Developer Interview: IQ, makers of Pikchur

This week's interview features Dave McCanless (Designer) and Roger Peters (Director of Engineering science) from IQ Agency, who are the developing power behind the recently released official Pikchur app (not to mention a concept for Tesco). Dave and Roger walk us through the development procedure on Windows Telephone, how IQ is using the mobile platform for establishing make sensation and what they call up of WP7's future in this competitive market.

Nosotros first hooked upwards with IQ when their alive tile categorisation idea broke into the WP7 community.

Caput on by the suspension to read the interview.

Tell u.s.a. near yourselves and how IQ is involved with brand development on the mobile platform

Dave

Thanks for asking us to talk almost what nosotros've been up to down hither in Atlanta!

Fleck of a leading question but Yes, I came to IQ from NYC having previously worked for the corporate identity behemoths Pentagram and Seigel+Gale and accept sort of carved a niche for myself in the mobile earth. I observe information technology to be a coming together place between web and identity design. Just similar a logo, mobile devices pose the unique challenge of telling a actually complex and compelling story in a small amount of screen real estate. You don't accept the benefit of long copy explanations and flashy modules, you accept to boil the ideas down to their simplest truth and present it as elegantly equally possible.

As a designer, I am responsible for the overall look and feel of the app. I figured you would enquire some technical questions that I probably don't accept answers so I've asked my buddy and colleague Roger Peters, IQ's director of engineering science, silverlight MVP and all around WP7 adept to chime in.

IQ has finished its WP7 app Pikchur. Care to walk usa through development and whether you encountered any problems?

Roger

Development of Pikchur was relatively straight forward since it is IQ'south 3rd app, and my 9th or 10th. We've learned to ever start with building out the navigational flows to ensure that the dorsum button always works as expected – this is particularly of import with interstitial pages like login pages or sign upwards pages. The just significant issues nosotros ran into were relative to Facebook integration. While at that place are Facebook WP7 libraries, the story there nonetheless isn't peachy, and Facebook managed to break their mobile OAuth authentication just a week later release. This project was unique in that nosotros were handed an existing codebase, which we integrated into our final solution – it really worked out pretty well.

Dave

This was a really fun challenge from a design standpoint in that we developed their brand substantially from the basis up. We created a system of proprietary icons and colors and illustrations to subtly hint at their cloud based photo sharing services.

How is the evolution process on WP7?

Roger

Developing for WP7 is it's potent-suit. We can develop a prototype or a fully working app for WP7 and so much faster than iOS or Android. At that place are some things which are tricky like tombstoning, navigational flows, and quirks with databinding when tombstoning occurs – only those are like shooting fish in a barrel to await past when you lot meet how much more efficient you can exist in the rest of your development.

Dave

I agree, having the ability, as a designer to jump into Blend and tweak line spacing and layout and so instantly side load it on a phone make my task infinitely easier. Also when presenting design directions to a customer, having the power to screen share and evidence motion on the emulator vs. apartment Photoshop files is not merely impressive but helpful in discovering potential issues sooner than later.

Has the agency developed for other platforms and if so how does their development process compare?

Roger

We have done both iPhone and Android piece of work at IQ. We typically work with partners to practice the iOS development, every bit those skills aren't something we are able to use elsewhere. Our devs have really enjoyed both Android and WP7 development. Android seems to have a benefit of more than admission to phone abilities at the cost of needing more than low-level plumbing that you might not take to do for WP7 – only it seems like a reasonable trade off for at present. My approximate is that Android will take a few large leaps forward relative to development in the coming years to endeavour and compete meliorate with MSFT's offerings.

What do you call up of Microsoft's platform (from a user perspective), and how exercise y'all compare it to competitors?

Roger

I have to admit that while I was an early adopter of WP7, and I've written almost a dozen apps for information technology, as a consumer I accept come to the stance that the minimalistic way is just not working for me. I still employ a WP7 device as of today, but I am because moving over to Android.

While branded experiences look nice on the phone, the default screens of black/white just aren't engaging enough to brand me happy. I wait at WP7 kind of like the Xbox 1 – but a step in the right direction. I'm hopeful that much like the 360, Windows Telephone will get a significant visual style update in the coming years via an update.

Dave

I accept to say that at starting time I was enthralled with the novelty of a phone that embraced typography and pattern, only I'1000 finding the METRO organisation more and more restrictive. I recollect by creating a very reductive arrangement in an endeavour to go on UX consistent and app quality high they ensnared themselves in their ain net and the "fart apps" managed to squeak on through anyways.

I switch back and forth between iOS and WP7 and find myself missing the stimulation I get from the wildly differing UI and visuals I experience when I use apps on iPhone.

What other WP7 projects is IQ working on or planning to outset?

Dave

We have had talks with a several different brands and are excited near apps we are currently working on, just nosotros can't talk virtually anything unreleased still.

That said, Roger and I have been working on some really exciting apps outside of the office. Roger's pet projection, Imagewind, gained a lot of attention (featured on engadget) when it was pulled from the marketplace earlier in the leap.

Our idea for livetile categories earned u.s.a. upwards of 10,000 hits on the IQ web log equally well every bit numerous copycat web apps… (isn't that how we met?)

I'm currently working on a game that will hopefully turn some heads when information technology comes out in a few weeks. I've spent a lot of time developing the story and illustrations (scale dioramas!!!) and Roger will be masterfully hooking up the backend for me.

Heading into your pockets, what smartphones do you all use?

Roger

Windows Phone, considering Android next

Dave

I switch, daily, from WP7 to iOS

How do you feel about the overall quality of apps in the Marketplace?

Roger

Improving, Plants vs Zombies and other XNA games are on indicate – think Silverlight based apps are still suffering – looking forward to Mango to see how information technology helps in performance.

Dave

There are a lot of peachy apps that actually push button the METRO styling and a lot more that seem to have used it as a crutch. I tweeted earlier this week to much fanfare that I had switched over to twitter mobile spider web because the native app is such Garbage.

What advice would you requite to aspiring WP7 developers?

Roger

Focus on learning C#, XAML (WPF/Silverlight), and asynchronous .Net – don't experience similar you have to only look at Windows Phone related articles/books – WP7 is based on a ton of awesome dev history which you can learn from.

David

Don't rush to market! Focus on the quality… y'all only accept one run a risk to make a first impression and if you don't nail information technology out of the gate your reputation is set.

Thank you for your time. Whatsoever closing words almost WP7's futurity?

Roger

Xbox vs Xbox 360 parallels – next version volition be even better, proficient to get in early, but still waiting for the platform to prove itself, which is a tiresome and steady process.

Dave

I really promise that wp7 will continue to grow and in that we volition see more than fourth dimension and attention and money invested to create quality apps that brand good on the delightful experience promise.

Y'all can detect out more data about the interviewees, the agency itself and what services they offer over at their website. Yous can likewise stalk them.

An internet connection will soon be required when setting up Windows 11 Pro

UH OH

An internet connectedness will soon be required when setting up Windows eleven Pro

Microsoft has appear that later this year, users volition be required to connect to the internet and sign-in with a Microsoft Business relationship during the out of box setup experience on Windows xi Pro. Microsoft has already been enforcing this requirement on Windows eleven Habitation since launch concluding October, and Windows 11 Pro is now expected to follow suit presently.

I like 'em big ... I like 'em chunky

These are the best gaming mice for folks with large hands

A great gaming mouse is important for anyone looking to go into PC gaming. However, if you have large hands, you may struggle to discover a mouse that feels comfortable for you lot. Thankfully, there are enough of plus-sized mouse options on the market.