Blog • Clever Twist - iPhone application design & development in Atlanta, Georgia.

iDesign Atlanta Interview

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:00:56 -0700

Wanna know what's happening in design in the ATL? You won't want to miss iDesign Atlanta's blog and podcast. Two industrial designers, Sean and Don, host a show featuring all design of all kinds: industrial, interior, graphic web and now mobile! Had a great time jamming with these to around what's happening with mobile and iPhone design!

Listen to interview here.

Clever Twist featured in Web Designer Magazine

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:04:52 -0700

Many thanks to the folks across the pond at Web Designer Magazine for the opportunity to jibba about our app design process and products! With hordes of people brainstorming ideas for iPhone, many designers are making the move to mobile. You can see the full article here >

Part 1 of 5 - How to Review an iPhone App: Slide to Play

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 05:48:15 -0700

With one new title launching last week (Farm Friends) and an upgrade launching this week (Popper! v2.0) I'm back to the PR grind (*group sigh*):

Step 1: Email App Review sites
Step 2: Wait
Step 3: Follow up
Step 4: Wait
Step 5: Hey they got back with me and it's a canned email response - yeaaaaa!!!
Step 6: Scoff at their "paid review" offer
Step 6: Cry
Step 7: Give up, move on

We all know selling apps does not wholly rely on app reviews. Selling an app is just like marketing any other product. Find your target audience and talk to them! Is your audience frequenting review sites? Maybe, maybe not. For me the exercise of engaging reviewers has become less about selling apps and more about building relationships with other professionals in the mobile industry

But who to associate with?

Let's face it, with App Reviews there's a lot of sleaze out there.

"Review Sites" mimic the data in the App Store for a few piddly affiliate dollars are a dime a dozen.
Other sites allow devs to buy their way to the top.
Many review sites don't have an interest to building relationships with their developer customers
Some that simply don't know how to write a review!

So who represents real authority in iPhone App Reviews?

Why waste time talking to a bunch of jacklegs who don't know their shizzle? This post is the first in a 5-part series of interviews I'm conducting with review sites that really knock my socks off.

I've started with Slide To Play. Why? Because of all of the review sites they:

Were hands down the most responsive of any review site I've contacted over the past year.
They're professionals. I mean just look at the site. It oozes "we know what the hell we're talking about folks!"
If you have any questions about how qualified they are to review apps, just look here - incredible reservoir of experience in the industry
I have to say one more time that in all of our email communications they were on the ball - responsive and thoughtfully crafted responses to questions
They don't hide from their audience. Go to their about page and you can email anyone from the Slide to Play group.

Slide to Play - The Interview

Interview with Steve Palley and Andrew Podolsky of Slide to Play.

How did the idea of OATS (Organization of App Testing Standards) come about?

In regards to OATS's origins... the organization is intended to fight "advertorial" and other unethical practices being used by certain iPhone app review sites.

The iPhone games business is incredibly exciting, but like any hyper-competitive industry, it can also be a nasty place. Many developers are more than willing to buy off reviewers for positive coverage, and more than a few sites are taking their money.

This shafts consumers and ultimately gives all of our sites--crooked and straight--a bad name. Readers don't realize that they're trusting coverage that's been bought and paid for, and they end up getting burned on games that don't deserve to be purchased. Meanwhile, the sites that are taking payola from developers gain a competitive advantage on the honest sites, adding insult to injury.

STP has lost numerous advertisers to sites that fight dirty. I got sick of it, so I banded together with some like-minded editors to form the Organization for App Testing Standards. I wrote our Manifesto and came up with the name, too. The technical and organizational legwork has been done by the other three charter members: 148Apps, iPhone Games Network / TouchGen, and AppEra.

Here's the editorial that started it all: http://www.slidetoplay.com/story/friday-slide-we-solemnly-swear and a follow-up disclosing some more details: http://www.slidetoplay.com/story/why-ethics-are-important

What role to do you see advertising or sponsorships playing in the iPhone gaming space?

We see advertising as a very important part of the iPhone gaming scene, especially when it comes to free, ad-supported games or applications. We've covered free games that are part of larger ad campaigns as well: http://www.slidetoplay.com/story/more-ad-games-to-come-as-waterslide-extreme-hits-3-million-downloads

Our feeling on this is that the pricing situation in the App Store is highly elastic-- consumers expect a lot more for a lot less than they ever have before. Ad-supported games provide great value on the App Store, but at the same time a lot of lengthy, high-quality games can be purchased for just a dollar or two, with no ads.

What trends do you see emerging in the iPhone gaming space?

(Ex: How are developers trying to break their game out of the pack? What are the coolest new gameplay trends?)

I think some of the most exciting game trends we tend to see are online integration. Leaderboards are becoming commonplace, especially with several third-party developers like OpenFeint or Agon that have created a platform for online high scores and other online features. We're also seeing more live online play through the 3G network-- games like FAST and iMech are notable standouts in this area. In addition, the trend of shrinking full-sized console games to fit on the iPhone, like in Madden 2010, Modern Combat: Sandstorm, and Civilization Revolution (all from large developers) makes us very happy as dedicated gamers.

How well are multi-player games being executed on the iPhone? Is it a niche still in its infancy?

Multiplayer is growing-- keep in mind we have only just begun year two of this iPhone/iPod Touch gaming cycle. OpenFeint, in addition to leaderboards, has expressed their intent to develop more live multiplayer abilities for developers, so I think this year we are going to see some really impressive online games. However, with so much competition, the real trick will not just be making a game run smoothly online, but also keeping the audience hooked for more than a few days. The iPhone is still looking for its own game like World of Warcraft, and we may see it this year.

