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May 5, 2014
Well there are usually two thing you can do, first one is start designing the application yourself i.e in this you need to do meet all the stages of mobile application development I will just give you the process that is followed by the professional with the application development i.e.
1. Implementation methodology which contains selecting the model required for the app development i.e. the Waterfall Model or Agile Development Model. This selection is dependent upon the requirements of clients.
2. Change Management Approach: It is implemented for maintaining the quality of the application.
3. Issue Management Approach: It includes removing out all the critical issues in order to make the application free from errors.
4. Risk Management Approach:
5. Project Communication Approach
6. Configuration Management Approach etc..
and the other method of designing the application by hiring an offshore mobile application development company which will work for you with the application development process.
Mar 23, 2014
Mobile learning apps are very demanding in my opinion. I am not sure if you targeting kids or adults. We got plenty of experiences with doing mobile educational apps for kids and it took us 2 years to make it effective.
User perspective is one aspect, but having an educational background is a must. Understanding the way the learning process is to happen is very important. I believe that there is no general theme and it all depends on the age and subject. I would start with analysis how given subjects is being learned in traditional way and what advantage mobile user might have.
Please give me more details about the target group and subject and I hope to provide you more detailed info.
Best
Marcin
Mar 24, 2014
Before thinking of the design of such an app, one has to first put down the requirements the app must have:
*For which age group is it intended; each age group responds differently
*Which subjects will be handled in such an app
After this is done, you'll have to look at the user's point of view as was already mentioned. How would they prefer to work with such an app? This will be the basis of the project.
After that stage is done, knowing your target group, you'll have to see how your app can add value to existing learning methods or other competing apps. One thing to keep in mind is that an app will only be used if it has something unique or something that adds value to the user. In that process, it is good to keep it simple and look for real obstacles in the current way of doing things.
If this "homework" is done and you yourself have a good understanding of what you want, you can easily put down a list of "must-have" features that your app should have. From this point a technical and design team know or can get a better understanding of what is expected from you. Almost anything is possible and can be developed, it is all based on your requirements.
I do advise you to do the "homework" on what it is you truly want before stepping to a development company, otherwise you might be disappointed with the delivered results.
I offer assessment reports to help you and the tech/design team get a better understanding of what would best fit (http://www.createappshere.com/#!app-design--development/c1g1w). If you need any additional information feel free to ask.
Mar 26, 2014
Mobile Learning App? Before you do an app... Let me ask you, is your current
Website "Mobile friendly?
Why do you need an app.. what problem is it going to solve for you and your clients? Has your clients be asking you for one?
An App should just be one aspect of your Mobile Marketign Strategy. Do you have a Mobile Marketign Strategy?
I always say think STRATEGICALLY, NOT TACTICALLY. An App is a Tactical thinking. Contact me if what I'm saying makes scene to you. To your success!
Kevin
Mar 27, 2014
Kevin, you make alot of sense. Comment accomplished all my questions. Strategically vs tactically puts ideation in prospective Thank you
Mar 23, 2014
Could you please describe you exact requirement so that i can help you out. We are an E-Learning company and we also provide M-learning solutions.
1. Do you want only to display the custom contents like text and video? OR
2. Do you want to conduct online dynamic tests?
Please explain and reply .
Mar 24, 2014
I can't answer your question with any firsthand experience, but I might be able to help send you in the right direction. If you are looking to hire someone to design the wireframe/app for you, I would check out the Marketplace- there's an awesome deal on a Mobile App Wireframe right now!: http://www.mosaichub.com/marketplace/view/web-and-mobile-app-wireframe
Mar 25, 2014
What is your expected platform ? iOS , Android or BB ?
Each technology have different methods to have it done.
Mar 27, 2014
I suggest you outsource this - unless you have experience designing apps. Elance and odesk are just a couple of places you can go to get this done. Make sure you have your developers sign the right forms so that anything that they create for you, you have the complete rights to.
Corrisa
Mar 28, 2014
The advice already given focusing on strategy and asking yourself the hard questions are spot on in my humble opinion. If after answering these questions and coming out of this discovery stage with a green for go light, one resource that could help you develop a native app are wireframe tools such as Keynotopia or Balsamiq.
Mar 28, 2014
I have been hearing about conduit - it makes apps that are available for both iphone and Android.
hope that helps!
Mar 28, 2014
I assume you have already defined your market and the functionality you'll need to incorporate into the app. Once that's done the next task is designing the user interface, then it's a matter of getting it coded, alpha tested, beta tested and ultimately marketed. Everything above, you'll find, is going to be a moving target, so be prepared for changes along the way. I suggest you re-read Guillamum Kloff's post again. Good luck and have fun. If it's not fun don't do it.
