the mobile app project - education...

The

Mobile APP

Project Helping you become a creative person

Byung-chul Min Carl Dusthimer

The Project

Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

Mark Twain

Mobile Applications (Apps) are everywhere. They touch the lives of millions and millions of

people every day. They bring the unlimited information on the Internet directly into our lives.

We literally have the world at our finger tips. Almost anything we want is just a few clicks away

on our smart phones or tablets. Apps are changing the way we live. And you can be a part of

that change. You can help make the world a better place.

This guide to your App Project is a journey of exploration and discovery.

You will explore your own ideas and discover what ideas have potential and which don’t

have potential.

You will explore the process of developing an idea and discover what works and what

doesn’t work.

You will explore important aspects of communication and discover how to effectively

get your ideas across to others.

You will explore challenges and discover solutions.

Project Description

“Technology is nothing. What’s important is that you have faith in people, that they are

basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they will do wonderful things with them.”

Steve Jobs

Mobile applications themselves allow users to find information, find solutions to everyday

problems, and realize our dreams and ambitions by giving us the tools to do things on a mobile

device that were impossible or impractical in the past. You are in a unique position to develop a

new application because:

1. The range of potential apps is almost infinite.

2. The technology is always changing so there will be more and more opportunities.

3. The cost of developing an app is relatively low.

4. The “ideas” for a new app are free. And you have many ideas.

The goal for this course is to create the concept for a mobile application that has the potential

to benefit society and generate revenue. You will work individually and in groups to develop the

concept into a presentation. That presentation must clearly communicate your vision. Your

vision includes:

1. Who will use your app?

2. How does it work?

3. What are the benefits for the user?

Working individually will let you explore your own ideas. Working on a team will help you learn

about cooperation and collaboration. This “teamwork” is very important since many activities

we do at work and play involve teams.

Communicating the Vision

"You can have brilliant ideas, but if you can't get them across, your ideas won't get you

anywhere." Lee Iacocca

The first step is having an innovative idea. The second step is researching and developing your

innovative idea. Then you have to communicate your idea to others. Those others might be the

public (potential users) or a company that will take your idea and develop it. In short, you have

to “sell” your vision. This means you will have to convince people that your idea has real

potential. To do this you will have to develop a dynamic presentation. Next you will have to

deliver that presentation in a clear way. If you can’t communicate your ideas effectively, your

app idea will join thousands of other app ideas in the “app TRASH”.

There is a saying that “success is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration.” The”1%” is your idea.

The “99%” is developing your idea and communicating its value to others.

About CREATIVITY

“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.” Theodore Levitt

The real lesson to take from this course is the importance of creativity and the impact it can

have on our lives. You can see from the quote that creativity comes first and is essential for

innovation. It is the only one of our human resources that can truly take an individual, or a

group of individuals, or a company, or even a country to the next level. Everyone can learn

“skills” that will help them get a job or perform better once they have a job. And “skills” are

essential to succeed in life and at our jobs. But creativity can set you apart, get you noticed by

employers and help you realize your dreams. Here are some things to keep in mind if you want

to develop your creativity.

1. It’s part of our human nature

2. We are all creative in different ways.

3. It needs to be nurtured in order to grow.

4. We lose some of our capacity for creativity when we don’t use it.

5. It doesn’t happen, grow or develop overnight. It is more like a mindset, where the more

you do it (or exercise it, the more you will see it in your life. It’s like a snowball

Creativity is intelligence having fun. Albert Einstein

Let’s have some fun!!!

Use your imagination. Draw a picture of “intelligence”.

Step 1 Motivate with Your Message

Believe you can and you are halfway there. Theodore Roosevelt

Activate Your Creativity

USE YOUR IMAGINATION! Draw a picture in the space below. Your picture should be about an

important social issue. You must use the shapes already drawn in the space below.

Write 3 sentences that describe your picture.

1. _________________________________________________________________________ .

2. _________________________________________________________________________ .

3. _________________________________________________________________________ .

Finding your passion

What are three things you are passionate about?

1.

2.

3.

For each “passion” what is a behavior (or action) that people frequently do that is related to that

passion?

What would make that behavior easier (or more convenient) for people to do?

Passion (example: I love reading.)

Behavior/Action (example: People who love/like reading often buy books.)

How to make it easier to do (example: If people who like reading could find books faster/more easily, they would be happier.)

1. I am passionate about _________

People who love/like _________ often _________________.

If people who like ___________ could ____________________ faster/more easily, they would ______________________..

2. I love _________________.

People who love/like _________ often _________________.


3. I really like to _____________. People who love/like _________ often _________________.


Think About It

Q: A dad and his son were riding their bikes and crashed. Two ambulances came and took them

to different hospitals. The man’s son was in the operating room and the doctor said, “I can’t

operate on you. You’re my son.”