What are your top 5 must-have gaming apps?

We play about 50 new games a week at least, so I constantly have a new favorite. However, some recent games that have stayed on my iPhone while others get the boot:

1. Rolando 2
2. Civilization Revolution
3. Gangstar
4. Puzzlings
5. Orbital

Did you enjoy this article?

Subscribe to Clever Twist annoucements and I'll let you know when the next article in the series is released! :) jen

Farm Friends Sales Experiment

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 09:31:57 -0700

Hey all - Jen here :)

If you're reading this post, you're probably trying to figure out how to make a profitable business selling iPhone apps too! While I can't claim to help you sell your app, I will be documenting my journey, which will hopefully glean results we can all use :)

Rather than horde stats, tactics and results I've decided for our latest release "Farm Friends" to publish everything:

Marketing/PR strategies
Steps taken to execute strategies
Daily results - App Store ranking and download stats

Each day I'll be documenting strategy, action and resulting stats. I'll probably find a better way to document this info in a more easily digestible manner - any tips on that are welcome!

Here's where we stand so far.

Pre-release Promotion

Marketing/PR strategies
1. Define target audience: Parents with iPhone/iPod Touch
2. Generate awareness with target audience
3. Communicate with target audience about the app
Steps taken to execute strategies
1. Created a landing page for the app
2. Created a Facebook fan page
3. Created a "Get a Free Copy" form on landing page to collect email addresses of interested parties
4. Leaving comments on blogs that talk about kid-related apps
5. Direct communication with some mom bloggers
Daily results
1. http://www.theiphonemom.com/ wrote about Farm Friends
2. Design Mom wrote about Farm Friends
3. We had about 174 people that signed up for a free copy of FF. We collected email addresses for about 6 weeks prior to launch.

09/16/2009 - Wednesday

Price - 99¢
Marketing/PR Strategies
1. Get the word out via Facebook and Twitter
Steps taken to execute strategies
1. The night prior I reached out to about 30 of my Clever Twist Facebook friends individually. I wrote each person a message about Farm Friends, annoucing the release and asking them to pass the message along. I did not send canned messages, each message was based on my relationship with that person.
2. Sent out Twitter messages: Teach your Kid how to Oink [IPHONE] <--CUTE http://bit.ly/q0wCo
3. Called friends and family to download.
Daily results
1. 10 downloads
2. $6 revenue
3. 7 of the 10 downloads were the people I called personally asking them to download.

09/17/2009 - Thursday

Price - Free for half the day, 99¢ for half the day
Marketing/PR Strategies
1. No specified goal, really didn't do much this day
Steps taken to execute strategies
1. Reached out to author on HARO that was writing an article about parents/iphone
2. Talked to PR contact that promised to send out a twitter/FB blast to his people
Daily results
1. 74 Downloads
2. $4 revenue
3. 6 of the 74 downloads were paid at 99¢

09/18/2009 - Friday

Price - Free
Marketing/PR Strategies
1. No specific goal
Steps taken to execute strategies
1. 8:00am - @PerryBelcher Farm Friends iPhone app FREE today only! http://bit.ly/PREH8
2. 8:30am - Farm Friends iPhone app FREE today only! #farmfriends http://bit.ly/PREH8
3. 8:30am - Send out email blast to the Farm Friends list collected from the "Free Copy" form. Told them Farm Friends would be free all of Friday.
4. Networked with a dev friend who agreed to download and review FF
5. Responded to 6 support emails 4 were positive reviews and 2 were negative, complaining of sound glitches
6. Hoo Dee Hoo posted a review. Decided to keep FF free for a while longer for her audience to grab a copy
Daily results
1. 1563 downloads
2. $0 revenue

09/19/2009 - Saturday

Price - Free
Marketing/PR Strategies
1. Decided to keep Farm Friends free indefinitely to try to push it into the top 10 for kids games in the US
Steps taken to execute strategies
1. Responded to two support emails
Daily results
1. 901 downloads
2. Ranking is US, games/kids category = 27
3. $0 revenue

09/20/2009 - Sunday

Price - Free
Marketing/PR Strategies
1. Day off
Steps taken to execute strategies
1. Wrote this article
Daily results
1. 746 downloads
2. Ranking is US, games/kids category = 30
3. $0 revenue

09/21/2009 - Monday

Price - Free
Marketing/PR Strategies
1. Reach out for feedback from people signed up for a free copy on FF website. Give them the opp to download or review app in iTunes and call me with any issues they found with the app.
2. Reach out to 50 more friends on Facebook
3. Promote the Farm Friends Sales Experiment on iPhone-related blogs
Steps taken to execute strategies
1. Sent email campaign around 9am with a/b split test subject line "Farm Friends Feedback" and "Farm Friends Follow Up"
2. "Farm Friends Follow Up" won the split test
3. Sent 212 emails, got 94 opens, got 8% click rate
Daily results
1. 539 downloads
2. Ranking is US, games/kids category = 34
3. $0 revenue

09/22/2009 - Tuesday

Price - Free up until 2pm, then up to 99¢
Marketing/PR Strategies
1. Not much - we've had flooding here in atl and being home with the kids = no work gets done! :)
Steps taken to execute strategies
1. Got an inquiry from a NYT writer, interested in iPhone apps for kids. Followed up with info on FF
Daily results
1. 217 downloads (6 paid downloads)
2. Ranking is US, games/kids category = 34
3. $4.20 revenue

09/23/2009 - Wednesday

Price - 99¢
Marketing/PR Strategies
1. Trying not to give up :)
2. Reaching out to development community with this blog post
Steps taken to execute strategies
Daily results
1. -- downloads (6 paid downloads)
2. Ranking is US, games/kids category = --
3. -- revenue

Want to know when I update this article?