Mar 29, 2014
One thing to consider is whether your app is skill-based or knowledge-based.
For knowledge-based learning, you can probably use an existing app and just import your own content. For example, if you wanted to create an app for learning the state bird of all 50 states, you would just load that data in.
The more interestingidea is skill-based training. This would use the native capabilities of the device, such as the accelerometers, to teach a specific skill. For example, if you wanted to teach a toddler how to write the letters of the alphjabet, you would use the touch-screen as an input device and compare to a library of patterns.
Hope that helps,
Dante
Apr 10, 2014
Hi Constance,
The first in the design of any mobile app is gathering the requirement pertaining to the app you ant to develop. I would suggest it is better to have the mobile app developed by someone who is design oriented and have experienced building the app from scratch. This link http://inkoniq.com/casestudy/perfios-for-android-ux-case-study/ might help you understand how the design goes through in developing any mobile app.
At INKONIQ we are an design driven mobile app development company. Contact me at chethan@inkoniq.com.
Apr 11, 2014
Hi Constance,
Do you have an experience of designing an app? Do you know tools like Photoshop? Are you willing to code your app too? Please let me know the answers of these questions. PhoneGap is a great platform to built apps. But, if you just want to design, you can do it with Photoshop itself. When you design an app, make sure that you focus more on user-experience. If you want any assistance in designing and developing a mobile app, I would recommend Agriya to you.
Apr 25, 2014
Hi Constance,
As has been stated in several of the answers, the first approach is to be clear on your requirements. Adding to this, however, I would say that you need to work feverishly to avoid being overly complicated. From experience, it is easy to spend more time developing for the future while eschewing the present. Based on my existing knowledge of LMSs, I would start with the following:
1. Target Audience (age group)
2. Purpose (Lessons, Tests etc.)
3. Will each course have a time limit, size limits
4. Will courses be opened (public), private (invite only), both
5. Will the instructor have the power to fully moderate the course
6. Will you have some form of course completion certification/validation
7. Will you offer niche based courses
8. Which LMS model you would use... for example, will you incorporated the Sequence or Rollup strategy in development, to ensure proper course completion and consistent process flow..
Check out eFrontLearning & Moodle LMSs to get an ideal. My suggestion would be to compare these two, take from them what you would like to implement and create a differentiating factor (e.g. niche based, simple, mobile centric etc.)
All in all, keep it simple and make sure you test your model with prospective users BEFORE you venture into mobile development, Remember, mobile is just an interface... it's reusable code and nothing more. What is most important, however, is that you have something your users want.
A word on mobile development:
Mobile development comes in different flavors Constance and the reality is that there is no catch-all method. Some key factors to consider are speed, budget & functions.
1. Speed - How fast do you want to get to market. If you want to get to market immediately and don't possess a big budget, then you might want to go the initial route of having a responsive web design (HTML5, CSS3 & Javascript) where your web page is optimized for smartphones and tablets as well as desktops. Some would say this is not the best approach but I highly disagree. Granted there is something to be said for having an iPhone or Android app but then again, once the initial thrill is gone, you'll be left with the reality of being one of millions. So if you need speed and want to get to mobile the quickest, then a responsive design is the way to go. Most important, a responsive design doesn't prohibit you from developing native apps in the future. In fact, I'd argue that it gives you better info about your then mobile users.
2. Budget - Pursuant to #1, if you are working on a relatively thin budget then responsive is the way to go. However, if you have more resources to hire developers, then you can go native in the beginning. Again, to reiterate, it is best that you have a clear path before embarking on the task of investing in app development.
3. Functions - Functions are very important. If it is your intention to have the application interface directly with a mobile device (e.g. use camera, gps etc.) then you will be required to with a native app.
I hope this is helpful. I'm happy to answer any additional questions.
Mar 23, 2014
Hi Constance,
If you look at it first from the view of your intended user , that is the best point to start from, even better if you can ask some of them.
That will begin to give you an idea of how the flow of the app will work and will generate a list of requirements.
You will then be able to look at the tech side of the app.
Design platforms and costs will all be driven from what you have done in the earlier stage.
Hope that helps.
Ian
Mar 23, 2014
We have a solution called 'Class-on-Mobile' - a next generation of LMS that helps distribute books/course-ware both offline and online in a most secured way using. Some of its features include:
• Readers available for Android, iOS and PC
• Supports ePUB/ePUB3, PDF, SCORM and HTML5 content
• Supports offline assessments
• eBook DRM for piracy protection
• Tracking and monitoring (Students & Content) via SCORM & Tin Can API
We're implementing this solution to various colleges, universities and even discussing with Pearson Education and Harper Collins.
Marcin, I was vague about my audience. My product will target organizations primarily. Very helpful indeed.