the testing. You will have to switch out each piece of paper as someone clicks on a button.
2. Find a tester – For your first usability test, it’s a good idea to use someone you know fairly well. Perhaps a family member or close friend. You might feel silly doing this exercise with strangers at first, so practicing with someone you know will help you feel more comfortable with the process.
3. Introduction – Give your tester an explanation about what you are looking to achieve. You want to have someone else look at your designs to see if everything makes sense. Let them know that you are testing the app not their abilities to use software. Then give the tester a one sentence description of the app.
4. Free for all – Get your pencil ready and let the tester start tapping or clicking. At the beginning, say something like this: “Look around the app and tell me what you think everything is and what you would be likely to click on.” Encourage them to think out loud. Take notes on areas that you want to investigate further.
5. Specific task testing – Once your tester has explored your app as far as possible alone, try to get him or her to perform a specific task. The key here is not to explicitly state how to do it – the tester needs to figure out how to do it. For example, you want to say, “Try sorting the documents in alphabetical order,” not “Click the ‘sort’ button to arrange the documents in alphabetical order.” If it’s not obvious how to accomplish a specific task, you may need to rethink your design.

Things to Keep in Mind During Usability Testing

It’s best not to explain your app while your tester is navigating. If he or she is struggling to figure out what to do with your app, then it’s a good indication that you need to investigate. Don’t assume that they are to blame. In fact, the blame usually falls on the software designer, so resist the urge to think “How could they not figure this out!” After your third usability test you will start to see patterns. If all three people had trouble navigating at a specific point in your app, you should look to change something.

The goal of this exercise is to see how your users interpret your design. Instead of explaining what your app does, try asking them, “What do you think this element does?” You may be shocked to hear some of their answers if they don’t match up with your original intentions. Ask them to think out loud and to try to explain to you what they think your pages mean.

Make sure you do specific task testing with your app’s most important actions. Testing your most popular features is a good way to get the most out of a usability test. Since your most popular actions will be used all the time, you want to make sure those actions are clear and easy to understand.

It’s important to remind testers that you are testing the software and not testing their ability to use your software. People can easily get frustrated if your app is difficult to use and you are not helping them navigate. Gently reminding them that they are not being tested will put them more at ease.

Post Usability Test

A common problem after a usability test is an immediate desire to add lots of features to your app. This is counterproductive, because you are striving to make your app clean and easy to use. Adding unnecessary features will ruin the progress you’ve made. Another common action to take after a usability test is to add instructions where a user struggled to navigate the app. This is also counterproductive. Try to think of a better way for your user to navigate than explaining it. Try using an affordance.

Make sure you take feature requests with a grain of salt. Remember, this is only one user’s experience. The more you test, the better idea you will have of what people want. Mostly, you want to focus on testing to see if your app is easy to use. You will understand what to change when you watch people attempt to navigate. Where are they struggling? Where did they pause? Then ask them “What are you thinking?” Keep these ideas in mind and you will be able to find the errors in your design before you get to the development stage of your app.

My First Usability Test

Here is the video where I walk my mom through my app from start to finish. The video is about eight minutes long, and it drags at points, but it’s fascinating how much she struggled. I thought my app was easy to use (of course, I designed it), but that was far from the truth.

Watch this video to see how not to design your app.

Then check out the Google Play store to see the changes I made for the new Holo style version of Phone Tracks.

What I Learned

The main thing I learned is that I need to be doing this much earlier in the process. My mom stumbled through the navigation and settings. This isn’t her fault; this is my fault for not building a more intuitive app.

Specifically, I noticed that the words I used to describe settings were difficult to understand. Here is an example: I have a setting called “Call Engaged Length”. My app counts the days since you last spoke to someone, and that number is displayed in line with each contact. In the default setting, to reset that number, your phone call must be over two minutes in length.

In describing the setting that allows a user to change the amount of seconds required to reset the number, I am using words that mean nothing to the user. The phrase “Call Engaged Length” is vague and doesn’t appear anywhere in the app. When I explain it to you, it makes sense, but I shouldn’t have to. In the future, I should change this phrase to something like “Phone Call Length to Reset the Counter” or something similar. Or maybe I’ll pull a 37Signals and just remove the feature altogether.

I will definitely be implementing more usability testing for my apps earlier rather than later. Now, when I find an interface problem, I need to spend money to fix code. However, if I had learned about usability testing before I made my app, I could have make a mockup in PowerPoint and had someone click through it. This would have saved me a lot of money. So learn from me; test early and test often, and you’ll save yourself a lot of time and money.

A couple of days ago, I finished a fantastic book called “Don’t Make Me Think”. It’s about website usability from a usability consultant who’s worked with companies like Apple, Netscape, AOL, and Lexus. While this book was focused on web usability (originally published in 2000), it was obvious that some of the ideas apply to mobile as well. There is a lot to be learned in the field of usability testing that directly applies to apps.

How People Actually Use Websites

The main takeaway from usability testing is that users don’t always behave like you think they will. When designing software, there is a tendency to believe that users have all the time in the world. We think they will take time to read our instructions and “how to” sections. But, in reality, people don’t behave like this. In fact, few people actually read instructions at all.

