Category: ABC

Or just Apple? Independent app developers often focus on the Apple ecosystem. Apple product users spend more money on apps and it’s easier to maintain an app that runs on Apple hardware alone, as opposed to the many different Android phone manufacturers. I started making apps by learning iOS development and didn’t consider making an… Continue reading G is for Google Play Store

Thinking about user experience in terms of friction It’s been said that Snapchat’s gesture-based design was good for attracting young users as they felt only they could understand the mechanics and grown-ups couldn’t. Still, Snapchat’s UI is very simple or ‘low friction’. You don’t need to go through a lot of screens to perform an… Continue reading F is for Friction

Be ready for your app business to be challenged at any time Having a successful indie app is a fantastic opportunity. It’s also best to know upfront that it’s a fragile business. You are completely dependent on one or two app stores. They can decide to kick your app out at any time, without even… Continue reading E is for Enjoy it while you can

Because, well, you’re probably not a trained designer. If your app is going to bring value to users, a very simple and clean design should do the trick. You still need to show interest in UI design if you’re going to make an indie app as creating a clean design is harder than it looks.… Continue reading D is for Design

Be open minded about how your app is used Some users might be interested in your app for very different reasons than the ones you built it for. This can be an amazing opportunity and it’s very important to look for signs of this phenomenon. It could surface in the app store comments, in support… Continue reading C is for Curious

Balancing discoverability and trademark strength App Store users have a very short attention span when searching for apps. They say your app icon and app name should convey what your app does at first glance. Be careful not to make your app name too descriptive though. Descriptive names can’t be trademarked and it might be… Continue reading B is for Branding

The magical power of “Apps” Building an app and shipping it through the app store has something magical to it. Your creation becomes available all over the world in the blink of an eye. Even a dozen free downloads a day or one daily paid download is satisfying. Receiving messages from users thanking you for… Continue reading A is for “Apps”

This ABC is for developers who would like to support themselves financially with their independent app dev work. I’ve been able to call myself a full-time indie dev since 2017, thanks to the success of the TextingStory app in the Apple App Store and the Android Play Store. It wouldn’t have been possible without the… Continue reading ABC intro