Enter your info below and I'll let you know. And please leave comments - I'm happy to provide whatever info I can to help figure this thing out for both you and me! :) jen

Hoo Dee Hoo Reviews Farm Friends!

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 17:02:33 -0700

Ok if you don't follow Meredith Sinclair at Hoo Dee Hoo - YOU SHOULD. She's got a very entertaining video blog:

Example: "Baby Pictures are like Crack Cocaine" now that's some funny shizzle! (well and true...)

Meredith was nice enough to choose Farm Friends as her "Look What I Found Friday"

Farm Friends Coined this Millenium's "See and Say"

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:53:11 -0700

Big thanks to brad over at Your Next App for the pre-release review of Farm Friends.

Clever Twist Featured in Pinch Media Developer Corner

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 16:14:55 -0700

Pinch Analytics has been an invaluable tool in tracking a MULTITUDE of statistics on our apps usage. If you don't have Pinch installed on your apps you really should - it's like having Google Analytics for your mobile app.

This week they featured us in their App Developer's Corner - thanks y'all! :)

Read the article here...

How to Promote Your iPhone App Using Hollrr

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 07:01:00 -0700

[Author Note: This is NOT a paid post by Hollrr.]

The results are in. Developing an awesome app, contacting a few reviewers and holding your breath... doesn't work. So what DOES work? How can indie developers get the word out and make a big splash in the App Store? Beats me, but experimenting with Hollrr is my next "what the hell, can't hurt" marketing strategy. MG Seigler at Techcrunch wrote an article that cited the need for a "Genius Bar" for the App Store - enter Hollrr.

What is Hollrr?
It's easier to describe what Hollrr is by describing what it isn't. It isn't the cryptic "CUSTOMERS ALSO BOUGHT" section of the App Store.

It isn't reviews from random people you don't know.

It isn't flawed semi-forced rankings when people delete an app.

Hollrr is about real people, real personal connection. It's about giving a shout out for products you love, and sharing the love with others in your tribe.

Chief Hollrr David Hegarty notes:

Hollrr is about rooting for the underdog. It's about rooting for that awesome new product that the start-up down the street just launched. When people discover a great product like this, they want to help their friends discover it too. For this reason, Hollrr is a great fit with iPhone Apps. When someone discovers a cool new app, they usually know lots more people with similar interests who'll probably love that App too. Hollrr allows these small referrals to spread across a whole network of people with similar interests and tastes.

Why Hollrr?
Why not? Seriously the exception seems to be the rule in app promotion these days. Hollrr just rolled out of private beta and is HEAVILY promoting the site from here on out. Riding their promotional wave presents a host of opportunities:

Possibility of more traffic/higher sales. If your app is positively reviewed several times over, the community around it only grows stronger, converting sales faster.
Become a tribe leader. Once you have a product people like, people will listen to what you have to say. You launch a new app, they check it out. You launch another new app, they check it out. You launch an update - they check it out.
Find Your Audience. Hollrr makes it easy to find people who like things that you like. Although connecting to other users is coming in the new release, Hollrr plans to allow a Twitter-like open network that allows you to friend other people with your interests. Scan for products that have a similar target audience and you've got a group of people that might like your stuff!
Ability to Love on Your Loyal, Raging Fan Base - Relying on random acts of God to get you into the "Top 25" or "What's Hot" is "fleeting, unreliable, and completely out of your control" as Marco Arment notes in his article about app developers Race to the Bottom. Stop herding cats and dial in on an audience that loves your niche and really talk to them! Part of the allure of social media is instant accessibility, but many product owners engage with spammy marketing gobbledy-goo. Take a second and think before you type - "would I say this to someone I don't know in real life?"
Feedback you Can Interact With. In the App Store, users complain into a black hole. There's no way to respond to "MaryinKentucky" to let her know that you fixed that bug she reported. Hollrr can also be used as a test space for developers in pre-launch or in post-launch collecting input about problems that need to be fixed.

How Does it Work?
It's pretty simple. When you set up your account there's an option to enter your logins for Facebook and Twitter. You can tell your friends about products you like by clicking on the "Hollrr this" button and checking the "send to Twitter and/or Facebook" checkboxes. It posts your shout out to Hollrr, Facebook and Twitter all at once. If you're a product owner, you can embed a "Hollrr this" button:

or if you want for friends to see a stream of your Hollrr's you can embed a widget on your site:

Conclusion
Hollrr presents a unique opportunity for developers to communicate with their target audience and customers on a variety of levels. I'm giving it a try and will report back in a couple of months to let y'all know how it goes!

How to Create Your First iPhone App

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 07:07:07 -0700

Very excited to annouce the publishing of my first article for Smashing Magazine:

Ringtone/Wallpaper Giveaway: Wonder Woman

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 05:11:16 -0700

6 Tips to Optimize iTunes App Store Search (iTunes SEO)

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 07:51:33 -0700

So you've designed and developed a great iPhone app. You've read our Top 5 Tips for iPhone App Icon Design and have a killer icon, and you've made it through Apple's lengthy approval process. Congratulations! Your app is now listed along with more than 50,000 others in the iTunes App Store. So...now what? What else can you do to help your ideal customers find your app among all the others?

