With our dependance on Apps on doing pretty much everything that needs to be done in our daily lives, it is the humble Apps from our smartphones and tablets – that are coming to our aid. Every day, more and more helpful/creative/exciting apps keep launching. But, have you ever wondered how these Apps are made? Want to build some yourself? It's not as hard as you might think. Read on and find out more. Creating mobile apps draws on your creative entrepreneurial side and your technical fluency. There's a wide variety of programming platforms, with Cascada and Iceberg being two of the most widely used. The mobile device you intend to design the app for will also affect the code you use (Java for Blackberry mobiles, Cocoa for Apple mobiles) and the outlets for the app (Blackberry App World for Blackberry, the iTunes App Store for Apple products). The most popular apps usually tap into common interests, but in fresh, easy-to-use ways.

Instructions   1.Survey the apps that are available for mobile devices already. If you can find a common shortcoming between the apps for Apple and Blackberry, that might be an area you could cultivate and contribute to. Research the feedback for the apps on message boards and web sites.

2.Design your application. Among mobile device users, there is a premium on intuitive, simple designs that make using the app as easy as possible.

3.Write the code for your mobile app. Since learning to write code takes extensive training and time, many app designers hire freelance technicians to do this for them. If you want to make it available across several mobile devices, you will need someone who knows Java, Cocoa, and any other programming languages.

4.Test your application on multiple mobile devices. Ask other less tech-savvy people try to use the app. Debug the app, if any problems arise.

5.Upload your app to the Blackberry App World or the iTunes App Store. Keep an eye on feedback to your app in the app stores, on message boards, and on discussion threads at mobile device web pages. Handle bugs that arise immediately, and consider introducing new editions in the future.

                        SO, the big question still plying in your mind must be – how exactly do we 'design' this App. And how do we overcome some of the more common issues that almost all developers face when creating Apps.The issue of usability of mobile phone apps still looms large. There are yet no clear developer guidelines on app usability. Also, the diversity among different handset models makes it difficult to define a “standard” for the usability factor.Most (though not all) usability issues arise out of hardware problems. While some are impossible to solve, there are certain others that can be tacked by the software developer, provided they know how to deal with these issues.

Here, we address some of the major hardware problems faced by mobile phone app developers, giving solutions for each of these issues.

1. Screen Resolution-With the advent of so many new cell phones in the market, each coming with different features, display screens and resolutions, it is going to be impossible for you to assess the ideal resolution your app should have. Putting in too many features on your app will only make the problem worse. The trick to tackle this issue, therefore, is to put as little information as possible on the display screen and then make it bigger.

2. Colors and Contrast-The latest mobile phones with LCD screens come with amazing color and contrast capabilities. This tempts the programmer to use nuanced colors, without realizing that mobile phones are meant to be carried everywhere and used in all light conditions. Poor light conditions can make it difficult for the user to perceive these subtle colors, actually making it more difficult for them to read the info on the screen.The most sensible thing for a developer to do here, is to use high contrast color schemes and differentiate widgets (as and when applicable) with blocks of solid color, not merely by using vaguely outlined or shaded boxes. Also, using simple graphics and getting rid of unnecessary extra frills will give your app more utility value.

3. Button Functions-Most mobile phone users fail to make the most of their phones, as they do not quite understand all the button functions of their mobile device.Make sure to see that your button indicators make good sense to your end-users. Include a detailed help section if necessary, citing each of these button functions, so that the user can run your application without any trouble.

4. Font Size-Almost all cell phones contain fonts that are too small to be read with ease. The screens are small in size and therefore, the fonts need to be small-sized to fit in.While you, as a developer, cannot do anything about the mobile phone’s default font size, you can definitely try and make the fonts as large as possible for your specific app. This will increase the usability quotient of your app.