Here are some reality checks taken from Steve’s experience as a Web Usability Expert:

1. We don’t read pages, we scan them.
2. We don’t make optimal choices, we settle.
3. We don’t figure out how things work, we muddle through.

This book reminded me of a website you may be familiar with. Yes, it’s Google. Google rose to popularity because of it’s excellent algorithms, but also because of the simplicity of it’s website. Look at how easy Google makes it to find the search box. It’s almost the only thing on screen.

Mobile Interface Design Challenges

As we shift from a post-PC era, we are finding that what Steve talks about is also applicable to mobile app design. After all, mobile software functions the same way that desktop software does. It has an interface that your user can manipulate to achieve their goals.

Cluttered apps struggle from the same issues that cluttered website do. It’s common for a cluttered app to show you 1-3 pages of instructions before you start. They expect you to memorize them – like you don’t have enough to think about. It sounds absurd, but that’s what a lot of apps attempt to do. You might argue that apps can get away with it, because they don’t have many buttons and controls. It doesn’t matter. People don’t like to read instructions; they just want to start using your app.

This is a common problem because novice software developers have a tendency to explicitly state directions. They overuse dialogs and notifications. But in light of Steve’s research, these actions do not match up with the optimal user experience. It is clear that users don’t want directions; they don’t take the time to read them. So why do we make them? Better yet, how can we help users understand how to use apps without explicit instructions?

Easy To Use Software

The key to an uncluttered software is to let the instructions gradually occur in context. This breaks up the amount of “down time” a user has because you are not bombarding them with every shortcut and hot-key on the first screen.

Think about how video games work; video game makers are masters of the learning curve. When you first start playing a video game  you are shown only the buttons and controls necessary to get you through the first levels. Then, as the game progresses and you demonstrate competence with novice features, you are shown more advanced controls. The game gradually reveals more and more control so that you constantly are growing in progression with the difficulty of the game.

Affordances

So how do you facilitate in-context learning for your app? In software design, the proper term is called an “affordance”. To quote Wikipedia  “An affordance is a quality of an object, or an environment, which allows an individual to perform an action. For example, a knob affords twisting, and perhaps pushing, while a cord affords pulling.” In a mobile sense, an affordance can be a button, widget, text, or other design element that shows what is possible for a user to do – without having to explain it.

A real world example of affordance is clearly demonstrated by the picture of the door above. The way that the door is designed makes it obvious how it should be used. One one side, there is no handle, so you cannot pull the door open; you must push it. The other side has a handle, so you will immediately understand that you need to pull it open.

This is intuitive experience is what you are striving for with your app. You want your user to see the design elements you created and intuitively understand how to use your app without having to explain it to them.

Easy To Use Mobile Apps

This Windows 8 design pattern is an excellent example of a mobile affordance. The user interface above “shows” the user that there is more information off screen and that they need to swipe to the left to get there. It’s an intuitive design pattern, because our minds easily pick out that there is something missing on the screen. We can easily pick out that the word “applications” is cut off, so we will attempt to view the rest of the content.

Contrast this design pattern with other ways you could inform your user of extra content. For example, it would be much more obtrusive to have a dialog box pop up to explain how to get to the other pages. It clutters up your design. The Windows 8 pattern explains everything without saying a word.

To Recap

The best time to teach someone how to use your app is at the exact moment they need it. Too soon, and you’ve wasted their brain power – and too late, and they’re already frustrated by having to figure it out on their own. Make your app buttons, controls and content obvious to users, and you won’t have to explain it to them.

Here are some ways to put this theory into practice:

Give Your User Visual Cues

1. Create a visual hierarchy – you user must understand what is most important. One way to show this is to make the more important text and buttons larger than the less important ones. Users can intuitively  infer that certain objects have more importance because of the emphasis you placed on them.
2. Make use of conventions – this is where the Android Design Guidelines come into play. Users will be familiar with Android’s most popular design patterns, so it will benefit you to use those same conventions in your app.
3. Omit needless words – not only should you try to keep your app clean by removing useless text, but you should also strive to reduce dialogs. This means using affordances to show your user instead of tell them what to do. It also helps to use simple words. Avoid using lengthy or complex words to sound important; it’s always best to use smaller, simpler words when possible.
4. Organize your navigation – users should always know where they are and how to get around in your app. You need to make it apparent how they can reach different screens. When designing Android apps, you can do this with tabs. The back button is also useful for your user move up in your app’s hierarchy. The action bar is a persistent button; since it never leaves the screen, it helps your user feel comfortable with your app.

In the great words of Steve Krug “Don’t Make Me Think”, because people will do anything to avoid it. Use the tips above to help you create an intuitive app experience that is obvious and easy to use.

Next post I’ll be discussing how to conduct a usability test on your app. This will show you how people interpret your design, and what you can do to improve it. Usability testing has helped me tremendously with my apps, and I know it can do the same for you.

Prototyping your app is an essential step in the app-building process. Taking your mockup and adding movement with a prototype gives your app life. This is especially helpful early on in the process, because it will give you a peek at how your app functions without the added cost of development.

