Three Great Apps that You Could Have Created

The best ways to become a successful mobile app developer are to solve a problem that a lot of people have, provide a service that a lot of people need or produce an app that pushes the “cute button” or “nostalgia button” for a lot of people. To be inspired, it is always great to see what apps are making a dent in the market.

We do this by checking out the top apps at Google Play and at the Apple App Store on a regular basis. Another way to find great apps is to look at “best of” lists by various magazines and websites. We recently checked out Mashable’s “Best iPad Apps of 2014” for inspiration.

Of the nine apps listed, six were beyond the reach of the “little guy” who wants to become a big mobile app developer because they were developed by major social media or software developers. These would include flickr, Microsoft Word, Adobe Voice, New York Times Cooking, Quora and Yahoo News Digest.

However, three of them were developed by individuals and could have been developed by an unknown mobile app developer if they had the idea and followed through with it.

Let’s take a look at those three apps.
Hanx Writer

This app definitely appeals to both the “cute” and “nostalgia” buttons. It uses sounds and visual effects to turn your iPad into a classic typewriter. While this may not seem useful, it actually is useful because it provides visual and auditory feedback when a key is “struck.”

One of the problems of touchscreen typing is that it doesn’t give any physical or tactile feedback when you strike a letter effectively. Some who use Hanx Writer say the sound going through the iPad even helps the iPad feel like a typewriter.

There is one caveat here: “Hanx” is a play on the name of the app developer, Tom Hanks. Tom Hanks obviously has a lot more resources than a fledgling entrepreneur starting out with his first app, but this app could still easily have been developed by one person with one idea if they had contacted us at Smarter Apps.
Storehouse

If you visit nearly anyplace where people gather, such as a pub, a restaurant or a coffee house, you will notice one thing people have in common: we all love to tell stories. Storehouse is an app that combines text, photos, music and videos to tell a story or tell someone how to do something they are struggling with. It lets you add narrative to complete the experience.

This was developed by a former Apple designer, but we have plenty of designers to help you out at Smarter Apps. Storehouse can help you create stunning videos to tell your story, create art or make music videos.
Tempo

Tempo is a smart calendar app. It is meant to combine everything you need for a meeting into one place while syncing your calendar apps. It gives you time, location and even a map if you need one. Tempo is categorised as a Productivity App. It solves a problem and makes life easier for those using their iPads to help them conduct business.
Are You Inspired Yet?

Three of Mashable’s top nine favourite iPad apps of 2014 are all within your reach to develop as a small or beginning mobile app developer. That should be an inspiration to you. It should also help you generate ideas. Think of the statement or question that could have been behind each of these apps.

Storehouse: “I wish I could make my own little videos to send to my friends or to tell the stories of my life.”

Hanx Writer: “It would be a lot easier to type on this iPad if it looked, sounded and felt like a typewriter.”

Tempo: “I wish I could consolidate everything I need to go to a meeting into one app.”

Have you or has anyone you know said anything like that today? It could turn into your first successful mobile app.

Call 1300 650 253 to learn more.