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) isn't a new idea. In fact, smart online merchants have been using it for almost as long as there have been search engines. The idea is fairly simple: use keywords and phrases to help search engines find your webpage/ company site/ online store/ product. Well, the search engine that powers the "Search" feature in iTunes is no different!

Optimizing the App Store's search feature takes a little work and lot of finesse, so without further ado, here are Clever Twist's 6 Tips to Optimize App Store Search.

Tip #1: Learn the Basics

SEO is SEO is... well, you get the picture. Although we're talking about the iTunes store and not the entire google search algorithm (or yahoo! or Bing or whatever else you please), the principles of search engine optimization are exactly the same. There are hundreds of blogs, books and other resources out there on the basic concept of SEO. One of my personal favorites is the 97th Floor Blog, coming from 97th Floor, a company that specializes in SEO and Social Media. So get reading, and learn the basics of what SEO is all about!

Tip #2: Learn to Love Keywords

Keywords, the words that people actually type into the "search" bar in iTunes are the secret to any effective SEO attempt. If you've already developed your app, figure out which keywords people might type in to find it and then make sure that those keywords appear in as many places within your app's page as possible.

From the Invisible Idea blog, "Results whether they be in Google or iTunes are based on Relevancy and Authority. Within iTunes, relevancy works much the same way as in other search engines - how relevant is your content to the searched keyword. Using your keywords in your title, name, summary, and keyword tags make you relevant. All of these are indexed and searchable by iTunes."

Tip #3: Don't Waste Your Time or Money on Google Search

This is a big one. One of the things we have learned from our ongoing study of successful app developers is that paying money to optimize your keywords in Google Search does NOT yeild any kind of noticeable results. From developers we have spoken with personally, to threads on message boards, the verdict is pretty clear when it comes to spending your time optimizing keywords on google.

The fact is, customers looking for an iPhone app will first check the app store on their iphone. If that fails, they are most likely to check iTunes on their computers. Trying to sell your iPhone app via google search keywords is like selling your Amazon.com-listed book on Youtube: you're just in the wrong place.

Tip #4: Give Your App a Descriptive Name

This is probably the single most important thing you can do to optimize your search results in the iTunes Store. If your app is a first-person shooter game, don't try and call it "Rumble in the Jungle" or some such nonsense! Call it "Shooter" or, better yet, "Jungle Shooter". Really, you can call it whatever you like, but use the words "shoot" or "shooter" or some equally descriptive keywords somewhere in your title. Most of the top apps in the apps store have relatively straight forward names, such as "Camera Zoom" or "iFitness". Anyone searching for "Fitness" will certainly see "iFitness" at the top of their search results, just like anyone searching "Zoom" or "Camera Zoom" will get to the "Camera Zoom" app right away!

Tip #5: Study the Successes

Although it may not always seem like it, most of the apps at the top of the iTunes list are there for some reason. Either they struck a chord (or perhaps a nerve) with fans, or they hit upon and idea that is genuinely popular, even if its only for the moment. Either way, see what they did. What keywords are in their titles? Descriptions?

From the excellent blog, Search Engine Land, "Apple makes no secret which of its applications are most popular. Savvy app developers can understand what types of content are popular among app store users simply by browsing the top 50 apps in iTunes on a regular basis. Having similar or better content than a popular iPhone app could help the app piggyback off of traffic for a related app...Understanding what keywords and content Apple is trying to promote can help marketers get a sense of whether the app that they’re building will make the top 50 eventually."

Tip #6: Piggyback on the Successes

Once you've studied the successes and compared your own app to make sure it is relevant and appealing, what next? Use those successes in your own app description! If you have a great game that is somewhat similar to a game in the top 10 of the iTunes store, there's no shame in writing a description that reads something like, "For fans of [successful app], we present [your app]." This way, anyone searching for the first app will come across yours too.

Top 5 Tips for iPhone App Icon Design

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:28:16 -0700

Here at Clever Twist, we LOVE good design. Head Juicer and Lady-in-Charge, Jen Gordon brings her many years of graphic design experience to every iPhone challenge she takes on and we're constantly checking out our peers and competitors for tips and ideas of just how to make our apps stand out from the crowd. After interviewing a number of app developers about icon design, we've compiled the TOP 5 TIPS for really effective icon design.

Tip #1: Understand the App Store

In order to design an icon that will grab your customer's attention, you have to be an honest-to-goodness aficionado of the iTunes App store. Look and see what is out there. Download apps and see how the icon matches the application itself. Once you have an appreciation for the sheer quantity of applications in the store and a good sense of what kinds of applications are selling, you can tailor your icon accordingly.

Tip #2: Put Your Best Foot Forward

Keep in mind that the icon for your app may be all a potential customer has to go on when decided when to buy or not to buy. A poorly-designed icon will make customers assume you are selling a poorly designed application. As Nicholas Thomsen of Apporacle.com told us, "The ineffective [icon] is the "ugly" one, the ones that look like the developer spent two minutes on it and gives you a bad impression of the quality of the app even before you open it."

Tip #3: Be Different

Notice trends in the icons visible in the app store. Are there certain colors being used more than others? Use a color palate that stands out from the rest. Do most of the icons have shaded edges? Put a nice, dark line around yours. Icons, like everything else in life, change with trends. Stay on top of these more common choices and make your icon different. But be careful. Remember, good design comes first. As Louie Mantia of iconfactory.com shared with us, "There's a difference between being unique and being the right thing to do. A lot of people miss that."

