User Experience as a term in itself is much more common than it was only a few years ago, especially where digital products are concerned with websites and applications becoming ever more involved in our day to day lives. The fact is, today a great user experience makes the difference between a successful product and a failure.

Since mobile apps arrived on the scene, the ability to interact so easily and cohesively with mobile touch screen technology means UX has exploded and design has almost taken a back seat in comparison. Sure, it has to look great and there are no compromises in that department, but if it’s a pain to use, it won’t get used – so you can kiss your investment of thousands good bye, even if it was pretty damn good looking.

Mobile apps are now such an integral part of our lives that we need them to almost feel like an extension of ourselves, so the UX is vital. If it’s even slightly amiss then it feels like a burden to the user, when it should be a pleasure.

The funny thing is, there is a limited appreciation for great UX from the users standpoint. They will tell you if it’s cumbersome, if there’s something missing or if it simply doesn’t work. On the other hand when it is great UX, the user is quiet. Quietly using your application or surfing your website without a murmur, simply happy to carry on using it and therefore allowing it to be part of their everyday lives. It’s adopted!

Great UX is all about serving the users needs and objectives and therefore meeting the objectives of the business. This is only ensured through intensive research, effective digital strategies, detailed planning and of course prototyping and usability testing.

It is worth mentioning that todays user is much more discerning than a decade ago when digital applications were less mainstream especially in the mobile space. So there actually can be a quiet appreciation from the user when something works as well as or better than expected, especially if the previous app they tried was poor.

So how to measure a good user experience? There are obviously a number of complex methods and techniques but a good rule of thumb…  Quiet user? Good news. If they kick up a fuss, then it’s back to the drawing board.

Key to any software and app development company is to maintain source code safely.  At Spriing our chosen version control tool is Git.  Git allows us to keep a history of changes we’ve made to an app throughout its lifetime, revert changes if we decide it isn’t needed and recover code if something goes missing.

Often during the development of an app, there will be major milestone releases.  While working on these releases it may become apparent that a change needs to be made quickly to the existing release while the code is midway through developing the next upcoming release.  This creates issues because the quick change can’t be applied and released until the rest of the changes are finished.  Branches to the rescue.  Branches allow us to create several strands of development, while keeping the original code, fully tested and working code in tact.  This means that changes can be applied to the original code without lots of other “work in progress” changes interfering with it.

However there is a situation this doesn’t cover.  While working on the next release we may improve the way something works or fix a bug.  We need some way of getting the change into the main release without taking all of the “work in progress” change with it – this is where cherry picking comes to the rescue.  Checking picking allows us to easily pick individual changes (commits) and merge them into the main release build.

Funnily enough this was something that was discussed only a few days earlier in the Spriing studio when speaking about the iPhone’s slightly ageing interface. Strangely coincidental we know!

The question everyone is asking though is whether or not it’s a good thing, though what some people seem to overlook when answering this, is how much of Jonathan’s life has been devoted to Apple.

It goes without saying, UI design is a completely different bag to designing products, but perhaps that’s more from a hands on point of view. Conceptually Ive’s creative mind is no doubt more capable than any for the job.

The product and the interface of Apple’s most popular devices need to work as one, so who better than the mind behind the product, with the experience and involvement he has to steer forward the UI with it.

Currently, as simple and intuitive as the interface may be on the likes of the iPhone and Apple’s other touch devices, it hasn’t changed since it arrived… well, not that you’d notice. It’s latest features could be looked at more like after thoughts that have been bolted on in order to keep up or not be out done by the likes of ever changing Android and Windows devices. The design style is quite heavy and texture based compared to the sleek, modern stylings of it’s hardware that contains it, so you could say it is in need of a refresh.

So we see it as an exciting time for both Apple and its fans. There’s no mistaking the following and respect Jonathan Ive has and we’re sure everyone will be waiting eagerly come the next future developments. Whatever they are, you know the reviews will always be mixed, change is scary and the adoring Apple fans will either welcome it with open arms or complain to the high heavens.

Let’s just hope he pushes things forward as we’d expect, and as App enthusiasts and producers ourselves we’re feeling positive that hopefully this change will allow us to create and develop even more exciting and engaging interfaces in our next big projects.

