The Run-Down on App Development and Chicago’s Top Free Apps

Erica Peplin

The majority of smart phone consumers, myself included, would probably agree that the inclusion of “apps” on the interface of our mobile screens are transforming the way we interact with the world. Apps, the truncated title for “application software,” are mobile tools available for download across Apple, Google, Microsoft, and Nokia platforms and their functions vary from the utilitarian (consistently up-to-date news sources) to the dangerously addictive (Angry Birds recently reached over 250 million downloads). With their high-resolution screens and multi-touch capabilities, as phones become faster, smaller, and lighter, media consumption, social networking, and day-to-day routines will be increasingly augmented by our individualized web of ever-improving apps.

With over 425,000 to choose from, the world’s largest collection of mobile apps is to be found on the iTunes App Store. While the apps offered through the iTunes Store are exclusively for Apple products, alternative versions of the same apps are frequently found in the Android Market, the online store created by Google for Android devices. The industry’s rapid growth has made it fairly easy for anyone to enter. Google offers free online tutorials and those registered with Apple’s iOS Dev Center have full access to all the information necessary  for developing iPad, iPhone and iPod touch apps. For every happily hurled Angry Bird however, a surfeit of ventures in app creation go unnoticed and most attempts fail to achieve the proficiency and scale needed to maintain their business. A successful app is more than just coding, it depends on design, marketing, and consistent revision.

Some Advice on App Development:

• Analyze user behavior and encourage reviews in order to make the changes and create a more satisfactory user experience. The success of an app is gauged by the number of downloads, so the more public feedback the better.

• Figure out new ways of making money. This includes exploring new app stores for a wider distribution and looking into brand licensing opportunities.

• Consider getting help from a partner service, most large companies get their start through collaboration.

• Two established app developers working in Chicago recently shared their experiences, concerns, and a few suggestions on the emergent industry.

In a technological step toward  a more participatory democracy, the Chicago Works app, by 2pensmedia, enables users to report problems, make service requests, and provide feedback about the city of Chicago directly to the Renew Chicago team, which will then forward information to elected officials.

All three of the apps by 2pensmedia were created by Dimitrios Tragas, the founder and designer, and Zeshan Hayder, the advanced programmer. Depending on experience levels, Tragas claims that a basic app requires only one or two people to develop. When asked about the difficulty of production, Tragas admits, “Well, it didn’t take much to create these apps.” When he first decided to explore app development, Tragas had over ten years of graphic design experience but no knowledge of programming. After two months of self-directed study through books and online tutorials, Tragas finished his first app.

Jason Kramer is the man behind the popular Transit Stop: CTA Tracker, a free app that allows quick and easy access to CTA bus and train arrival times along with clear and navigable maps of bus routes and stops. The origin of Kramer’s interest in app creation is slightly random; he was simply looking for a new hobby. As he describes, “I woke up one Saturday about a year ago, headed down to a local bookstore, and picked up a beginner’s guide to iPhone app development.  I had no prior programming experience outside of one class in college.” When he first released the CTA Tracker app, he expected only a handful of downloads per day. Over the past six months, its consistently high rate of downloads have exceeded his expectations, “I think that’s because the app is simple and easy to use—and because it’s free.  It’s also an app that people can use daily.” The app cost Kramer little more than his free time to make, “I spent $20 on the beginner’s guide to iPhone app development, and paid the fee to enroll as an iPhone developer with Apple.”

In perfecting the CTA Tracker, the biggest obstacle Kramer faced was the inability to test the app for every situation a user might encounter.  Early into the app’s release, there was a problem where the app would crash whenever a user tried adding a bus route that only ran express but wasn’t currently in service.  Kramer explains, “I would not have been aware of that problem were it not for user feedback.  With each update to the app, I’m always tweaking things here and there to avoid a potentially negatively impact on the user’s experience.”

Additional free Chicago Apps worth mentioning include:

FREEvents was made for the iPhone by Feltpad, a one-man-company run by Christopher Tysh. FREEvents for the iPhone. Is a map and daily calendar of free events, museums, and festivals in Chicago. From parsimonious college students to ponderous parents, the app is well-suited to a wide range of users.

Chicago “At a Glance” City Guide supplies recommendations for the average tourist or active urban dweller. The lifestyle-oriented section is organized by categories; History and Culture, What to See, Eating Out, Shopping, and Nightlife. The Utilities and Services portion allows users to search for the nearest police stations, hospitals, pharmacies, gas stations, and post offices.

BIC Theatre is a resource on Chicago’s Broadway stages.  Operating in conjunction with the Bank of America Theatre, Cadillac Palace Theatre, Ford Center for the Performing Arts, and Oriental Theatre. BIC Theatre also allows users to check performance times, get directions, and figure out where to eat.

The Chicago Tribune app provides free and instant access to the Tribune’s news, business, sports, and weather coverage. Users can save their favorite sections and directly forward articles to anyone in their network. Whereas many apps fail without signals, no connection is required for the Chicago Tribune app.