Mobile app prototypes are slightly time-consuming, because there are no great options for doing them. Unlike web, mobile is still new, so the prototyping software hasn’t caught up yet. That’s why I recommend using a pretty low-tech approach. I use PowerPoint.

In this post, I’ll show you how to prototype your app using PowerPoint in seven straightforward steps. I’ll take you through the redesign that I am doing for my app, Phone Tracks. At the end I’ll also share my finished PowerPoint, so you can click through it for yourself.

1) Get Pictures of all the Screens in Your App

To start, you want to make individual photo files for each screen in your app. If you already have designs made for your app, then this won’t be difficult. But it’s important to make sure they all have the same dimensions (usually listed in pixels). One easy way to do this is to use Picasa. With Picasa you can create a custom crop size and use it on every screen.

Let’s say that the designs for your screens are all on one image – like below. What I would do is create duplicates of this image – one for every screen you have designed – then use the Picasa crop tool and save each one as it’s own image.

Start by opening your image file in Picasa. Then create a custom crop dimension by double-clicking your photo in Picasa’s gallery – to enter edit mode – and then clicking “Crop” from the list of tools on the left-hand side.

After you click “Crop”, select “Manual” from the drop down box. Then highlight over your first screenshot (like I did with my splash screen in the example above). Look back to the menu on the left, and you will see the dimensions for an individual screen. These are the dimensions you should use for each screen image.

Once that’s done, click the drop down box, and choose “Add Custom Aspect Ratio….” You will see a screen that looks like this:

Type in the dimensions you used for your manual selection to create your custom crop selection. This setting will allow you to crop all of your screens into their own files and with the same dimensions.

Remember, you will need to create duplicates of the master file – at least one for every screen you have – because when you save a crop, you are saving over the original.

2) Place Each Picture on a Different Slide in PowerPoint

Take your individual screen files and place each on it’s own slide. Steps one and two are important, because if your screens aren’t in the same spot or they are different dimensions your prototype will look jumpy when you go into Slide Show mode.

Pro tip: On your first slide, create two hash marks where you want to place the bottom left corner of your screens. Then copy and paste these marks to new slides, so your screens stay in the same place.

3) Create Buttons Over Your Wireframe

Bear with me on this step, because it sounds more complicated than it is. Here you will create buttons in PowerPoint that lay over-top of buttons for your wireframe. Once finished, this will give the illusion that your wireframe is clickable when you enter Slide Show mode.

The magic of prototyping comes when you build the hyper-links from one button in PowerPoint to a button on a different slide. This allows you to transition from one slide to the next as if you were navigating a mobile app.

Creating the shapes is easy. Go to the ”Insert” tab, then ”Shapes”, and select a shape. I usually use a rectangle. Drag the shape over top of an area that you want to make clickable. Then go to “Home > Shape Fill > No Fill”. Now you will have the outline of a button that looks like this:

4) Link Shapes to Other Pages

This is where the magic happens. Right click on the shape you created, and select “Hyperlink”. Then, under “Link to” on the left, select “Place in this document”. Then click on the slide you want to transition to, and click “Okay”.

This will create the transitions between slides when you enter Slide Show mode. So clicking on the button you created will take you to whichever slide you chose above.

Pro tip: Once you’ve created a hyper-linked shape you can continue to reuse that shape and link.

For example, let’s say you create a rectangle over the button that takes you to ”Settings” page. You can copy and paste that rectangle on every slide, and you won’t have to recreate the hyper-link, because PowerPoint will automatically remember it.

Continue this process until you have linked all clickable areas on your app’s screen. This part does take a while, but it will be fun to test – I promise.

5) Remove the Color Outlining the Buttons

Doing this creates invisible buttons. This step isn’t required, but it furthers the illusion of your app’s functionality. Also, if you decide to show your prototype to anyone else for feedback, you won’t be hinting at where they should click.

Select one of your buttons, then go to “Home > Drawing > Shape Outline > No Outline” (see below).

6) Test Your Prototype (Slide Show)

Now comes the fun part. But before you start, make sure you have this one setting checked. Under the “Slide Show” tab, select “Set Up Slide Show”. Then select “Browsed at a kiosk”. This will prevent your presentation from advancing unless you click on a button you have created.

Okay, let’s test your prototype for any errors in navigation. Go to the beginning of your Slide Show, and start clicking through your app. Did you make it all the way through? If not, go back and revise. Keep testing and tweaking until you have a version that allows you to navigate like you want.

7) Revise and Iterate

It can take several attempts before you work out the kinks in your design. That takes patience and a willingness to try again. But by prototyping you will become familiar with common bad UI design and avoid them in the first place. This will help you create better apps.

Are you curious what a complete PowerPoint prototype will look like? Click here to download a copy of the one I did for Phone Tracks. It probably took me an hour overall to make the screenshots and link all the buttons together, but the end result is helpful and fun to play with.

You can see that I left the shape outlines in my prototype. That’s because I wanted my developer to see where the touch points should be.

Josh Clark – Global Moxie

On Monday October 22nd, Josh Clark gave a thought-provoking talk at a free meetup in Philly. The event was part of a joint event between PhillyCHI and Android Alliance. Philly Appreneurs, a group that I am co-organizing, decided to tag along to hear Josh speak.