5. Cursors-Mobile devices differ from computing devices such as desktops and laptops, in that they cannot be easily manipulated with cursors and pointing devices. Of course, most of the latest cell phones in the market today are touchscreen phones and use either a stylus, trackball, track pad and so on. Even so, each one is different in the way each one of them has to be handled. Remember, it is going to be a torture for end users to drag and drop objects on the screen of a tiny mobile device, so avoid including such functionalities in your app. Instead, making anything on the screen clickable and enlarged will help users, as they will be able to work better with the app.

6. Keyboards-Cell phone keyboards, even physical QWERTY ones, can be quite a pain to use. Even keyboards that offer better moving space can be quite a hassle for the user.So try and avoid keyed inputs as far as possible. At least try and keep it to the minimum if you can afford to do so.

                     In conclusion, working with so many diverse mobile devices can be quite a task, especially as you cannot pin down an “ideal” standard to develop apps for all these devices. However, keeping your mobile app flexible and using the commonest possible features can vastly help you to create better and more usable mobile phone apps.

So, what if you were building an App for a specific platform? Let's say Apple's iPhone?

The iPhone has gotten developers into a tizzy, creating all kinds of innovative apps for it. This versatile platform allows the developer complete creativity and flexibility in writing apps for it. How exactly does one create apps for the iPhone? Go through this post for detailed how-to’s on the subject.

Here's How:

Plan out a strategy-You should create the iPhone app in such a way as to be unique and one that will help the end user in some way.

-Decide on a niche for your app and try to zero-in on a niche that is least concentrated and also caters to a specific audience.

-Even a funny app can sometimes do the trick for you, as it can give your users their much-needed dose of laughter!

-If there is an existing app in the niche of your choice, find a way to present your app differently, telling the user how else your app can help them.

-An interactive app scores much above ordinary ones, as it educates the user in some way.

Get your tools ready-Ready all your tools for app creation much beforehand.

-First register for the Apple iPhone Developer Program.

-Keep your iPhone or iPod Touch ready to sync with your Mac.

-Download the latest iPhone SDK version.

-Prepare a Non-Disclosure agreement.

Check app features and skill set-You will be good at select skills. Focus on them and hire professionals to take care of the rest.

-Do some homework early on to find out what kind of app works and what does not.

-Outline your app’s functionality.

-Draw out a plan for your programming strategy.

-Think in advance about app marketing and promotion.

Understand your iPhone/iPod Touch UI-Know what kind of functionality you want your app to have.

-Decide on the UI design.

-Mentally organize all information for your app.

-Decide which of the iPhone’s built-in features you can make most use of.

Sketch out your plan-Get to sketching your idea on a sheet of paper.

-Draw out each screen plan and decide strategies to go from one screen to another.

-Think of sizing the image on the screen, screen resolution and so on.

Start with the design-Start working on the design now. Your sketch will go a long way in helping you with the designing bit.

-Hire a designer if you are not a professional designer.

-Instruct the designer on exactly what you are looking for and do not be afraid of asking for tips to improve on your app.

Interact with developers-Participating in dev forums will help you gain a lot of good information on designing, programming, marketing and so on.

-There are many iPhone dev forums online, so take active part in them. Also enroll in virtual classes if need be.

Submit app to the Apple App Store-Now it is time to submit your app to the Apple App Store. You can either do it yourself or hire a professional if unsure about the submission process. Do the following in order to submit your app.

-Compile the application.

-Create and check your Certificates.

-Define your app IDs.

-Create a Distribution Provisioning Profile.

-Upload all the information to iTunes Connect.

Tips:

-Download a lot of apps in each category and play around with them all, so that you come to know how to proceed ahead with your own. Make a list of all the features you like in the apps and that you would like to incorporate in your app.

-The initial sketch is very important, as it will ease your way ahead to create the app. Never neglect this bit.

-Stay focused on your idea and keep working towards it. Digressing will only lead to confusion and a dilution of your initial passion to create an app.

-Once you create your iPhone app, get to marketing it to make a profit out of it. Here are useful tips to market your mobile application.

What You Need

-Designing skills or a professional designer

-iPhone/iPod Touch

-New version of iPhone SDK

-Mac OS

-Focus and persistence