cullmanndesign blog

Apple’s announcement of the iPad this week and the incredible growth of Apple’s AppStore, I thought it would be appropriate to share my thoughts on software distribution and marketing in a closed eco-system for software. This post is the first half of a two part series on closed eco-systems, like the Apple AppStore, for application development and distribution and the effect that will have on customer adoption.

I design and develop websites and applications for commercial clients. Typically they are distributed for a small, focused audience and for a limited number of platforms. With the emergence of the iPhone as a leading platform, there is a lot of pressure to begin to move projects into this space. From a personal point of view, I’m excited to look at the iPhone as an inspiring new playground for interface design and a new venue for projects. For most users, it is an execution of what Apple does best: Easy. There is some baggage that comes with “easy”, but that will be outlined in the second installment of this series.

The closed-system that Apple has also offers some very important advantages:

The biggest advantage to consumers who via a closed-system like the Apple AppStore is security. By security, I mean the level of trust a use has when they install something. This has been a huge hurdle for Windows for many years. Without a central authority or trusted source to deem an application as “safe” users, are put in a position of risk with every application they install. The AppStore (and any closed-system requiring a centralized approval process) overcomes this hurdle by giving any application in the store its “seal of approval” as default with it’s inclusion.

Quality is also a big contributor to the popularity of the AppStore. Despite all the proliferation of “flashlight” and “farting” applications, the process of having an application OKed and included as an offering in the AppStore is a level of Quality Assurance. There is an assumed level of stability and finish that should make it an experience consistent to the platform. Any complaints can be managed within the AppStore’s policies and applications can be revoked and, potentially, removed remotely.

The AppStore is also a great place to look at all of the offerings for a platform in one place. This is what I also appreciate about the Apple Download Page for OS X: A consolidated collection I can search through easily with consistently presented write-ups, screenshots and ratings. This is also fueling the rise of the “AppStore” as a trend for all platforms as well. It’s excellent branding and a better experience for the user to have all of a platform’s best work in one location. The Apple experience is especially well thought-out. Consumers looking for a solution, the ability to search a term and be presented with several options, all with good feedback, and an easy-to-compare structure in one location is a huge benefit. It relieves one of the heaviest burdens of an open system which is finding the perfect solution be wading through review after review on Google and in forums. It benefits the user, the brand and, in the end, the developer.

For developers getting their start, working within a previously existing infrastructure is a great way to get your first branding and marketing start. You can leverage already existing traffic to the channel and, if you get picked up as a spot-light project, your application can take-off and define you or your company as an major player in the space. There is very little risk as not getting any traffic or a big hit will not deter future users and the quality assurance process will only sharpen your programming skills. Once accepted, being able to add a download badge or similar store “call-to-action” on your application’s homepage or blog gives you a strong air of credibility. [[INSERT APPSTORE BADGE]] The central location of your app within the infrastructure will also provide you with a higher probability of a reviewer or blogger finding your application and finding it. A review outside of the eco-system is likely to give you traffic and strengthen your brand.

The most obvious and, depending on your motivations, the most important part of a gated infrastructure for applications if the financial eco-system. With the exception of free-applications, the nature of a closed system centralizes the transaction between the developer and end-user and simplifies the messy monetary exchanges. This usually comes at a cost. In the case of the Apple AppStore, developers are losing 30% of every sale. If you are in the business of developing applications, you have to weigh the positive affects of an infrastructure versus the costs for marketing themselves and supplying a transaction system or working with a third-party sales portal.

Although I have many personal objections to the undocumented review process and closed nature of the Apple AppStore and many similar application distribution vehicles that aim to mimic it, the power of their offering to users and the convenience they provide is undeniable. I would not be able to comfortably recommend not making use of an application eco-system if one where available for a client’s project. In fact, as someone who works in marketing, I would object if a client where to try to avoid a potential channel for distribution. From the developer’s perspective, the closed eco-system of these stores represents a heavy cost in monetary compensation and also in the confines that SDK, user agreements and licensing put on works. If the purpose of a developer’s application is to support a separate channel and use an application as an accessibility solution, then the model works very well (many of the popular apps in the iPhones store use this ideology). If the intent is to sell a software package as a complete deliverable, then the creators should look at what the distribution opportunity really represents before committing to any agreements.