Tip #4: Pay Attention to the Little Things

An iPhone App icon may seem like a little thing. When dealing with something as small as 57x57 pixels, its easy to overlook certain things, like gradients and shading. According to freshapps, this is a big mistake.

"When you first take a glance at the App without opening it you will notice the icon. This is probably the most important feature to an app for me, in the sense that if the author takes the time to create a great looking icon you know it will be an amazing app. Fine attention to detail searching pixel by pixel; Adding gradients where they seem fit and color scheming are true signs that the author cares about what he/she does and the product they are creating is worth our time."

Tip #5: Seek Professional Help

So you've built an iPhone app to be proud of. Don't let the days, weeks or months of work you put into your app go to waste because you couldn't design an effective icon. If you're a developer, chances are you're not a graphic artist as well. Outsource. Often, a good graphic designer won't charge you an arm and leg for a clear, well designed icon and it may pay off more than you think once your prized app joins the 50,000 plus already vying for attention in the apps store.

[Note: Need a great Icon Design? Clever Twist may have just what you need. Email Jen[at]aclevertwist[dot]com for more information or to get started on your icon!]

Poll: Which "Spot" Matters Most to You?

() — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 12:54:19 -0700

3 Reasons I Like Brian Chen

() — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 09:50:46 -0700

I'm pretty sure I've said this before, but Jen and I are really big fans of people. We're fans of all kinds of people, but we especially like nice people, and people who are willing to take a few minutes out of their days to talk to us are at the top of our "nice people" list.

We started this series with the lovely and talented Erica Sadun, and while we are definitely pro-ladies here at Clever Twist, we thought today's subeject was just too cool not to get a mention. I'm talking about the fabulous Brian Chen. So, without further ado, 3 reason why I like Brian Chen...

Reason #1: Brian Chen has many interests, even beyond the tech world, and he contributes not just to Wired but to FilmCritic.com and occasionally some other places as well. I like this because it shows that Brian is in touch with a wider world of arts and culture and not stuck in the technology bubble. Also, I really love movies, so the fact that he provides some really well-written reviews and films both good and bad gives him an extra star in my book.

Reason #2: Like Erica, Brian doesn't just write about technology. He's a living, breathing, interacting member of the community itself. He is active on twitter and doesn't just post random tweets, but responds and converses with the folks who follow him. We here at Clever Twist asked Brian for his help on a project we're working on. Not only did he email us back the same day, he graciously took his time to respond very thoughtfully to some of our questions regarding iPhone App marketing and the state of the iTunes Store. (more on that to come...)

Reason #3: Brian has his sites set on bigger and better things. I can't give anything away, but we have it from our sources that we should be looking out for some exciting contributions from Brian to the larger world of technology and marketing.

Really, I could go on, but I'll stop there for today. Brian, thanks for all that you do for our dear little community. We appreciate you!

Do any of you readers have a suggestion for someone we should feature in this series? A favorite tech writer or developer? If so, send me an email at evelynanne@aclevertwist.com and maybe we'll feature someone YOU like.

Where's the Competition? (or, Is the iPhone 3GS the Most Kick-Ass Phone Ever?)

() — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:32:59 -0700

In the last few years, there has been much speculation over which phone would come along and blow the iPhone out the water. Surely something would put a crimp in iPhone record-breaking sales and sterling user reviews?

Well, sure, maybe, but we're still waiting to see what phone will have the honor of taking iPhone's crown. Its yet to be seen and the recent competitors, such as the Blackberry Storm and Palm Pre, have all fallen a little flat when put side by side to iPhone's continually upadates, with the 3GS being the latest and greatest.

According to this article in Information Week,

The iPhone 3GS came in first in Consumer Reports' latest smartphone ratings, but a strong showing by other phones, including the Palm Pre and BlackBerry Storm, prevented the Apple gadget from being a runaway winner.

Similar speculation has come from other sources, such as this article in Computer World that put the new iPhone 3GS head-to-head with its greatest competitor, the Palm Pre.

So what does this mean for developers? Well, its good news for the over 50k applications in the Apple Store. With sterling reviews and record-breaking sales, purchases of new apps is only going to grow. On another point, the close rivalry with phones such as the Palm Pre could actually be very good for independent developers, as it insures that Apple will continue to upgrade the quality of its phones and will similarly monitor the quality of the apllications its sells. This can only be good for developers who are putting their blood, sweat and tears into creating cutting-edge games and utilites for the iPhone.

iPhone 3GS Sets All-Time Sales Record

() — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 06:55:14 -0700

From an article published today on Information Week (www.informationweek.com):

The Apple smartphone, released June 19, was responsible for several milestones, including a "best-ever sales day" in the company's retail stores and the second-largest traffic day in the stores, according to the memo sent to all AT&T employees, and leaked to the Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital and MacDailyNews. AT&T said the iPhone 3GS was also responsible for the most transactions processed by its IT systems in a single day and the largest order day ever on att.com.

So what does this mean for developers? Well, its kind of yet to be seen, but certainly, the market for iPhones is only increasing and as more and more people join the iPhone community, developers should see opportunities for an even more diverse market for Applications.

As recently as three years ago, smartphones users were a pretty homogenous bunch. Mostly business types who needed productivity applications such as working email and calendar programs. iPhone has changed all of that. Just a glance at the Apple App Store shows that almost all of the top selling applications are games, showing that iPhones, while certainly usefull for business, are being used by a whole new audience. iPhone 3GS should only increase this audience.

So, just a thought on this gorgeous July day! Take your iPhones outside and enjoy your holiday!

iPhone App Developers: Wild and Crazy Guys?

() — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 11:57:01 -0700

As Jen and I start to hear back from more and more developers about their experiences developing apps for the iPhone App Store, I'm struck by just how different and interesting some of these developers are. In the weeks and months to come, we'll be looking more closely at some of the more successful developers in an effort to discover what has lead to their success, but my first impression of some of these guys is simply amazement.

They hail from all over the world, from California to Austrailia and everywhere in between. Some are doing this iPhone developing business for a living; some are students; some have completely different jobs but just have a passion for creating really cool iPhone apps.

So far, the common thread is that every one of them who I've corresponded with has been genuinely friendly and willing to share their experiences and information with those of us still getting started. This is such a fun communicty to be apart of because there is such a sense of comaraderie among developers at this point in time.

Look for more on this topic as we delve further in the (occasionaly disturbing) psyche of iPhone app developers and seek an answer to the question: How did you DO that?

3 Reasons I Like Erica Sadun

() — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:57:06 -0700

Part of the fun of working at Clever Twist is that Head Juicer Jen and I both really like people. I don't mean it in that sappy, "everybody is special and lovely if you just look close enough way". I mean, we LIKE people. We like funny people who make noises in public places and weird people who make us laugh. We like the friendly guys behind the counter at our favorite coffee bar and all the different people we get to meet at developer networking events.

So, in the spirit of liking, we thought it would be nice to make mention of some folks who really do business the right way. Its not just about being friendly (although, lets be honest, who couldn't use a few more friendly people in the course of the day), but about people who are passionate about building community and investing in people.

First up, a lady we've never met face-to-face but have long admired from behind our laptops, Erica Sadun. Erica was a long time contributor at Ars Technica up until this past spring. She has written numerous books for developers and can be found online in pieces she writes for O'Reilly and TUAW.com.

1) Erica contributes to www.TUAW.com, one of our favorite blog/websites.
2) Erica gives back the development community by writing excellent books for and about the craft. (We especially like the iPhone Developers Cookbook series).
3)Erica responds to email, blog posts and message board threads.

Erica isn't just a prolific writer. This woman is PASSIONATE. She writes books. She writes articles. She blogs. She posts on message boards. And on top of all that, she replies to emails. That's right. For all of us who complain about overloaded inboxes, Erica is so dedicated to the developer community that she actually takes the time to write people back.

Here at Clever Twist, we're always pretty pumped to see cool ladies succeeding in the generally male-dominated world of development and design and Erica Sadun is about as cool a lady as we've come across.

More Ladies at the Party: Diva Marketing Blog Highlights Women in Social Media

() — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 14:29:40 -0700

This one's a little belated, but Head Juicer Jen got a great mention in the Diva Marketing Blog!

Alot of times, Jen and I feel a little bit out of place as women in the boy's club of software development (look for more on this later), so this series of blog posts by the Diva herself, Toby Bloomberg, was really refreshing and encouraging. It was also great to see how many ladies right here in Atlanta are embarking on the world of social media. Hopefully we can keep learning form one another!

Icon Design: Louie Mantia

() — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 06:26:07 -0700

As Jen and I continue our quest to learn everything there is to know about the relationship between great design and App Store success, we keep coming across great designers who, we think, are cornering the market on iPhone App design. Yesterday, we posted answers from Nicholas Thomsen. Today, we have new answers from Louie Mantia at iconfactory.com.

Clever Twist: How is designing App Store icons different from other visual identities such as corporate logos?

Louie Mantia: The purpose of icons is to communicate what app does. Branding want to get overall feel of a company, their products and services.

CT: What are the key differences between an effective App Store icon and an ineffective one?

Louie: "When i see a poorly executed app icon it makes me not want to look at the app. It's depressing b/c it could be a really good app but I shut it out b/c it's not my taste." Mantia also makes a point about developers who go too far with trying to make their icons stand out, creating icons with a black background that don't conform to the springboard UI and become more of a visual disruptor than a navigational tool. "There's a difference between being unique and being the right thing to do. A lot of people miss that."

CT: As a designer, what is your greatest challenge in creating App Store icons?

Louie: In the development community it's convincing them that professional design is worth the investment. "Some developers, for the most part, want it to be a one man job... it can be done but it doesn't happen often that you find someone who can do graphics as well as code an application, much less come up with an idea for a great [app]."

"A lot of developers underestimate the value of aesthetics and UI design and instead go for functionality."

"I think the most difficult thing to do now is to get the perfect metaphor down. Working with client feedback where they think it's not a great idea or it's too simplistic, too obvious or wasn't branded enough the challenge is balancing the concept and the clients brand."

CT: There are currently more than 40,000 applications in the iTunes App Store. What can designers do make their icons stand out?

Louie: "I buy a lot of applications i do it because i want to learn from what other people have done. you learn a lot from what people do wrong. its great b/c you don't have to make that mistake. set aside a few bucks to buy apps people could learn a lot about UI just by looking at what's out there."

Icon Design: Nicholas Thomsen Answers All Our Questions

() — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 17:36:31 -0700

With my interest in sales and marketing and Jen's zen-like mastery of all things design, we're both pretty interested in discovering the areas where quality design and marketing intersect. With that question in mind, we sought insight from other designers to see just how important icon design, specifically the icons on display in the iPhone App Store, is in relation to branding and sales.

Our first interview subject was the very talented Nicholas Thomsen at www.apporacle.com. With years of experience as an Art Director, Nicholas is relatively new to iPhone App design, but he's wasting no time in learning what works and what doesn't.

Clever Twist: How is designing App Store icons different from other visual identities such as corporate logos?

