Resource:How to develop an app to support a social mission

Intoduction

This century has seen many turns. Today the use of technology has become like basic bread and butter for every individual. With the release of smart phones it has become easy to toggle to any need at dynamic time.

With the rise of smart phones came in the revolution of Applications.  An Application is nothing but software on a device that runs a pre-specified group of instructions.  Apps are easy to use and give a good feel to the user.

So why not use it for a social mission too??

So if you are currently working on a social mission to make this world a better place and if you are struggling with problems like promotion, greater spread of idea , more people’s involvement, etc then you are at the perfect place.

 

Benefits of App Making for a social Cause

The benefits of app making are infinite but the benefits in the field of social cause they are

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·         Greater Understandability of the cause by the user

·         More involvement of the people

·         People can share various idea’s

·         Global implementation

·         Mass attraction

·         Makes it look more authentic

·         User friendly

·         Portability increases enormously

These are just a few, with different applications there are many more benefits attached to it.

 

How to Initiate the process?

This is the easiest guide to develop an app for a social cause as explained by Samantha Glass.

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1.       Problem you want to solve :

First tabulate the boundaries of your problem. What it deals with, what are the outcomes of it. What impact will it have? Keeping emotions aside this is a very important retrospection of the cause and is the first step to app making.

2.       Answering if it is worth doing or not?:

It is the most important question to answer if it worth doing or not. This is retrospection every app making must have.

3.       Solutions to the problem:

Secondly, tabulate the present and past solutions you have. Track the resources in need and what might be used in the future.  This is not only the solutions one thinks but also a wider thinking about the problem.

4.       Choice of Language:

Here you would choose which language you want to develop the app on be it IOS (Apple.inc) or Dot APK(Android.Inc) or Windows based.

Generally, android is given the highest rank for its ease of use and wider market.

Android is java based and easier whereas IOS is Swift and C# based.

Remember, Android requires constant updation.

5.       Create the page tables:

Here you would create the format layouts of the various pages you want to include in you app. Remember to make it as easier and as user friendly as possible.

Use of colours and images is a great start to better user interface.

6.       Launch a beta version first:

A beta version is used to testing and user reviews, so launch that first so that you could remove bugs and make is user applicable.

7.       Form the correct team:

A team must not only have technical people but people from different skillset to make the app efficient and effective.

Implementation

The implementation of the app is as follows:

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·         Technology used (ios, android, windows)

·         Prototype (basic interface and the smallest entity of the app)

·         Prototype to integrated application

·         Features (like games etc)

·         Use of convertors (from android to ios and vice versa)

 

Prototype

As explained by Samantha is a “one little tiny thing like a sensor”.

It shows the basis of the app.  It embarks the boundaries of the app and the basic interface of it. And makes sure that it would work without a back-end.

Inclination

·         The app must be hassle free and enagaging

·         Use of games for social awareness

·         Competitions for social awareness

·         Incentives for people

·         Reason for use given to people

·         Daily updates for greater hit ratio

·         Something other than mission

·         Blogs

·         Forums

·         Messengers

 

Gaining Sponsorships and cost efficiency

Who doesn’t think of cost before doing any work so here is the cost layout.

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The softwares used are free and open source. The app making thus becomes free but to publish it a certain amount has to be paid like apple exclusively takes a fee to upload the application.

Beyond that there is only a team fee and basic needs cost.

For Sponsorships

·         One can contact governmental organizations as it is a social mission

·         By posting google ads to gain income

Interviewer

Sami_Glass

Student Contributors

HARI_SHANKAR_AGGARWAL

Bhavya_Sai_Vasireddy