With the introduction of the iPad and Apple’s clear movement to delivering more and more content through the AppStore, the closed system of Apple looks to cut-off content creators who employ a more open and accessible model. At the time of publishing, it looks as though the iPad will have no support for Adobe Flash, a preferred video delivery and casual gaming format. This will force users who want to use this device for entertainment to get almost all of their materials through the AppStore. This is an ironic turn when compared to the iPhone release. Apple had originally announced that there would be no application development for the iPhone, but rather all content and utility would be delivered via a fully-functioning browser on the device. Times have changed.

UPDATE: The second part of this 2 part series: A Case For The iPad (and Closed System Development) Part 2 is available for reading.

I thought that I was going to avoid the Apple Tablet rumor bandwagon, but I couldn’t resist: After searching for and reading documentation for Apple’s iTunes Extra and iTunes LP format, I began to think about why Apple had not opened up their SDK sooner. The search for this software was instigated by asking why popular podcasters and vloggers had not begun using this extended format as a vehicle for more immersive experiences for their subscribers. Using a subscription model for the extended format would change how people engage their favorite podcasts and provide a delivery vector for content, visuals and, potentially, advertisements.

In October last year, Apple had announced their plan to introduce the enhanced format to iTunes users. The format allows end users to not only listen to audio content or watch video content, but to browse provided content and interact with the media (effectively replacing the experience large-format vinyl provided). The format is taking advantage of the already provided HTML/CSS/JS support within iTunes and provides an experience akin to a well designed website. The format was met with a luke-warm response, but there were few examples provided in the iTunes store and interest waned.

Why would Apple announce such a review-driven feature with no support or easy method of development? (Apple Rumor): To fold the adoption of this new media-driven format into an Apple Tablet release. Documentation that is provided in the iTunes LP Format SDK indicates that an automated system for submitting produced files is set for early 2010 (coinciding with a yet-to-be announced press release). A tablet device would be an ideal vehicle for browsing the LP or iTunes Extra format with a defined navigation structure and click-driven user interface. The distribution vehicle would be built-in with the Apple iTunes ecosystem already widely adopted by the audience.

I think my prediction is a conservative, but I do not think that Apple will introduce a completely alien solution to the idea of the “Tablet” as a device. What is likely is that they will provide a fantastic piece of hardware housing an adaptation of an already excellent user interface and make the tablet something it has not been since it’s introduction to the public by Microsoft in 2001: desirable.

If you are subscribing to my rumor idea, download the Apple iTunes Extra SDK and be ready for the Apple Tablet craze.

The last decade has brought in a complete evolution in web design and user experience. From proliferation in browser usage to the wide adoption of standards-based web development and code.