Nicholas: In my professional life I am an Art Director at an AD agency so I deal with
both kinds assignments daily :) The biggest difference is that a visual identity is a part of a bigger PR package for companies, it is not supposed to stand out as much as possible and most companies prefer a visual identity that is played down a little. An app icon is in many cases the only PR tool a developer has. When you browse the app store you mostly look at the icon to see if the app is good or not. Therefore the visual identity or a logo is just a part of companies´ overall appearence, and for apps it is a very vital part of the game of getting noticed or not.

CT: What are the key differences between an effective App Store icon and an ineffective one?

Nicholas: The ineffective one is the "ugly" one, the ones that look like the developer spent two minutes on it gives you a bad impression of the quality of the app even before you open it.

Here is a quote from the website "freshapps" from their review of a brilliant app called Things that puts it very nicely:
"When you first take a glance at the App without opening it you will notice the icon. This is probably the most important feature to an app for me, in the sense that if the author takes the time to create a great looking
icon you know it will be an amazing app. Fine attention to detail searching pixel by pixel; Adding gradients where they seem fit and color scheming are true signs that the author cares about what he/she does and the product they are creating is worth our time."

(http://www.freshapps.com/iphone-app-review-thin...

CT: As a designer, what is your greatest challenge in creating App Store
icons?

Nicholas: The greatest challenge is definetly to do something that hasn´t been done before. with more than 40.000 apps an original icon is very hard to come by. The next big challenge is to convince the developer to use the original icon and not just the cliche. So often they opt for the "safe" choice
simply because they are afraid of something that looks different that the other icons in the category.
A good example is the category of to-do apps, it only takes on look at those apps to see how few apps dares to go against conventions when it comes to icons.

CT: There are currently more than 40,000 applications in the iTunes App Store. What can designers do make their icons stand out?

Nicholas: Think of something new all the time. If all the apps are in bright colors, use darker colors and add a different effect to make the icon come out. If all the icons use glossy effect make icons without them. One of the first things I did in the beginning was to add borders to a couple of icons (Tog info pro and rejseinfo) and before long more and more icons had borders. It is a game of cat and mouse, because as soon as you do something new that works more people start to do it.

CT: Have you had any projects where a new or improved icon has had a clear effect on sales?

Nicholas: Well I don´t think that I have made icons for apps that were already in the appstore, but at least 3 of the apps that I have made icons for went straight to the top of the 25 most downloaded apps when they were launched.

Freebie Friday Icon Follow Up

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 16:23:57 -0700

For those of you who put your name in the hat for last week's Icon Design Giveaway - Thanks!! Jack Nutting, developer of the Scribattle, has a new Space Invaders-type game in the app store: Diabolotros (iTunes links: paid / free). Jack wanted to give his icons a second go to see if sales would be impacted by a different design.

The game itself is a retro arcade pixel design. The "before" icon took assets from the game and reproduced those plus the game name in the icon. When I spoke with Jack we discussed scaling back the number of visual elements in the icon and focusing on the "space" theme plus the ship.

Icon Before:

Icon After:

Jack please let us know what change in sales you experience after the new icons launch!

Clever Twist Fake Taglines...

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 11:34:20 -0700

Okay this started as a funny joke and has morphed into a quasi daily obsession. Feel free to comment additional fake taglines and we'll add them to the list!

Clever Twist...

Rock screamin the day away.
Because clever and twisted might get us arrested.
Who wants a dull twist?
Because clever warped sounded wierd.
Dangerous.
Smokey eyes meet your new best friend.
Loosey goosey.
If you don't think we're funny you're not paying close enough attention.
I can't remember what I said but I'm sure it was hilarious.
Graduating college in 4 years is like leaving the party at 9 o'clock.
Incredibly straight teeth.
What cool ain't.

Freebie Friday: Free iPhone Icon Design

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 12:47:40 -0700

This Friday Clever Twist is offering up one free iPhone app icon design to any subscriber of Clever Twist Announcements. The winner will be picked via live video feed on Friday, June 5 at 10am ET.

Click here to join the Clever Twist announcements list* and enter to win your free iPhone icon design!

Bookmark this page to see the live drawing. If you can't tune in don't worry we'll be emailing the winner immediately after the announcement is made.

* Clever Twist Announcements is a monthly email newsletter detailing the best in free, fun apps and tools for the iPhone.

App Promotion: Hittin it Old SKool

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Sat, 30 May 2009 15:00:00 -0700

To compliment our online promotional efforts we decided to kick it old school and accost strangers with iPhone-esque cards promoting each Clever Twist app. Check em out (left to right) Clever Twist Card, Yo Mama So..., CoffeeSpot, and Popper!

Popper! reviewed on the Appera

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Sun, 17 May 2009 04:41:46 -0700

Daniel over at Appera not only reviewed Popper, he also crafted probably the wittiest tagline for Popper yet:

No prescription required.

Nice! :)

Obviously I'm thrilled with the review, but I have to note an objective (albeit still positive) take on theAppera.com. This guy is not just filtering in lists of newly released apps from Apple - he is taking time to really play and compare the app to not only other iPhone apps, but games from back in the day. This site has incredible quality and quantity of reviews for those looking to spend wisely in the App Store.

Popper! reviewed on Touch Arcade!!

