App Development - Is It As Easy As It Looks?

Since smartphones became essentially ubiquitous we have all gotten very used to having an app for everything. For those with a bit of an entrepreneurial bent, this can often lead to all kinds of highly inspired ideas for new apps that could make users of iPhones or Android devices’ lives easier, or at the very least entertain them. But just how easy is it to develop a game or app for a smartphone or tablet device, and what kinds of costs are involved?

Development

app development easy looks App Development Is It As Easy As It Looks?

Developing software of any sort, even the most basic, one job smartphone app, requires some planning and management. You can’t simply knock something up, you need to plan the design, how you will build it, what tech you will use, how you will test it, and even things like how you will market and promote it. Even how much you want to charge for your app is a serious consideration (or whether you will use an ad supported model or offer in app purchases). This may be something you can do yourself if you know about software dev methodologies, but it is not something to go into naively. If you are planning a project, read up on things like the ‘V model’ and software development standards in general, as well as learning things like the APIs and programming languages relevant to the platform you are developing for.

Platforms

app development easy looks1 App Development Is It As Easy As It Looks?

Even when you have something developed, it isn’t guaranteed that you will be allowed to distribute it. Apple not only have very strict guidelines about what they will and will not verify for sale on their iTunes app store, but also take a 30% cut of any profits you make from both app sales and in app purchases. If you are rejected by them, they also don’t tend to give you a reason, so it is important to read the latest version of their guidelines before you even begin designing apps for iOS. If you don’t like that and think it sounds a bit draconian and also don’t like the idea of handing over nearly a third of your product’s income to Apple, then Android’s marketplace is much easier to get on to, but because of this it is also full of a lot of bad products you will have to compete with.

Hosting

app development easy looks2 App Development Is It As Easy As It Looks?

If your app or game isn’t a standalone thing, that people can use offline with no need to save large amounts of user data or log on to, then you can distribute it without needing a server dedicated to hosting the back end of the app. However, most products aren’t like that, so if you want any kind of verification or interaction between users, you will need to consider some sort of hosting plan for the databases behind your app.

All in all, making an app is about much more than just learning how to code and design for smartphones or tablets. Happily, there are a lot of consultancies out there that can help you with development and management of the project if you have a strong idea you want to see through.

Jerry Thompson, the author of this post, is an avid blogger and a Hawks fan. He is an employee at NetDepot, well known for managed dedicated server hosting. You can connect to his team on Twitter and have a look at his Linkedin profile.

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Easy Ways To De-Clutter Your Desk

De-cluttering your desk may not be top of your list of fun things to do, but you would be surprised at what a difference it could make to your productivity. Having a messy, cluttered desk can physically hinder your working progress (by stopping you from finding that crucial document), and it can also have a negative impact on your state of mind too; by organising your workspace, you will feel a lot clearer and more focused.

cluttered desk Easy Ways To De Clutter Your Desk

Filing

The first step to a de-cluttered desk is to go through all those piles of paper that you have accumulated over the months. It is inevitable that there will be documents you no longer have a need for, but it is important that you dispose of them in a responsible manner. Any papers with confidential information should be shredded rather than binned to prevent any possibility of identity theft or fraud.

Once you have disposed of documents you do not need, you can think about organising the ones you do. For items that are needed but not regularly accessed, you could see if your company uses an offsite document storage company and put these files into archives. For essential pieces of paper, create a filing system on your desk to ensure easy access.

Clean desk policy

Some businesses enforce a clean desk policy, but for others that don’t it can still be worth enforcing the rule on yourself. A clean desk policy means that your desk tidied at the end of every working day. This may sound impossible, but five minutes will be all you need to get your workspace in order. Then every morning you will come into to a perfectly organised desk, leaving you in a great frame of mind for productivity.

Organise your cables

Under nearly every desk is a multitude of cables, from computers, to phones and other pieces of hardware. But not only does this look unsightly, it is a potential fire hazard as well. There are many ways you can organise your cables, but the easiest is to pop to IKEA and take a look at their range of cable management accessories. Options include cable trunkers and cable reel, which will both help solve your cable problem. And if there is no way to hide your cables, try displaying them in a creative way instead!

Invest in shelving

This may not be an option for everyone, particularly if you are in an open plan office, but if you do have the chance it could be worth investing in some more shelves for your desk. Shelves are a great way to organise your workspace, and you do not have to just hang them on the wall either. Choose a shelving unit which can fit on top of your desk, and add some file storage boxes and folders to keep everything neat. You can even add photos of your friends and family to give it a personal touch!

Get some office space savers

Shelves are not the only way you can save space: cups for your pencils, letter trays and other accessories can all play a key part in de-cluttering your space. But once you have installed these at your desk make sure you get in the habit of using them- there is no point sitting next to an empty pencil holder or a letter tray with nothing in it!

Chloe is an English Literature graduate with a love for words, and finds this a useful skill to have when writing about different things. She also enjoys keeping fit by going on runs and dancing in her free time.

Photo Credit: carolina terp

Tags: DeClutter, Desk, Easy, Ways