Josh Clark is the author of one of my favorite books on mobile design. “Tapworthy” is a fantastic exploration on how to create intuitive and functional iPhone apps. Even though I talk about designing for Android on my blog, I still consider this book worth reading. “Tapworthy” was my first exposure to some of the design constraints and conventions that make mobile special.

I was thrilled to hear he was giving a free talk at the William Way Community Center in Philadelphia. And, even after my high expectations, he didn’t disappoint. He gave an inspirational glimpse into the future of mobile and technology in general.

In this post, I hope to share with you some of his thoughts and perhaps pass on some of that inspiration.

Screens vs Sensors

A main theme of his talk was about designing for sensors instead of screens. Currently, designers are used to creating software that works within the constraints of mobile screens. But sometimes the best touch interface is no touch interface at all. Using sensors is a way that we can speed input and develop truly revolutionary apps. For example, the app Shazam uses audio from the environment to find information (song artist and title). This is much easier for a user than googling an artists’ name using a keyboard.

These are ways that sensors enable us to take advantage of what Josh calls…

Information Ghosts

Information Ghosts are bits of information in the environment that we can’t utilize yet. The natural environment is full of information we can’t quite capture. But that’s what sensors are helping us do: understand analog signals.

As you know, mobile devices are built with all sorts of sensors. Most are equipped with accelerometers, light sensors, touch sensors and more. Using sensors, our smart devices can give us context to the task at hand. My favorite example is Google Now.

When you open your Android tablet in the morning, Google Now will automatically pop up with the details to your daily commute. It knows that you typically take a certain drive at a specific time, and it pre-populates navigation and how long it will take. You’ll have to decide whether that’s creepy or cool.

Non-Traditional Inputs

Using sensors in a clever way can even take the interface off the phone and into your environment. Any object around you can be a replacement for traditional inputs. For example, the app Table Drum allows you to tap on real world objects. By assigning objects a digital sound on the app, you can create a musical instrument out of anything. The cool thing is that you are tapping on real objects, not just working through the user interface.

Moving Forward with Inputs

You might not be used to offscreen user interfaces, but there are other forms of non-traditional input that are more popular. Touchscreens have been around for decades, but are just now becoming accepted into mainstream. iPhones, iPads and other touchscreen devices are almost ubiquitous now, but ten years ago none of them existed.

Speech and gestures are two other non-traditional inputs that you should be familiar with. But these technologies are still maturing. In contrast to touch, these methods of input are still in the exploratory phase of technology adoption. Siri is in beta, and it still feels like it, because a lot of times it just doesn’t understand what you are saying. Just ask the Australians.

The adoption of speech and gesture input is also slowed by social norms. I’m sure you can relate to thinking someone is talking to you when really they are using a bluetooth. It’s still a little creepy. Even though it’s becoming more accepted, our current social norms dictate that it’s weird to talk to your devices. Can you imagine someone making hand gestures at their device? Oh wait, there’s an app for that.

Once machines are able to recognize our speech and gestures, then we can communicate with machines as we would with a human. And once it’s also socially acceptable, speech and gesture input will be as widely used as touch and other forms of traditional input.

However, input into devices isn’t the only thing that matters. We need to understand how to teach devices to interact with each other and – better yet – to do so without input from us. Our devices now work as teams to give us a more comprehensive media experience. Let’s explore some of the ways in which our devices collaborate for us.

Parent – Subordinate Relationship: Remote Controls

There is a growing trend to make all of our devices smart, but Josh believes that’s a dumb idea. He doesn’t want to see more smart devices; there are already too many screens and UI to learn. A better vision of the future is one where a select group of smart devices control a larger number of dumb devices, like an app on your smartphone unlocking your front door.

Apple’s Airplay is another example. It allows you to use a smart device (phone) to shift images and content to a dumb device (apple tv). It allows us to utilize one device to talk and connect with another. The result is an experience that is greater than the sum of its parts. Sharing pictures on the big screen is much more enjoyable than on your tiny phone, and this is made possible by the interaction of the devices.

Devices are also also starting to talk to each other without any involvement from us except proximity. Look at these three examples:

1. Nest - It’s fully loaded and in constant communication on the web – and it’s just a thermostat.
2. Fuel band - It gives you points for motion and communicates your health information passively to the internet.
3. LumoBack - An band attached to your back and vibrates when you slouch. The device is also linked to your smartphone, so you can better manage your posture.

These dumb devices – which are already starting to gain “smart” characteristics – will be controlled by a select group of smart devices in the future.

Peer to Peer Relationship: Complementary Screens

In addition to our devices controlling each other, they are also being used to complement each other during a user experience. For example, Nintendo’s new controller has a screen that allows you to see additional game information that is not shown on your TV. If you play a golf game, you can put the remote by your feet as you swing your Wii controller like a golf club. The remote has a screen that shows a ball on a tee, and when you swipe past it with your controller the ball is knocked off the remote and flies into the air on your TV. This shows devices with different sensors working collectively to give you a cohesive experience.