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Mon, 11 May 2009 08:12:27 -0700

A big thanks to Touch Arcade for the awesome review of Popper! Touch Arcade certainly does keep you in touch with the latest in iPhone gaming. Their reviews are thorough and thoughtful. Check 'em out: www.toucharcade.com

Clever Twist to Release 25 Popper! Promo Codes to iPhone App Reviewers

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Sat, 02 May 2009 12:04:28 -0700

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

CONTACT: Jen Gordon
Clever Twist, Inc.
www.aclevertwist.com

Clever Twist to Release 25 Popper! Promo Codes to iPhone App Reviewers

Atlanta, Georgia, May 4, 2009 - Premier iPhone app development company Clever Twist releases 25 promo codes to app reviewers for it’s newest game, Popper! To sign up for a Popper! promo code, reviewers email Jen Gordon.

If you like Tetris and Breaker, you'll love Popper! The app features:

Delicious graphics
Tangy game play - twist and turn handset to get more pops!
View video at: popperapp.com
10 levels of game play, each level increasing in difficulty
Are you a lefty? Go to "settings" and put the "fire" button on the left!
Available in the Apple App Store on May 5

ABOUT CLEVER TWIST, INC. – Mix sweet design and marketing pop. Throw it in a solid development container. Spin the bottle - that’s Clever Twist.

###

i Want what you Want, not what i Want (no really!!)

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 13:31:16 -0700

Hey Friends -

With multiple app launches pending, I'm wondering "uhoh what do my peeps really want?!?!?" Help me out - I'd really like to know what's important to you guys. What can I provide to fellow iPhone users that is of value? Please take the 3-question survey below and feel free to post comments on:

"What can Clever Twist Newsletters provide that would be of value to you as an iPhone user?"

Click Here to take survey

FREE Retro TV Ringtone Pack (set of 25)

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:21:53 -0700


This awesome collection of Retro TV iPhone Ringtones includes:
Adams Family Alfred Hitchcock Hour Bewitched Bonanza Brady Bunch Bugs Bunny Charlies Angels Cheers CHIPs Cops Cosby Show	Dallas Designing Women Different Strokes Dukes of Hazzard Dynasty Electric Company Facts of Life Fame Fat Albert GI Joe Gilligan's Island Gimme A Break Golden Girls Good Times

Apple offering iPhone App Refunds - Yikes!

jen@whoisjengordon.com(Jen Gordon) — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 16:26:00 -0700

Wow developers are raising a stink over the Apple's annoucement of an app refund policy! But really folks, how many apps have you paid for that truly sucked? I can say I have wasted some cash on apps that just did not deliver. I'm wondering what are developers afraid of? If you're producing a quality product that does what it says that it does guess what?

People will not ask for a refund.

It's that simple. And yea Apple keeps 30% so that's doing business with a fat cat. You gotta pay to play. And if you're "playing good" there are rewards. Play half-assed and you get a half-assed return. Is anyone feelin me here? :D

* First Name
* Email
Mobile #
	* = Required Field

* First Name
* Email
Mobile #
	* = Required Field

Blog • Clever Twist - iPhone application design & development in Atlanta, Georgia.

iDesign Atlanta Interview

Clever Twist featured in Web Designer Magazine

Part 1 of 5 - How to Review an iPhone App: Slide to Play

Let's face it, with App Reviews there's a lot of sleaze out there.

So who represents real authority in iPhone App Reviews?

Slide to Play - The Interview

How did the idea of OATS (Organization of App Testing Standards) come about?

What role to do you see advertising or sponsorships playing in the iPhone gaming space?

What trends do you see emerging in the iPhone gaming space?

How well are multi-player games being executed on the iPhone? Is it a niche still in its infancy?

What are your top 5 must-have gaming apps?

Did you enjoy this article?

Farm Friends Sales Experiment

Pre-release Promotion

09/16/2009 - Wednesday

09/17/2009 - Thursday

09/18/2009 - Friday

09/19/2009 - Saturday

09/20/2009 - Sunday

09/21/2009 - Monday

09/22/2009 - Tuesday

09/23/2009 - Wednesday

Want to know when I update this article?

Hoo Dee Hoo Reviews Farm Friends!

Farm Friends Coined this Millenium's "See and Say"

Clever Twist Featured in Pinch Media Developer Corner

How to Promote Your iPhone App Using Hollrr

How to Create Your First iPhone App

Ringtone/Wallpaper Giveaway: Wonder Woman

6 Tips to Optimize iTunes App Store Search (iTunes SEO)

Top 5 Tips for iPhone App Icon Design

Poll: Which "Spot" Matters Most to You?

3 Reasons I Like Brian Chen

Where's the Competition? (or, Is the iPhone 3GS the Most Kick-Ass Phone *Ever*?)

iPhone 3GS Sets All-Time Sales Record

iPhone App Developers: Wild and Crazy Guys?

3 Reasons I Like Erica Sadun

More Ladies at the Party: Diva Marketing Blog Highlights Women in Social Media

Icon Design: Louie Mantia

Icon Design: Nicholas Thomsen Answers All Our Questions

Freebie Friday Icon Follow Up

Clever Twist Fake Taglines...

Freebie Friday: Free iPhone Icon Design

App Promotion: Hittin it Old SKool

Popper! reviewed on the Appera

Popper! reviewed on Touch Arcade!!

Clever Twist to Release 25 Popper! Promo Codes to iPhone App Reviewers

Clever Twist to Release 25 Popper! Promo Codes to iPhone App Reviewers

i Want what you Want, not what i Want (no really!!)

FREE Retro TV Ringtone Pack (set of 25)

Apple offering iPhone App Refunds - Yikes!

Where's the Competition? (or, Is the iPhone 3GS the Most Kick-Ass Phone Ever?)