How to Make an Impact in Blackberry Application Development Think Like a User
- Date: 2010-07-23 - Word Count: 501
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How to make an impact in blackberry application development depends on the effort you are prepared to put into your work. It is not just about programming but looking at the needs of the user and what they will use your application for and making sure they do so on a regular basis.
Before that of course, you should take a look at the machine itself. What kind of features are you developing for? The built in camera is a good example of a feature you can take advantage of. A lot of companies are developing augmented reality programs, allowing people to get information on the places around them.
What does this mean? If for example you were in Berlin and you wanted to go to a restaurant, you could use an application that showed a review of the restaurant just in front of you. With the built in GPS system, there would be no need to waste time typing in your city or postcode, especially useful if you are unsure of the postcode, which is likely if you are on holiday and it is somewhere you have not been to before.
While this kind of idea is very practical and useful, you should look at how viable this is for you. There are a lot of aspects to consider. Some people use what is known as the traffic lights test. The test is whether a person can use the application in the time it takes for the traffic lights to change. Obviously we are not advocating using a smartphone manually while driving, it is just a concept to emphasize the importance of user friendliness!
As well as speed, the ease of use is important. If people have to flick through manuals or consult forums to use an application then they will probably turn their attention to something else. This is the best case scenario but even that means they are likely to go to your competition. What would be worse is if they use their smartphone to tell people on a forum about how user unfriendly your work is, making for a lot of wasted effort!
There are other practical factors you should consider when programming. A big concern for anyone using a smartphone is battery life. Effectively, they are organizing their work or leisure time based around this phone. If your app drains the battery life and that inconveniences them, they will be put off using it, even if it is something they would otherwise find useful.
Another key thing is to make sure it does not produce unnecessary updates. Wanting to look up cinema screenings is useful, but if they do not change from week to week then there is no need to give hourly updates!
While the creation of the app is important, you should not discount getting feedback. There are a number of forums in which you can ask people for their opinions what they want. Armed with this information, you should be able to customize for the needs of your target audience.
Before that of course, you should take a look at the machine itself. What kind of features are you developing for? The built in camera is a good example of a feature you can take advantage of. A lot of companies are developing augmented reality programs, allowing people to get information on the places around them.
What does this mean? If for example you were in Berlin and you wanted to go to a restaurant, you could use an application that showed a review of the restaurant just in front of you. With the built in GPS system, there would be no need to waste time typing in your city or postcode, especially useful if you are unsure of the postcode, which is likely if you are on holiday and it is somewhere you have not been to before.
While this kind of idea is very practical and useful, you should look at how viable this is for you. There are a lot of aspects to consider. Some people use what is known as the traffic lights test. The test is whether a person can use the application in the time it takes for the traffic lights to change. Obviously we are not advocating using a smartphone manually while driving, it is just a concept to emphasize the importance of user friendliness!
As well as speed, the ease of use is important. If people have to flick through manuals or consult forums to use an application then they will probably turn their attention to something else. This is the best case scenario but even that means they are likely to go to your competition. What would be worse is if they use their smartphone to tell people on a forum about how user unfriendly your work is, making for a lot of wasted effort!
There are other practical factors you should consider when programming. A big concern for anyone using a smartphone is battery life. Effectively, they are organizing their work or leisure time based around this phone. If your app drains the battery life and that inconveniences them, they will be put off using it, even if it is something they would otherwise find useful.
Another key thing is to make sure it does not produce unnecessary updates. Wanting to look up cinema screenings is useful, but if they do not change from week to week then there is no need to give hourly updates!
While the creation of the app is important, you should not discount getting feedback. There are a number of forums in which you can ask people for their opinions what they want. Armed with this information, you should be able to customize for the needs of your target audience.
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