How is that possible?

A: _______________________________________ .

Step 2 Purposeful Planning

“Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.” Benjamin Franklin


Think About It

Q: If I have it, I don’t share it. If I share it, I don’t have it. What is it?

A: __________________________________

USE YOUR IMAGINATION!

Look at the picture of the cup. How many different ways can you use it?

Make a list of ways to use a cup below:

1. ________________________________ 2. __________________________________

3. ________________________________ 4. __________________________________

5. ________________________________ 6. __________________________________

7. ________________________________ 8. __________________________________

9. ________________________________ 10. _________________________________

Now get into groups of four. Take turns telling about your uses for the cup. Draw a circle around

any idea that your group members don’t have. How many unique ideas did you create?

Needs Analysis

You explored your passions and worked through Step 1 in the textbook. You should have a good

idea what kind of mobile app. Now you have to see if there is a need for your app in the market.

To do this, you need to create a survey. Using this survey you will gather information. The

information will tell you if your idea is good.

To create your survey, do the following steps:

1. Look at the questions in the box below. Circle questions that you would like to use.

2. If you want other information, think of one or two additional questions.

3. Choose 6-8 questions for your survey.

4. Decide which question you want to ask first, second, third etc.

5. Write the questions on the survey form on the next page.

Survey Question Bank

What is something that you do regularly? Do you ever __________________________?

Do you think there is a way to make doing that more convenient?

What functions would you like an app to have?

What is a service that you think society needs? Would you use an app to do that?

On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is that service?

What is something important to you that you do often?

How often do you _____________________ ? How often would you use an app to _______?

Your question: _________________________ _____________________________________?

Your question: _________________________ _____________________________________?

Survey Results – After you conduct your survey (15-20 people), write your results below.

1. How many people did you survey? _______________

2. How many people engage in your activity/behavior? _______________

3. How often do those people do that activity? _______________

4. How many people would use an app for that behavior? _______________

5. On average, how often would they use that app? _______________

6. What functions would they like the app to perform? _______________

a. ___________________________________________________________

b. ___________________________________________________________

c. ___________________________________________________________

d. ___________________________________________________________

SURVEY Introduction: Hello. My name is ____________________________. Hook: (example: I want to make your life better.) _______________________________________________________________________. I am conducting a market survey about a mobile application that I am developing. If you have some time, I would love to ask you some questions. Don’t worry. This won’t take long. OK Let’s get started. Question 1 - _________________________________________________________________? Answer: ____________________________________________________________________ . Question 2 - _________________________________________________________________? Answer: ____________________________________________________________________ . Question 3 - _________________________________________________________________? Answer: ____________________________________________________________________ . Question 4 - _________________________________________________________________? Answer: ____________________________________________________________________ . Question 5 - _________________________________________________________________? Answer: ____________________________________________________________________ . Question 6 - _________________________________________________________________? Answer: ____________________________________________________________________ . Question 7 - _________________________________________________________________? Answer: ____________________________________________________________________ . Question 8 - _________________________________________________________________? Answer: ____________________________________________________________________ .

Step 3 Successful Support

“Research is creating new knowledge.” Neil Armstrong


Connection Bingo – Get into groups of four. Work individually. Your goal is to make a line of

four in a row (Bingo). To do that you should describe some connect between the words in that

row. First, each person chooses one word. Then one person begins by describing a connection

to any word next to their word. If it makes sense they can put a marker on that word. If their

connection doesn’t make sense, they can’t put a marker on that word. The next person to the

left then has a turn. Continue until one person gets four words in a row vertically, horizontally

or diagonally.

research

chair

hair

graph

coffee

computer

tube

shoe

magazine

picture

person

survey

brain

building

clock

blog

Elevator Pitch

An elevator pitch is a short description of your idea. It is important to be able to convince

someone that your idea is fantastic and do it in a short amount of time. To do this you have to

follow the “KISS” principle: Keep It Short & Simple.

Your elevator pitch for your app should:

1. be about one and a half minutes (90 seconds)

2. be about 100-150 words

3. include a maximum of three powerpoint slides

4. include the following parts:

a. hook (to get the interest of your audience)

b. statement of the problem

c. your solution to the problem

d. who will use the app

e. a punch (one sentence that tells people how using your app will make their

life better).

Visuals – Brainstorm and then describe or draw three visuals that you could use in your

elevator pitch in the boxes below.

Think About It I am tall when I am young. I am short when I am old. What am I? ____________________________

Elevator Pitch

Hook: Write one statement or question that will get your audience’s attention. (Max: 15 words)

Problem/Challenge: Write two or three sentences that describe the problem. (Max: 30 words)

Target Market: Write two or three sentences that describe the people who experience the

problem. (Max: 30 words)

Solution: Write three or four sentences that describe how your app works. What functions does

it have? (Max: 40 words

Punch: Write one sentence. Explain why people will be happier if they use your app. (Max: 15

words)

Step 4 Dynamic Design

“Design connects everything – people, ideas, objects – The quality of the connections is the key.”