Should you find yourself facing a delay in reaching a hospital, there are First Aid apps which quickly guide you through what to do in a number of emergency medical situations. From advice on how to care for burns to dealing with anaphylactic shock, as well as information on what not to do, these apps could be invaluable in precarious circumstances.

There are also lots of survival ‘kits’ available, apps which provide users with practical advice and skills about what to do in case of an emergency. These apps offer safety information, location based advice and even tips on how to efficiently ration water and food supplies. Mobile app development companies have taken meticulous care to provide users with important guidance on an extensive range of potential scenarios.
Finally, it is worth downloading a radio app, an emergency radio one if possible. In the event of a disaster, these apps will provide you with access to important real time information, authority issued advice and insight into the development of the situation. This is instrumental in an instance where communication channels are likely to be vulnerable.
Many of these apps have been created to function without internet connectivity, which is useful in a situation where there is no web access. Although many of these apps are free, you can’t put a price on being prepared. After all, the benefit of having this information readily accessible on your smartphone could be a literal lifesaver.

Traditionally content downloaded from the web comes with an expiry time attached to the HTTP header.  When a user requests the same URL for a second time, their web client first checks if the expiry time has passed, if so it contacts the server and gets the latest information, otherwise it returns the content it already has stored locally.  There are also some other techniques based on last modified times with which the web client uses to take a guess at whether the existing content will have expired.

I don’t like these approaches.  It is usually the case that we don’t know in advance when the content will have expired, but we always want the user to see the latest content.   In this case an option would be to make the server always send an expiration date which has already passed.  This would result in the web client requesting the URL and downloading the new content every time. This again has it’s downsides, especially when we’re talking about a mobile app which may be on a poor cellular network – which could be a very lengthy and unnecessary operation.

I came up with an idea of how to solve this issue – what if the content sent from the server also came with a hash value of the data?  When the client requests the same URL for the second time, it also provides the hash value it received in the previous request.  The server then computes the hash value of the latest (up to the millisecond) content and compares the new one to the one received.  If the hash value is the same, it informs the app that it already has the latest content, otherwise it sends back the latest content along with the new hash value.  This means that if the content is the same, the app has used very little data connecting to the server to check, but if the content has changed it receives the latest content straight away – therefore ensuring the app is always up to date.

As it turns out, there is already a method out there which takes this exact approach – introducing the “ETag”.

The ETag has been used on websites for a while now but is still finding its way into mobile app frameworks.  While it was somewhat disappointing to find that this idea had already been implemented, it is great to see our ideas are already accepted as being sound approaches.

This is by no means the end of our research, in fact it is just the beginning.  We have plenty more tricks up our sleeve which we’ll share with you as the research and benchmarking continues.

 3 hours in . . .

• The music app has gotten a face lift, I don’t know if it needed it without having new features to integrate but it hasn’t made any difference to how I use it. This feels more like a change I can live with than I wanted – not a great start.
• The app store has been completely updated with a new focus on screenshots. I prefer it, the whole thing is far more attractive and it is also far easier to get a feel for the app before downloading it.
• Facebook integration on top of twitter integration. Trying the import contacts function didn’t go very well and I lost all the most recent contacts I added. Fortunately its quite easy for me to get those numbers back but thats beside the point.

3 Days in . . .

• Quite a few crashes, I’m still on a developer release but I would expect it to be a little more stable.
• I’ve found my favourite feature so far, the ability to send custom messages when someone rings you and you’re too busy to answer is excellent. A tiny thing but its sometimes the little things that can make the difference and I’ve used that feature quite a few times now.
• I’m still not keen on the reminders app, I don’t see why it can’t be combined with the calendar in some way.

3 Months in . . .

• I’ve heard lots of complaints from people about the maps though I haven’t had an issue. Whenever I’ve had to use it the experience has been easy and I’ve found whatever I’m looking for quickly. The addition of turn-by-turn navigation – okay it’s nothing innovative but it is definitely about time it was included. If you really are having issues though, there are plenty of alternatives both free and paid for on the app store.
• After a shaky start with the contact import, the Facebook integration has been very useful with many third party apps.
• Do not disturb mode – fantastic idea. Between the hours of 11pm and 7am, I’m no longer disturbed by phone calls, unless its urgent and they ring me a second time straight after – all configurable in the settings of course.