The Tag-Team Relationship: Migrating Interfaces

Devices are also getting better at cohesively shifting content from various devices depending on what you are using. The best example is a technology that we have now. If you are in the car on a phone call with Bluetooth enabled, you are speaking, in essence, to the car. Once you leave the car, you put your ear to your cell phone, and the call is seamlessly transferred from the car to your phone. These are the kinds of passive interaction that will enable us to deal with the increasing number of devices. Because it won’t be possible or practical to deal with all of them.

Eventually, these migrating interfaces will happen so seamlessly that we won’t even notice it. Our content will be exactly where we want it to be and follow us around. This commercial by the NFL perfectly explores that idea. It shows a guy going through his day leading up to a football game. He starts with his phone, then moves to his tablet, and eventually his big-screen TV. The content follows him as shifts from device to device.

As appealing as that commercial makes it seem, the transitions from device to device are more obvious at the moment. For example, when you play Wii, you can go from using the controller and the TV in a joint experience to turning off the TV and playing your game using the remote only. But it’s not as simple as walking away from the TV. You actually have to hit a few buttons to make the switch. Eventually though, these transitions will be seamless.

Pulling it All Together

We have all of these unique sensors built in separate devices. In the future, we will start to consolidate these technologies to work together and within the same devices. For example, the Sifteo Cubes detect speech and proximity to other cubes. But the interactions only exist within the toys’ own ecosystem.

The future lies in consolidating these technologies. As science progresses they will naturally evolve and reform as they have for years. Soon we will start bridging the gap between these technologies to build more comprehensively smart devices – capable of capturing lots of data from the environment and from other devices.

Designing for sensors, Information Ghosts, and device relationships all point toward one thing; technology is permeating every aspect of our lives. But once we are able to capture all of this previously untapped data, what will we do with it? Will the technology serve us or the other way around? That’s a thought experiment for you as we enjoy the most technologically advanced society the world has ever seen.

Final words from Josh..

“This stuff is happening now.
We are shaping the future together.”

APK stands for Android Application Package file. It is the file format that Google uses for ready-to-publish Android applications. When you are ready to distribute your software on Google Play, you must upload your app’s APK file to your Google Developer account.

It’s a relatively painless process, but I recommend taking it slow your first time. There are lots of items to fill out in order to submit your app correctly to Google Play.

In this post, I’ll walk you through what you’ll have to  include when submitting your first app.

Upload Assets

• APK file: The maximum size for your APK file is 50MB. This is extremely large for an Android app, so you won’t have to worry about going over this limit unless you are creating a game. Once you add your APK to your app’s page, you should save it as a draft while you edit the rest of your listing.
  • Also, note that your package name cannot be deleted or reused in the future. Your package name is basically the URL of your app in Google Play. When your developer is creating your app they will need to specify the package name in order for Google to properly identify your app.
• Screenshots: Two screenshots are required. The additional six are optional. Add the mandatory two screenshots, but I recommend adding all six. You’ll want to give your potential customers a good preview of what your app looks like to entice them to download. Use this as a chance to show off your app, especially if you found a good designer.
• High-Resolution Application Icon: Required. Find a good designer, and get them to create a slick-looking icon. This is pretty important – hence why it’s required – so make sure you get a nice-looking icon here to grab your user’s attention. Requirements: 512 x 512 pixels 32 bit PNG or JPEG, Maximum: 1024 KB.
• Promotional Graphic: Optional. This is the tiny icon that is displayed when a user visits your app’s listing on their mobile phone. Requirements: 180w x 120h, 24 bit PNG or JPEG (no alpha), No border in art.
• Feature Graphic: Optional. It’s a large banner across the top of your app’s page. It will help you look more official, but when you are first starting out it’s not completely necessary. I haven’t used a Feature Graphic for any of my apps yet.
• Promotional Video: Optional. You may upload a YouTube video about your app. This is something I would like to add soon, because it will help the user get a preview of what my app is like before they download it.

Listing Details

• Language: The default language is US English, but you can specify another language as your default here.
• Title: Your app’s name in Google Play. It’s important to know that Google does allow multiple apps to have the same name. Although, it would be wise not to copy the a trademarked name, because they will offer slight protection to the trademarked party. I like this lack of restriction, because you don’t have to surrender a name you like. It allows you to battle other apps with your name to see who has the better app.
• Description:This is the visible description of your application in Google Play. Here is your chance to write engaging copy and get your visitor to download your app. When writing your description, this is what you should know:
  • You can use the Translate feature to translate your description into other languages.
  • There is a 4000 character limit for this field. 4000 characters is almost two pages. Please don’t write that much – nobody will read it.
  • Internet marketers take note: Google will not put up with repetitive or irrelevant use of keywords here. You could face possible suspension of your account if you try to game the system by keyword-stuffing your app. Use enough keywords to fully describe your app and it’s use, but don’t go overboard. Check Google’s policy if you need more guidance: Google Play Developer Program Policies
• Recent changes:Here is where you list changes and features that are new to your latest release. For example, here are the change notes for my app:
  • V1.4
  • ★ Upgrade to premium to get 15 Contacts
  • ✓ Performance improvements
  • ✓ Improved alarm system
  • ✓ Set custom alarms for each contact
• Promo text: This is the text people see when they visit Google Play on their phones. It is shown along with your promotional graphic, if you have one.
• Application Type: Select whether your app is a game or an application.
• Category: This is a part of your listing that you want to think about carefully. The category you choose, will determine who can find your app most easily. People browse Google Play by categories, so make sure you chose the one that is most appropriate for your target audience. Click here to read more about categories.

