Company Name: Appsnminded
Developers: Jennifer Noonan, Cara Hall and Jesse Douglas
1) How long have you been developing for the iPhone/iPod platform?
Appsnminded has been developing iPhone Apps since December 2008. In that time, we have attained Top 50 status for the majority of our apps.
2) Describe your app(s)? Who is/are your app(s) for?
Our apps are for mothers and their children and younger teens. These apps engage, entertain and educate in a way that only iPhone can. We get amazing feedback from people who download our apps and are inspired by the way our apps help mothers engage their kids.
Apps for Family Enjoyment
Thumb Wars, Jonesing Daily
Apps for Tween Girls
iBrides, Amnesia Girl V. 1, MyGirlz Rock, Tween Pop, My Makeup , My Wish, My Nails, My Hair
Apps for Toddlers
Weir’s World, Elephant Song, Robot Phone, MyTrain, Pictojibe
Apps for Child Development
Baby Faces, It’s Potty Time! , Bed Time
3) What did you do before developing for the iPhone/iPod platform?
We were all successful in other industries. Our one common thread is that we belong to the market we serve. We are moms who discovered a way to develop apps that make a difference in people’s lives.
Jennifer Noonan – Started in entertainment PR for HBO and then founded Naissance on Melrose (NOM) a popular maternity store on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. I did this for ten years. Before that, I was in entertainment PR for HBO.
Cara Hall – I was an advertising executive, living the cubicle life while developing high-profile campaigns for Lexus, America West Airlines and Heal the Bay.
Jesse Douglas – I still own The Reel Inn, a well-known restaurant in the Topanga Canyon in the Los Angeles area. Apps are something I am passionate about.
4) What’s the greatest and worst thing about developing for the iPhone and iPod?
The greatest thing is that developing apps is really fun. We work from home with people from all over the world. We get to stretch our creativity and see our ideas come to life. App development is still a relatively young (new) field that is always changing. So it’s exciting and dynamic. We get immediate feedback from the market and can use that to make our apps better.
The worst thing is that the industry does change so fast. It’s challenging to keep up with all of the new technologies and rules. These things can change when you are right in the middle of creating an app. If you want the new functionality or technology in the app, you have to retool. Apple is very secretive about innovations that they are developing and what is coming next. So there is a lot of guesswork. Retooling can cost money. But it’s worth it because it’s important to stay current and release the best app possible.
5) What were your major problems when releasing your iPhone app?
We have been very fortunate not to run into the biggest problem in app development, not receiving approval. We have been very fortunate with approvals. It helps that our apps are not controversial or adult-oriented. We are very careful with licensing to assure that we can prove our relationship with The Grateful Dead or the YouTube sensation, Eric Herman. Another issue some people run into is that they try to be too cutting edge or compete directly with similar services that Apple already offers. Those people will probably run into major problems. We try to avoid that.
6) Do you intend on making an iPad app?
We do. We are in the process of making one as we speak. We think the best feature of the iPad is going to be the reading function. So we are creating a children’s interactive book based on a character we are developing. We are developing the first phase of the character for an iPhone app but are expanding to iPad and creating the digital literature just for the iPad.
7) Do you have any cool future projects in the pipeline? Provide as much detail about the project you are willing to discuss.
The children’s interactive book is the most innovative usage of the iPad platform that we are building currently. It’s going to be a graphically rich experience with a charming story. There will be learning components, language learning skills with short words and phrases in French. The character is named Esme and the name of the iPad app will be Esme in Paris. It is based on the iPhone app that we are currently working on called Esme’s Paper Dolls. We have a lot of very successful dress up apps that have laid the groundwork for the launch of Esme and her iPad exclusive interactive books.
Our tween fashion apps have all been in the Top 50 of the App Store at least once since they have launched.
8 . Anything you want iPhone users to think about or realize when it comes to apps?
Developers actually listen to legitimate comments that are placed on the store. Most developers listen and update their apps to serve the market. They don’t listen when the comments are negative, nasty or just plain flaming.
The best apps are not free. There are a lot of free apps on the iStore. Just remember, sometimes you get what you pay for.
9) Are you looking for employees, partners, funding or anything that will help grow your company in the future?
We are actively seeking cross-promotional partners. For example, we are getting ready to launch a cheerleading app and want to team up with American Cheerleading Magazine. We find that these kinds of partnerships are very helpful for reaching the correct audience who will be interested in our app.
10) What iPhone/iPod tip would you like to give our iPhone users?
Use the features of your iPhone. Here’s a nifty trick if your app doesn’t have a save button or you want to do a screen capture. Hit your home button and your power button at the same time and it will take a picture of your screen. Then you can save that picture to your photo album. So even if the app doesn’t have a save button, you can save the image yourself and reference it later. The iPhone has many cool features. Read about more of them in your user guide and try them out. It’s fun!
11) What are your favorite iPhone apps besides your own?
ZenBound – The ultimate relaxing way to spend your time.
Geocaching – Global treasure hunting game, Cara’s son loves it.
Facebook – Because it’s convenient
More on Appsnminded:
Appsnminded Web Site: http://www.appsnminded.com
Appsnminded Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/appsNminded/55815974239?ref=ts
Appsnminded Moms: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Appsnminded-Moms/284120449536
Appsnminded Twitter: http://twitter.com/appsnmindedone
Appsnminded YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/appsnminded
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Tags: Apps, developers, iPhone, showcase