• Location Based Services With the growth of smart phones and internet enabled feature-phones, location based services will explode this year. The massive growth will result from the growing popularity of social media applications, but more so from service-oriented applications. What smart phones and location-aware phones offer users are safe ways to identify themselves and their locations and to quickly locate people or services convenient to their position without using a text entry interface. Businesses, services and other providers can use this information to make relevant communications in real-time response.From the perspective of a marketer, a location-driven application or service can be used to inform customers to potential offers or relevant information about who they are or how easily they can be reached. This can range from locating a pharmacy in the area that stocks a special prescription or a discount latte for the caffeine-addict in your circle of friends.Comfort with these new services will come from social media adoption of location services. There are already some fantastic applications and tools in the space: FourSquare and Gowalla are the most popular. These companies encourage users to “check-in” and offer status rewards for frequent visits and also exploring new areas. Both of these services (and their like), post status updates to larger social networks like Facebook and Twitter. The more places you go, the higher your ranking in the network goes. You can also follow your friends and vice-verse. This allows you to find friends around you and meet-up.For web designers, location services create a huge opportunity for customized interfaces that are relevant to a user’s location and activity. It can also allow users to tailor an interface to their needs and tasks. By identifying a user in a cold region, you can present a cold-weather theme or contextual advertising for snow-boots or a coat. The possibilities are endless and extend the options for a personalized experience beyond what cookies and referring URL data can provide. Location services can extend beyond the phone or gps device with support in the new HTML 5 spec for location or “geolocation” services.
• HTML 5 The end of 2009 brought with it a lot of buzz about HTML 5, a new standard in web development architecture. It’s not some terribly new animal in regards to implementation. It does offer some new exciting features and capabilities (including several ways to present video and audio within the HTML structure without use of a browser plug-in like flash) and solves some presentation issues that had been left behind by the previously vague “transition” standards. It’s most powerful capability is how it allows offline capabilities for developers. Essentially, there is a data-set that can be stored locally in the browser to preserve anything from e-mails and documents to button states. Given the widespread adoption of mobile devices and the use of laptops, this solves a lot of practical problems that developer have had in preserving sessions and states from websites to full cloud-based applications.HTML also gives designers and developers some standard structural elements to work with <header>, <nav> and <footer> to name a few. Most developers and designers who employ best practices already make use of this common nomenclature, but spec support for these objects make ubiquitous support across platforms and devices moving forward easy*. Driving progress are some much needed API features like geolocation, canvas drawing and improved forms. These features will enable location-based features (as noted above), the ability to render complex illustrations, charts and motion graphics without flash or javascript and help facilitate a better and more functional user experience respectively.I don’t expect to see a wide-spread adoption of HTML 5 in the first part of this year. I do expect to see developers and designers using this technology on their own sites and those that are leveraging the HTML 5 specs to offer an enhanced user experience and cutting edge capabilities. I hope to have my own website converted to meet the new spec shortly and begin to use it for consumer-facing client sites.
• IE6 Will Die (Standards based browser will prevail) Internet Explorer 6 was originally developed in 2001. It was a decent browser when it was new. It had several short-comings: not complete support for CSS or DOM, but it was serviceable for its day. In the past 9 years, the web has changed completely and recognizing this, Microsoft has introduced several offerings that recognize the needs of modern users. IE 6 has held strong. IE 6 is still the dominant browser for enterprise. As someone who still designs and develops interfaces for people working for large institutions and businesses, this has been a persistent problem. 2010 Will be the year of change. The Microsoft sunsetting of Windows XP and the persistent security issues with IE 6 combined with the cost of supporting the increased expense of web application and site designers building support for this aging browser will require that companies invest in evolving their initiatives to a standards-based model.As someone who has worked with large clients, I realize that expecting organizations to invest what will be significant costs into redesigning and developing applications to work in browser other than IE 6 is idealistic, I also realize that there is opportunity. The opportunity is in creating an opportunity for organizations, big and small, to be platform agnostic. Rather than having a large group of employees work with a specific operating system and browser, employers who invest in a standards-based solution can offer a solution that will grow and be more extensible. In some cases, this can allow employees and customers to interface with their infrastructure at home or even on mobile devices. There are further advantages such as support for the more secure 64 bit versions of the windows products and the growing mac audience, but the argument of longevity and extensibility is strong enough to not look past the next 12 months to make an upgrade and say goodbye to IE 6.

I’m looking forward to 2010. Web design and development move very quickly and a year is a very long time. I would like to think of myself as a student of life and the opportunity to participate in the challenge that this industry presents is inspiring. I hope this year is as exciting as the last.

Mobile applications are quickly becoming a dominant vehicle for marketing. Any brand that is communicating with an audience and relying on the web as a vector, needs to begin to leverage this new channel. In the same way that web-pages became a requirement to communicate with an audience in the mid-nineties, applications and widgets are the new “cost-of-entry” for having an exchange with consumers.

The popularity of mobile applications are fueled by many factors, the most influential being the success of the Apple iPhone and the Apple AppStore. To compete with Apple, BlackBerry and Google have introduced similar solutions to market and sell applications for their mobile devices. There is little competition for Apple in the US market, but the competition in the mobile space has fueled innovation and a huge spike in the download and use of mobile applications. The market is hungry for applications with more than a billion apps sold in iTunes‘ application store alone.