Publishing Options

• Copy protection: They are actually removing this option, so for now chose “No”.
• Content Rating: Select who will have access to your app based on maturity level.
• Locations: Which Google Play locations your app will be available in. I see no reason to restrict the countries you can distribute your app in, so select “All Countries”.

Contact Information

• You have to choose at least one way for customers to contact you. But you should fill out all three options: Website, Email, and Phone. If you are going to be publishing multiple apps, consider getting a separate gmail account for app support (example: Support@app.com).

Enable Google Cloud Messaging Stats

• Google Cloud Messaging is, according to their documentation, “ a service that helps you to send data from your servers to your applications”. Ask your developer if you need to fill out any of this information. Most likely you will not, but it doesn’t hurt to ask.

Consent

• Check that your app meets the Android Content Guidelines. I’d recommend taking a look at it before you submit your app. It’s a brief summary of the types of content that are not allowed on Google Play. They go into more detail in the Guidelines, but here is the basic list:
  • Sexually Explicit Material
  • Violence and Bullying
  • Hate Speech
  • Impersonation or Deceptive Behavior
  • Personal and Confidential Information
  • Intellectual Property
  • Illegal Activities
  • Gambling
  • Dangerous Products

It’s hard to argue with some the items on Google’s list, yet some developers still try to sneak illegal content past big G. I’d recommend following their guidelines. Otherwise you will be banned as a developer.

After the Guidelines check box, you have one more box. You must acknowledge that your application may be subject to export laws. I’m not even sure what that means. In fact, Google couldn’t explain it very well, but they do try.

That’s it. You are done filling out your listing. Scroll back up to the top, and hit save, then submit. You have just submitted your first app to Google Play. Kick back and watch the downloads roll in. By that I mean, get ready to make another app.

Setting up a Google Developer account is required before you are allowed to distribute Android apps on Google Play. It’s a simple process that can be done in four steps.

Notice I used the word “distribute”. If you want to sell apps (recommended), you must set up a separate account called: a Google Checkout account. This is done after you create a Developer account.

Fancy names aside, Google makes it easy for anyone to get started. And with those two accounts you will be ready to upload your first APK to Google Play. Let’s start with how to set up your Developer account.

How to Register as a Google Developer

1. Visit the Google Play Android Developer Console
2. Enter basic information about your developer identity — developer name, email address, and so on. You can modify this information later.
3. Read and accept the Developer Distribution Agreement that applies to your country or region. Note that apps and store listings that you publish on Google Play must comply with the Developer Program Policies and US export law,
4. Pay a $25 USD registration fee using Google Checkout. If you don’t have a Google Checkout account, you can quickly set one up during the process.

The one-time $25 fee to register as a developer is a quality issue. Per Google, this is meant to encourage developers to make higher quality apps. Don’t be discouraged; it’s not that expensive compared to what you will pay to develop for Apple. They will charge you $99 per year to become a developer for their platform.

How to Register as a Google Checkout Merchant

If you want to distribute a paid app, you will also need a Google Checkout Merchant account. To do this, log in to your Google Play Publisher account, then follow these steps:

1. Log in to your Google Play Android Developer Console
2. Click on the “Edit profile” link
3. Select “Setup a Merchant Account at Google Checkout.”

You will need to have information specific to your business in order to apply. Make sure you check Google’s list of merchant countries, because not every country is listed. Depending on where you live, you might not be allowed to register. If your country is not listed, you can distribute free apps but not paid ones.

Your Google Checkout Account is also the account where you will see your orders come in. It will show you how much revenue you have accrued and when you can expect to be paid. I check this account way more often than I should, because I don’t have a lot of orders in coming in yet. But it’s exciting to see some trickle in.

Once you are all set up on both Google Play Developer and Google Checkout Merchant, you are ready to upload your first APK.

From start to finish, there are five main steps to creating an Android app. These steps are not set in stone; some can be skipped, but others are required (like developing your app).

The purpose of this post is to provide you with an overview of the process. We won’t go into detail in each step, because it’s important to understand them from a high-level first. Once you understand the basic process for creating an app, then you can explore each section in more detail.

After going through this process once, you will begin to feel more confident about how to create an app. With the right team, you may be able to create an app in less than a week. However, a more realistic expectation for your first time is a few months for this whole process.

Let’s begin the process with everyone’s favorite step.

1) Idea

The first step in creating an app is to come up with an idea. This is the most fun and the easiest part of the process. Most of my ideas come from problems that I want solved. If I can’t find an app to do exactly what I want, then chances are good that someone else has run into the same problem.

Most people I talk to about apps already have an idea. But if you don’t, there are plenty of ways to brainstorm ideas. One way is to take a currently existing idea and improve upon it. Take a look at some apps you like to use. Could you change anything about the design or feature set to make it more appealing to you?

This is important; Come up with an app that you would want to use. This will help you stay engaged throughout the process, because you are designing an app where you are one of the users.

