Whilst I’m brainstorming ideas for my next game, I’ve decided to take a slight diversion into the world of application development. My reasons for doing this are two-fold. Firstly, I’d like to expand my knowledge of core iPhone development (i.e. the interface builder and core API’s). Secondly, I’d like to see how the iPhone application market differs from the game market.
I’m still finishing off the first Astro Noughts update so I haven’t been able to commit much time to it yet. However, I have made some in-roads into a basic idea and some very early interface mockups – and thats what I’ll share now.
The Idea
Application development, like game development, starts with an idea. Everyone talks about how ideas are “ten a penny” but in reality it can be tough. I think it helps to focus on things you’re passionate about and thats what I’ve done for my App. I looked to something I’m passionate about… Coffee. Whilst it may not be an original theme, there are plenty of Coffee Apps in the App store, I think I can bring a unique twist and presentation.
Obviously the theme alone is useless – my Coffee App needs a purpose. If I had to pitch it, I’d say its a Wine Cellar for Coffee lovers. Its not a how-to guide, its not about how to make coffee-based drinks, and its not about buying Coffee. Its about the experience and appreciation of Coffee. My App will be about tasting Coffee and recording your experiences. I want to make it easy for you to find and share the coffees you’ve enjoyed.
I’m still fleshing out many of the details but the core experience will centre around your Coffee cupboard. These are the Coffees you are currently drinking/enjoying. You’ll be able to record your tasting experiences against each coffee. Coffees that have run out can be archived for future reference.
Wireframe
The purpose of the wireframe is to present user interactions and the general workflow of the App. I’ve found an iPad App called Blueprint which is pretty good and certainly adequate for this phase of the project.
The image that follows is just a first pass at a wireframe for my Coffee App. I’m still working on it so its by no means final.
Concept Sketch
The wireframe is just one element of the App. The look of the App is equally important. I’d like to investigate the core interface elements a little to create something with a more custom look and feel. I want my Coffee App to be fun to use as well as being intuitive and following Apples iPhone HIG.
Here’s a brief sketch I did showing some of the visual ideas I’m currently playing around with.
Thats its for this post. As I said, I’m a little ahead of myself since I’m still finishing off my game update. However, I’m going to blog about the process of creating this App over the coming months. I’ll share more of the mockup process, Art creation, technical details (where relevant/interesting), and marketing.
A brand new adventure – stay tuned.