We Built It Ourselves …From Scratch --

How To Grow An Idea Into a Mobile App

Nadia J. Lalla, M.L.I.S.Steven Flynn, M.S.I.

M. Carol Shannon, M.P.H.

One Year Ago …

Nadia Lalla Has An Idea

I havean idea!

Brilliant!

Carol Shannon Concurs

Stephen Flynn, Then Student Extraordinaire

Now Emerging Technologies Librarian@ Wooster College

Proposed Timeline

Idea – September 2010

Sketchy plan – early October 2010

Build app for iPhone – November 2010

Test app – December 2010

Submit app to iTunes store – January 2011

Acceptance to iTunes store – 7 days later

Mobile Website vs. Mobile App

• Easier to develop

• Inferior user experience

• Preferred for comparison shopping and research

• Difficult to develop

• Superior user experience

• Preferred for social media and gaming

Mobile Website vs. Mobile App

Developing the Mobile Website

Jonathan Stark - “Building iPhone Apps with HTML, CSS, and JavaScript”

http://building-iphone-apps.labs.oreilly.com/

Google: jqueryui autocomplete tutorial

Developing the iPhone App

HTML & Javascript

Titanium Studio

Objective C in Xcode & iPhone simulator

Finally….

Plain Language Medical Dictionary

iPhone/iPod/iPad App

SearchFilter

BrowseDefine

Proposed TimelineIdea – Sept 2010Sketchy plan – early Oct 2010Build beta mobile website for app – NovQuasi test on iPhones – NovDebug mobile website – NovRebuild app with new program – Dec thru FebBuild app for iPhone – Nov 2010Test app – Dec 2010Submit app to UM Tech Transfer - Feb thru MaySubmit app to iTunes store – Jan 2011Acceptance to iTunes store – 7 days later June 15, 2011

Actual

What We Learned

Selecting the right app software is crucial.

Getting our app into the iTunes store was much harder than anticipated.

There was/is little institutional expertise and support for library mobile apps.

A student programmer is a student … who graduates… and finds a great job.

Build Your Own App

Source: Flickr (gillyberlin)

1. If possible, determine who needs to be involved in the process from creation to app availability

2. Clearly articulate the project goals and objectives and share them with all involved parties.

3. Set realistic time deadlines.

Build Your Own App

4. Don’t underestimate the programming that is needed.

5. Additional skills include marketing and graphic design.

6. Consider hiring a School of Information or Computer Science student. They are eager and willing to spend the time if the payoff is partial credit for the app.

Up Next

After That?

Build a multilingual version: Spanish, Chinese, Arabic

• Challenge: translations in plain language• Challenge: time + $$$

Update the thesaurus

• Challenge: content• Challenge: copyright• Challenge: time + $$$

Plain Language Medical Dictionary

Plain Language Medical Dictionary Widgethttp://www.lib.umich.edu/plain-language-dictionary

Plain Language Medical Dictionary Mobile Websitehttp://www.lib.umich.edu/files/libraries/hsl/plainmed/index.html

Plain Language Medical Dictionary iPhone Apphttp://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plain-language-medical-dictionary/id443405990?mt=8

The Plain Language Medical Dictionary app was developed for the Regents of the University of Michigan

by Stephen Flynn, Nadia Lalla, and Carol Shannon.

Stephen X. FlynnEmerging Technologies LibrarianAndrews LibraryCollege of Wooster1140 Beall Ave.Wooster, OH 44691(330) 263-2154sflynn@wooster.eduhttp://www.sxflynn.net

Nadia J. LallaCoordinator, Collections & Information ServicesTaubman Health Sciences LibraryThe University of Michigan1135 E. Catherine St.Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2038(734) 615-9452nadiamar@umich.eduhttp://www.lib.umich.edu/users/nadiamar