For your first app, it’s best to use an uncomplicated idea. This way you will be able to push it to market more quickly. Staying simple will also help you learn the app-creation process faster, because you will progress swiftly through each step.

2) Wireframe

Wireframing for mobile apps is about taking your idea and putting it to paper. This is the stage where you toss out ideas and see what works – and what doesn’t for a mobile app. Your ideas become User Interface (UI) elements like buttons, switches and tabs. This makes your ideas tangible and easier to evaluate.

Effective wireframing allows you to work through your apps’ navigation. You want to make sure that your screens are linked in a logical order, and wireframing will help you with this. This is an important step to get right, because you don’t want users to get lost in your app.

Wireframing also helps you bridge the gap between you and your designer. It translates your ideas into a blueprint that your designer will understand. They take your framework and add layers of color, texture and style. Click here to learn how to wireframe your app.

3) Design

After your wireframe is complete, you’ll want to give your app some personality. Adding details like colors, textures, and other design elements will make your app come alive.

You have several options when it comes to getting your app designed. My recommendation is to do it yourself. You’ll save money, and it’s fun. If you were brave enough to try wireframing for yourself, then designing should be do-able as well.

Designing you own app is a realistic option because of all of the great resources that the Android community has created. There a many stencils and templates you can download, so you don’t have to re-create everything from scratch.

For example, Google has an Illustrator template that contains tons of ICS buttons, navigation, headers, text and more. The shapes are all in one Illustrator file, so all you have to do is drag and drop the items according to your wireframe. Or if you prefer Photoshop, Taylor Ling over at Android UI/UX created a fantastic Android template to use.

I use Adobe Illustrator, because that’s what I am most comfortable with. But if you don’t own Adobe’s Creative Suite, there are also plenty of other cheaper options out there – Inkscape, and Gimp, to name a couple.

4) Prototyping

Once you get solid design, you want to inject movement between your screens. This helps you to further spot navigational errors and screen transitions that don’t make any sense. This step isn’t required, but if you do it, it will help you spot some problems before you spend money on a developer.

There are many tools online that allow you to prototype for websites, but mobile prototyping is still a little limited, and most mobile options are geared towards iOS. The best tool I’ve found so far is PowerPoint. It isn’t a perfect solution, but it works.

The way you create a prototype from Powerpoint is by creating buttons and linking them to different slides. Clicking the buttons in a slideshow will take you to other screens. This creates the illusion of a working mobile app. For a detailed explanation, check out my post here on “How to Prototype Your App”.

I’ll be using it until someone comes out with a better solution for Android prototyping. For those who don’t have PowerPoint, check out the free software OpenOffice. I imagine it would have the same functionality, but I haven’t checked.

5) Development

So far you’ve done some hard work. You’ve come up with an idea, sketched a wireframe, designed your app and designed a prototype. Now, it’s time to see your app in action.

Development is the most rewarding step, because it’s satisfying to see in your hand software that initially started in your head. After I created my first APK, I was hooked on making Android apps. The app wasn’t anything special, but it was satisfying to play with since I came up with the idea and created it.

Developing your app is also the most time- and money-intensive part of this process. You will spend most of your time in this stage making changes. Your developer will send you a new APK, and you will review it and send him changes to make.

Like the other stages in this process, development is iterative. Don’t worry if the first version your developer sends you doesn’t look like your initial vision. It will take several changes before it becomes exactly what you want.

That’s why finding and working with the right developer is key. Make sure you do plenty of research to find someone who is competent. It’s also important that you feel comfortable working with them.

Let’s Get Started…

Creating an app is fun, but it is also a lot of work if you want to do it right. I want you to see that it’s quite achievable if you are willing to put the effort into it. Hopefully explaining these steps demystifies the process for you.

Now that you know what it takes to create an app, why not get started? Begin your app journey by learning more about outsourcing and how you can use oDesk to create your first app.

App design. You know it’s important to an app’s success. The more attractive your interface is, the more likely someone is to download your app. Nobody wants to use ugly software.

There are several ways you can design an app – each with it’s own positives and negatives. So how do you figure out which way is best for your project? It depends mainly on two factors: your budget and how much effort you want to put in. Keep in mind, the more money you spend, the less work you will have to do.

Below, I’ve outlined the five primary methods for designing an app. They are organized roughly in order of how much money they will cost you from cheapest to most expensive.

1) Do It Yourself (DIY)

This is what I recommend for your first app. There is no reason to spend a ridiculous amount of money while you’re just getting your feet wet. Start with something simple and inexpensive so you can make mistakes and learn from them. This is also a way to get your app to market faster.

Designing an app yourself is not as difficult as you might think. Using the Android Design Guidelines, you can create a decent mockup with little design skills. There are templates available to download for free and play around with while you’re getting started.

It’s like a puzzle, because you only have to move the elements around the screen. First add your own content, images, and text. Once you do that, just move and match the pieces.

Steps when designing an app yourself:

1. Read the Android Design Guidelines - It will take you less than an hour, and it’s so worth it
2. Create a Wireframe
3. Download the appropriate tools: Illustrator, Photoshop
4. Use the above software to create your design.

