Tips for developing a photo/video social sharing app???

djburchgrove

Hi guys,

Looking to see if someone can give me a few tips on where to go next with my interface design for my app.

First things first, I am not a developer, and code drives me up the walls. I am a graphic designer.

So I'm looking to develop a photo/video sharing app. Originally on iOS.

This app will need to:

- Allow users to create an account (sign up & login with twitter/facebook)
- lay a custom interface over the camera view
- allow people to share to various social networks
- have a custom social network built in also

Does anyone have experience in developing such an app? How long would this take to get programmed considering initial design is done?

Really any help is appreciated as my experience is minuscule. I've been researching market the last month or two but now need to take it to next level.

Thanks in Advance.

Colonel Panic

It's hard to tell from your spec list. The code to do the first three is pretty well-covered these days and not overly complicated in isolation. What sort of custom interface though? What will it do to the photos?

The 4th point, creating a custom social network. What does that mean? Such a thing is for all intents and purposes impossible these days.

Anyway, it would take an experienced coder a few days to bang out a quick prototype with three of those features but it could take weeks and thousands of euro worth of polish to finish it. App expectations are pretty high these days and people don't realise the cost of free so they want these apps to be free.

Your best bet is to try to get in contact with bespoke mobile development companies or look at outsourcing it on the cheap. It just depends on your budget.

djburchgrove

Colonel Panic wrote: »

It's hard to tell from your spec list. The code to do the first three is pretty well-covered these days and not overly complicated in isolation. What sort of custom interface though? What will it do to the photos?

The 4th point, creating a custom social network. What does that mean? Such a thing is for all intents and purposes impossible these days.

Anyway, it would take an experienced coder a few days to bang out a quick prototype with three of those features but it could take weeks and thousands of euro worth of polish to finish it. App expectations are pretty high these days and people don't realise the cost of free so they want these apps to be free.

Your best bet is to try to get in contact with bespoke mobile development companies or look at outsourcing it on the cheap. It just depends on your budget.

Thanks for the reply. The "social network" behind it, will just be an account of everyone's previous photos shared, much like instagram. Obviously I won't reveal too much on here, but it is nothing out of the ordinary. I'm not talking about the next facebook or anything.

With regards to cost, Investment is currently in discussion, and I will not put a limit on the development as such. I understand the high expectations of such apps these days, and I will not put it to market until I am 200% happy it has the user friendly and aesthetically pleasing look that is necessary.

Put simply, this app is a business, not just a business accompaniment.

The custom UX I can't really disclose in public or without signing of a NDA. It does have functionality that i have not seen used before but speaking to one or two accomplished developers they see no reason why It couldn't be done easily enough.

Graham

Keep in mind you're not just talking about stand alone apps here. There's going to be a requirement for a set of fairly hefty web services/servers doing all of the heavy lifting in the background. Not to mention mountains of space to store the images.

djburchgrove

Graham wrote: »

Keep in mind you're not just talking about stand alone apps here. There's going to be a requirement for a set of fairly hefty web services/servers doing all of the heavy lifting in the background. Not to mention mountains of space to store the images.

Absolutely yes. That's the scary part!

Colonel Panic

djburchgrove wrote: »

Thanks for the reply. The "social network" behind it, will just be an account of everyone's previous photos shared, much like instagram. Obviously I won't reveal too much on here, but it is nothing out of the ordinary. I'm not talking about the next facebook or anything.

With regards to cost, Investment is currently in discussion, and I will not put a limit on the development as such. I understand the high expectations of such apps these days, and I will not put it to market until I am 200% happy it has the user friendly and aesthetically pleasing look that is necessary.

Put simply, this app is a business, not just a business accompaniment.

The custom UX I can't really disclose in public or without signing of a NDA. It does have functionality that i have not seen used before but speaking to one or two accomplished developers they see no reason why It couldn't be done easily enough.

The fact remains that the social network aspect requires a serious bit of infrastructure if you don't want it to fall on it's arse as soon as people start using the service. Moreso when it comes to storing a large number of images.

Regarding waiting until you're 200% happy before you ship. Not possible and not only because of maths (programmers are rightfully pedantic! ). As soon as you have something that's "good enough" you should ship it.

