Apps for Digital Publishing: There are only 5 rules (Part 2)

DeanJohn BWapps2lo

This is Part Two of Dean Johnson’s look at how to survive in the cut-throat business of app development. Read Part One here.

RULE THREE: Design and build a great app not a good one

Create an app that does the original (or new) content justice. If you don’t, you will risk Apple rejecting
your title, or worse, the consumer voting with their wallet, star-rating and review.

If you pay peanuts, you’ll get an app that looks like it was made by monkeys. If your budget won’t stretch, then form a comfortable working partnership with your developer (or don’t build it at all). It’s harder to charge a premium price for a budget app so make sure it looks stunning and works from virtual cover to virtual
cover.

RULE FOUR: It doesn’t have to be a book

This might be a controversial rule but it’s time to step out of your comfort zone.

The restrictions of print dictate that a book should be a book. Use the same incredible content in an app and you’ll find the best interpretations don’t attempt to simulate ‘curly pages’ and leather bookmarks.

You currently publish words and images, not preconceptions so you should use these as the building blocks for your app. You now have the opportunity to introduce video, audio, gaming, geo-location and shareable content, wrapped in a level of interactivity that appeals to a wider audience than ever before.

RULE FIVE: Don’t forget the icon!

Book jacket design is alive and well – it just got a bit smaller.

Your app icon is your identity, the first visual connection with your digital audience and the image that takes pride of place on a device’s desktop.

You don’t want your icon to put consumers off so avoid ‘over-branding’. Think about Apple’s packaging, not Microsoft’s and the design challenge becomes one of minimum content for maximum impact.

Your tiny icon must perform the same task as a book jacket in a sea of 500,000 apps. You wouldn’t launch a printed book without serious thought given to the cover, so don’t neglect your icon.

Useful links:

Brandwidth

Apps:

F:sh

Top 100 Albums 

Headspin: Storybook

Guinness World Records: At Your Fingertips

 

Dean Johnson is Creative Director at Brandwidth.

Related Articles

Sign up to our Newsletter

Subscribe

* indicates required

BookMachine Ltd. will use the information you provide on this form to be in touch with you and to provide updates and marketing. Please let us know all the ways you would like to hear from us:

You can change your mind at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in the footer of any email you receive from us, or by contacting us at [email protected]. We will treat your information with respect. For more information about our privacy practices please visit our website. By clicking below, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with these terms.

We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By clicking below to subscribe, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing. Learn more about Mailchimp’s privacy practices.