The need for brands to allow access to their services and brands to users on the go is clear. Facebook alone has over 4 million visits a day from mobile device users. The BlackBerry application outlet reports that their most popular applications allow access to broadband based video entertainment (YouTube and Vimeo) as well as social media connection apps. When surveyed, people report that they use their mobile devices as a supplement to desktop-based interaction and while waiting for appointment, in transit or between meetings. A user’s search for interaction during these time periods and the intimacy of the device itself, give a strength to communication that has no parallel in other media. The advantage comes with several hurdles: App creators must respect the level of intimacy that is given and not waste a user’s time or be overtly promotional. Creators must also realize that they are competing for attention with friends and family members as all mobile platforms support and promote integration with FaceBook, MySpace, and a wide range of IM and chat applications. Apps must be engaging and offer an obvious offering for the opportunity to exist on a user’s mobile device. Third, and most importantly, the app must be cool. There are several examples, LastFM’s listening and music search application, or Allrecipe’s app to determine how to turn at-the-ready ingredients into an entree or the most ostentatious: I AM RICH app, sold in the Apple AppStore for $999.00. The viral aspect of an application that people are excited about will eclipse any media campaign to promote an app.

To have residence on a user’s mobile device is a commitment from the user and a level of brand engagement that is beyond comparison in the online space. Provided that the application is reliable and well constructed, having the intimate connection with users on a mobile device will shortly become the next milestone in brand identity. Companies hoping to promote themselves should not forgo their current effort or drop their current marketing successes for a new app-centric marketing model, but rather look for ways to drive traffic or have exchanges with their customers on the platforms they are using to run their lives with. Just as the web has matured since the first branded homepages, so should the integration of brands on mobile platforms.

Among the popular trends in the HDTV market is the inclusion of internet connections. The ability for high-end televisions to connect to the internet is not new this year, it is becoming increasingly popular. Previously, the utility of these connections has been limited to receiving operating system and firmware updates.

The autumn of 2008 brought added functionality with partnership arrangements between content providers and television manufacturers. Sony, providing customers with on-demand access to their library of films directly from their televisions, followed by agreements between Hitachi, Pioneer, Samsung and the like making deals with Netflix and online streaming media providers.

The convergence of broadcast media and network-enabled on-demand media is evident.

During CES, Yahoo! Unveiled it’s partnership with several television manufacturers support of the Yahoo! Konfabulator Widget Framework directly from the primary television interface. This will allow users to add “widgets” to their television interface as a constant resource and source of reference for them.

Those who are familiar with widgets are aware that they span from the critically useful to the completely obtuse. The opportunity that the “TV Widget” represents is a market outside of the early-adoption, computer-centric set that has been it’s core audience to-date. Even with a relatively small market that is limited to televisions shipped this year, the TV Widget represents a new paradigm of marketing. Think “American Idol Voting Widget”, the “I Want to be a Millionaire – Audience Lifeline Widget” or the “NBA Contest That Referee Call Widget”.

The audience participation widget is what will drive the adoption of the widget and the sale of televisions featuring this capability, What marketers will be attracted to is the presence of the widget in conjunction with or supplementing programming.

Currently Yahoo! and television manufacturers are shy to reveal the marketing partnerships that will drive this relationship, but I am sure that packaged solutions for users in conjunction with media plans are what is driving this new innovation.

Outside of the more advertising-centric utility of TV Widgets, the idea just makes sense: It’s an obvious medium to add user-customized information and a-la-carte content to. Who wouldn’t love to take the Bloomfield Television ideology and customize it according to your needs, or mood or time of day? Allergy statistics, medication reminders, soccer practice schedules, PTA meetings and nightly specials from your local bistros. With the ease that widgets can be created and updated, every business, large or small will be able to participate with a “custom channel” for users to download and install.

Many of the specifics of the plan are yet to be determined, but it’s likely, that before years’ end, you will be able to vote for America’s Top Model from a small little application running right in your television screen.