Charles Eames


What does “dynamic” mean to you? Using the shapes below draw a picture that shows how your future will be “dynamic”.

Think About It

Q: A house has 4 walls. All of the walls are facing south, and a bear is circling the house. What

color is the bear?

A: ______________________________________________________ .

Create a Logo & Slogan

Logo – A logo is the symbol for your app. It is a “shortcut” to the main purpose, function or

benefit of your app. Here are a few basic characteristics that you should keep in your mind as

you design your logo:

1. A logo must be simple. Simple is powerful in logo design. It makes your app easy to

recognize.

2. A logo must be memorable. You want people to be able to look at it once and know

what your app does. Then the next time they see it, they will remember exactly what

your app will help them.

3. A logo must be unique. Using simple lines or shapes and a limited number of colors,

your logo should clearly reflect your app. You don’t want people to think of other

products when they see your logo. Only your product!

Create Your Logo – Think about the characteristics above and draw a few designs below.

Slogan – You should have your logo before you crate your slogan. Your logo is a visual

representation of your app. Your slogan represents your app in words. Here are a few basic

guidelines you can use to create your slogan:

1. Your slogan must be simple. You don’t want people to “think” about your slogan. You

want people to immediately think about your app when they read your slogan.

a. Use only a few words.

b. Use simple words.

2. Your slogan should be honest. People value honesty and the truth. Say what you believe

and what your app will actually do.

3. Your slogan can be focused or abstract:

a. Focused – your slogan can point to a main function or benefit of your app (for

example: “save money”

b. Abstract – your slogan can point to a general benefit of your app (for example:

“live better” or “just do it”)

Create Your Slogan - Take the logo you like best from the previous page and think of four

different slogans.

Slogan: _______________________________

Slogan: _______________________________

Slogan: _______________________________

Slogan: _______________________________

Step 5 Perform with Power

“Just Do It.” Nike


Think About It

Q: What is so delicate that saying its name breaks it?

A: _________________________________

USE YOUR IMAGINATION!

Look at the picture of the mop. How many different ways can you use it?

Make a list of ways to use a mop below:

1. ________________________________ 2. __________________________________

3. ________________________________ 4. __________________________________

5. ________________________________ 6. __________________________________

7. ________________________________ 8. __________________________________

9. ________________________________ 10. _________________________________

Now get into groups of four. Take turns telling about your uses for the mop. Draw a circle around

any idea that your group members don’t have. How many unique ideas did you create?

Body Language

Body language is essential in everyday communication. It is a kind of nonverbal communication,

where thoughts, intentions, or feelings are expressed by physical behaviors, such as facial

expressions, body posture, gestures and eye movement. Research says that only a small

percentage of communication is verbal. Most of our meaning comes from non-verbal

communication.

What Do They Mean?

What is she thinking? ____________________________________ What will she say? ____________________________________

What is he thinking? _____________________________________ What will he say? _____________________________________



People and Your App

Look at the pictures below. And think about your app. Imagine that the person in the picture is

doing something related to your app. Answer the questions under each picture.

This man is talking about your app. What is he saying? ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

What just happened to this guy? _____________________________________ What is he thinking? _____________________________________

This guy doesn’t know about your app. What is he thinking? _____________________________________ ________________________ _____________ What will he say next? _____________________________________

In the space below draw a picture of a person after he or she uses your app.

Step 6 From Uncertain to Unstoppable

“Practice like you are in last place. Perform like you have already won.” Anonymous


Use your imagination – Think of your mobile app. Draw a picture of your success. You must use the shapes and the letters in the space below.

M P

Think About It Q: If an electric train is travelling south, which way is the smoke going? A: __________________________________________________ .

Practice Makes Perfect

Read the rhyme below. When you know it you will know. You can learn anything. And be ready

for the show.

You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself In any direction you choose. Dr. Seuss

Read it again silently.

Now, read is again silently.

Read it out loud.

Read it out loud again.

Read it again out loud. Start with the last line and go to the first.

Cover the rhyme with your hands and say it from memory.

Look at it one more time. Then cover it again with your hands and say it from memory.

GO TO THE NEXT PAGE AND DON’T LOOK AT THIS PAGE AGAIN

Use Your Amazing Brain

Write the rhyme from your memory in the space below.

You ________ _____________ ____ ________ _____________ .

_____ _________ ___________ ____ _________ shoes

_____ _______ _______________ yourself

In ______ ____________________ ________ ______________ .

GO FOR IT. YOU CAN DO IT!

Copyright 2015

the mobile app project - education...

Documents