Since you're unwilling to discuss the mechanics of the UI I think you're better off just seeking out developers instead of soliciting free advice here. For what it's worth, I won't sign NDAs and I implore any of my peers who'll listen to follow suit.

djburchgrove

Colonel Panic wrote: »

Since you're unwilling to discuss the mechanics of the UI I think you're better off just seeking out developers instead of soliciting free advice here. For what it's worth, I won't sign NDAs and I implore any of my peers who'll listen to follow suit.

Not being a programmer, and with other people in a far stronger position to go and develop this if they knew the idea, NDA is essential for me and is the only thing protecting my app ATM. I simply do not have the time, money or legal power for anything else. You can not patent an "idea".

I'm not trying to appear like I am sitting on a high horse here, I'm just trying to figure out where to go next. If boards.ie is not for discussion and "free advice" then what is it for???

As a marketer and designer, I regularly give people free advice with their own website and business, knowing when advice turns into excess work is when the charges come for me.

Do you mind me asking why you don't sign NDAs? I'm just curious as I thought they were part and parcel of app development?! Am I wrong??

Colonel Panic

I don't think you're on your high horse at all! We're just discussing things!

Boards is for discussion sure, but free advice? I dunno about that. It is a bit frustrating when you don't give much info but want to get ballpark development times. Plus, intentionally or not, you are seriously undervaluing the development aspect. Things that appear simple are often anything but. I've spent 1000s of hours solving "simple" things over the years

I guess what I'm saying is that developers see a lot of idea guys with the "not to give too much away" or "just a simple social network" and having developed commercial applications I just think "what??".

On the plus side, you seem to have thought things through and I get the impression you have a spec and the possible funding so I'd not sit about. Get a developer or two and get a prototype done. Your idea is probably being developed by a dozen others right now.

Regarding the NDA thing. I've signed confidentiality agreements when it comes to customer data, but NDAs I just won't sign them because I don't agree with the people who think it's about the idea. It's not. If a client has something tangible, then it's usually going to be more than idea by the time I sit down with them.

djburchgrove

Thanks for your honesty Colonel. I both appreciate and respect that. I have to disagree on the free advice part though!:) If you ever need design or marketing advice then give me a shout!

With regards to the development time. You're right, I have no real idea how long it will take, I suppose really I'll just have to see what the developers say and make my best assessment from there.

Anyone else please feel free to chip in with your points.

The Corinthian

Colonel Panic wrote: »

Regarding the NDA thing. I've signed confidentiality agreements when it comes to customer data, but NDAs I just won't sign them because I don't agree with the people who think it's about the idea. It's not. If a client has something tangible, then it's usually going to be more than idea by the time I sit down with them.

It depends on what the NDA is designed to protect. If it's designed to protect a specific process or algorythm that has already been developed, then I can respect that. Unfortunately, all too often it's used to protect an 'idea' that someone could come up with in a pub over a few pints, and that the person with the NDA is coming to the table with essentially nothing else of note. So refusing to sign in such cases is more about getting rid of them as anything else.

A general rule of thumb should be that if the only thing stopping someone from taking your 'idea' and running with it is an NDA, then you probably should not be talking to anyone just yet.

djburchgrove wrote: »

I have to disagree on the free advice part though!:)

Depends on the quality of free advice sought. All forums will get STFW/RTFM questions, for a start, where the person seeking the question could have their answer if they only bothered to literally Google it verbatim. Then on many fora you get "will you do my homework" requests, that are equally infuriating. Tollerate such requests for "free advice" and soon you'll find nothing but such questions and those with genuine needs and interesting conundrums will end up drowned out.

In the case of advice sought on 'ideas', it comes down to what effort is made prior to asking. Someone with a vague spec asking for a quote is just time wasting and tyre-kicking as they're not going to get an even vaguely meaningful answer until they research what they actually want in far more detail.

There's plenty who'll ask for a quote on a solution before they've asked what kind of architecture and functionality should the solution have. Asking on the Internet the latter may not be possible, based upon IP considerations, but it still has to be done.

So free advice is not the problem, it's whether the questioner has done some homework or put in effort in the advice they seek that is the issue.

deegs

Hiya, I developed something similar for android last year summer as a project but put it on hold for a few months. I'm mobile hci guy by trade and was looking to dev an iPhone app version of closer this summer.
My site is http://www.closr.com and if your interested in advice pm away, I'm open to collaborations aswell