Your app design doesn’t have to be fancy; it just has to be functional. If you want to save money and you are semi-comfortable with design software, this is the way to go. It will save you money, and it will save the hassle of hiring someone else.

2) Ask a Friend

If you know a friend who is good at design, why not ask them to design your app? It won’t be as cheap as doing it yourself, but a friend probably won’t charge you as much as a freelancer would. They might even do it for free.

Other benefits of using a friend: you know what they are capable of, and you already have an established relationship with them. And if your friend lives close by, that is a bonus too. Being able to give and take feedback in real time is helpful.

Steps when working with a friend to design your app:

1. Read the Android Design Guidelines
2. Create a Wireframe
3. Write a Creative Brief – You can also be less formal and just talk to them about your project. Either way, this will give you the opportunity to discuss your vision.
4. Give them the Wireframe and Creative brief
5. Work with your friend to create the app design

If you don’t feel comfortable designing an app yourself and you don’t have any friends that are designers, you still have options. They are a little more expensive but still relatively affordable. The third option for getting your Android app designed is to…

3) Hire a Freelancer

You can easily hire talented designers on oDesk. In previous posts, I’ve gone over the numerous benefits of using oDesk to hire employees. I’ve used oDesk to hire all sorts of people, from programmers to resume editors. Once you get comfortable outsourcing work, it becomes addicting.

For design, this is still a relatively cheap option. You can find quality designers at a price you can afford. Pay them by the project or by the hour. This option will allow you to act fast, if you know how to create a quick job post for a freelancer.

The benefits of hiring a freelancer online are the ease of payment, the abundance of designers to choose from, and the fact that it is cheaper than using an app development company.

Steps when using a freelancer to design your app:

1. Read the Android Design Guidelines
2. Create a Wireframe
3. Write a Creative Brief
4. Create a job post, attach the Wireframe and Creative brief
5. Work with your freelancer to design the app

4) Crowdsource

The premise behind crowdsourcing websites is appealing, because you get free ideas from designers. To start, you submit a creative brief and a price that you are willing to pay. Then artists start submitting designs – for free. You can offer feedback, but you eventually pick one and pay them. The others get nothing.

There is controversy over crowdsourcing websites. Some say that it’s not fair for designers to produce work and not get paid for it. But on the other hand, no one is forcing them to do the work. They sign up of their own accord, and they should be well aware of how the website works.

I had a great experience with the website that I used back in 2010. I didn’t know much about Android back then, and the Android Design Guidelines weren’t even published yet. I signed up, and made a creative brief. Then I created a wireframe using Balsamiq and submitted my quote. Soon, I was working with five different designers.

After giving feedback to the designers several times, I eventually selected a winner. The end result was a beautifully polished interface. And I paid only a fraction of what I should have to get a design that good-looking.

Looking back on the contest, I lucked out with my designer for Phone Tracks. I was satisfied with my crowdsourcing experience, but if my designer hadn’t made his submission, I would not have been happy. Most of the other designers were not even close to his quality of work.

Crowdsourcing websites are a gamble. Your luck will depend largely on who decides to make a submission. Writing a great creative brief can increase your odds of success. But if you want to ensure you get an amazing design and you have a large enough budget, then this next option is for you.

Steps when crowdsourcing your app design:

1. Read the Android Design Guidelines
2. Create a Wireframe
3. Write a Creative Brief
4. Create a job post, attach the Wireframe and Creative brief
5. Work with freelancer to design your app

5) Graphic Design Firms

Graphics Design Firms are a full-service solution. They will assess your needs and tweak the designs until you are satisfied. Using a firm is the least risky option on this list, because they will provide extra support throughout the whole design process.

Like any creative company, they will first consult with you. They will ask you questions about your app and try to understand your vision. To achieve this, they will ask you similar questions to what you would see in a creative brief. The only difference is this time you get to talk it out with someone. Because of this consultative approach, Graphic Design Firms are great at providing you exactly what you want.

However, there are drawbacks to using a Graphic Design firm. First off, you may end up paying upwards of 5-10 times more than a freelancer. Secondly, I’m not convinced that they will always give you a better design when compared to freelancers. This can depend both on the quality of designers at the firm and how well their style matches yours.

Working with a creative company is also more complicated than working with an individual. The company will need to be in your area so that you can discuss your app with them in person. You will sign contracts and terms and conditions. Creative companies also have different policies when it comes to pricing and quoting, so you’ll have to check with the company you are looking at hiring.

To get an accurate quote, I suggest you speak directly with a Design Firm. If you live in NY, I personally can recommend SANPAN Design. My dad’s cousin owns this firm, and they have landed some big jobs including the box set for the Sopranos DVDs.

Steps when using a Graphic Design Firm:

1. Read the Android Design Guidelines
2. Create a wireframe
3. Call a Graphics Design Firm
4. Work with the Design Firm to design your app

As you can see, there are many ways to get your app designed. But choosing what’s best for you depends on two main factors: how much you are willing to pay, and how much you are willing to get your hands dirty.

If you don’t mind rolling up your sleeves and doing a little work, then try one of the first four options. If you want to be guided through the process – and I don’t blame you – then you will want to work with a Graphics Design Firm. Choose the option that make sense with your design skills and budget.