Overall, I haven’t been overwhelmed by iOS 6. It feels more like a natural progression rather than the revolution that Apple  claim about all their products. Would I recommend it though? Yes. For me, the operating system has only improved and you can’t ask much more from a free upgrade.

One company stood out for me, for effort and message.  Not Apple, Android or Windows, but RIM are on a major push this Fall, targeting the app developer community to engage, build and port apps for the Blackberry 10 phone.

RIM are ticking all the boxes with app developers, servicing the online community with forums and quick responses to online queries, a new super-charged SDK, a porting labs roadshow in major cities and  financial incentives to build and port exiting apps to the Blackberry 10.

The financial incentives include Blackberry’s 10k – if you the developer satisfy all the BB t&cs you are guaranteed $10k form RIM if your app doesn’t make that figure.

The UI is definitely a leap forward for RIM – the FLOW (the name of the OS) allows easy transition from in app to lists to email with various degrees in the length of swipes.

The platform looks good with some good core and open API support libraries (Unity for gaming, cURL and OpenGL to mention a few).  But the kicker…

… the architecture will be a watershed, there is no way back, write an app for Blackberry 10 and it won’t run on previous models.  That’s right, this is the Rubicon for Blackberry.

So one challenge they have is engage the development community, the second is to get existing customers onto a Blackberry 10 asap.  Hopefully there are no delays, as this must be RIM’s last roll of the dice?

I hit start and the whole process was finished by 00:02, so 18 minutes on a decent WiFi connection (not much contention at 23:44).

Two complete reboots and a progress bar that seemed to take for ever first time, then zipped through the second time. Sign into iCloud and I’m away….

Again the process is well managed by Apple and all screens have been given a bit of thought rather than being an after thought.

So what’s new? Well first off…

* YouTube has disappeared
* Passbook has appeared
* Maps are different – Apple’s not Google’s
* I have VIP in my emails
* Apparently Facebook is built-in, but I don’t notice any differnce.
* I get Panorama option on my camera

It’s been a week since we all headed (even further) North to attend the Scottish Creative Awards. Spriing was nominated twice in the ‘best App’ category for our offerings of the My Tartan and iBahn ETVi Apps.

The event, organised by The Drum was well attended, well organised and the standard of work nominated was incredible.

So, after a delicious 3-course meal & an adequate amount of wine, the awards ceremony began. Fast forward to ‘best App’ category and the winners are… Spriing, for My Tartan.

The App shows a huge level of creativity married with an unusual concept, allowing users to create their own tartans which can then be saved and shared.

The App was created for Houstons Kiltmakers, a 100 year old family run business based in Paisley and is a fine example of retaining the legacy of an established business whilst marrying that with technological developments we have all become accustomed to.

The Spriing team are delighted with the award and seeing that our hard work has been recognised, has made us hungry for more! We’re now back in the studio working on our next big projects to hopefully gain some more awards for the trophy cabinet… or perhaps bookshelf would be more appropriate.

With two nominations in the App Category against four other apps, we are all hoping that our hard work will be recognised tonight. The team is on their way to the Radisson Blu Hotel in Glasgow as I am writing this and getting ready for, what promises to be, a good evening.

Our first app that was nominated is the iBahn ETVi, a great app on which our development team has spent a lot of time to perfect it and deliver an app of amazing quality. It allows hotel guests to use their mobile device as a remote control to use with the iBahn system in their rooms, as well as gives them the opportunity to watch programs and films on their mobile devices anywhere in the hotel.

The second is My Tartan, a great app brought by Houston Kiltmakers, where users can create their own tartan and share with friends or compare with Houston’s tartans. The details are impressive and there is an infinite number of combinations using different colours, sizes and patterns, users can have their own tartan.

So just to recap, two fantastic apps, one award, one winner … who will it be?

We are all patiently waiting for the winners to be announced, wishing everyone good luck and will enjoy the award ceremony no matter what.