Tag Archive for: development

New App Design Ideas: Types Of Life Saving Apps

Coming up with new app design ideas can be a headache. It seems as though whatever idea you come up with someone has already done it, possibly very similar to your idea too. We’ve all been there, but a true appreneur and even enterprise level developers should see it as a positive challenge.

Don’t become too focused on coming up with a completely new app design idea or concept. Sometimes putting your own unique spin on an existing idea is exactly what the market needs.

1. Tracking Patient Data

Often users will favor an app because of a single part of its functionality. Tracking patient data apps are in abundance, but this can mean there is demand in the niche. Find out what users love about existing design ideas, and add your own unique value to the app.

Medication conflicts, auto suggestions based on symptoms entered or even statistics on if a patient’s visits are becoming more frequent. This will enable you to create a new app design idea from an existing one.

2. Health Monitoring With A Wearable 

Similar to tracking patient data apps, health monitoring apps are everywhere. But many fall short of any real use case and don’t meet the requirements of users. How does someone monitor health effectively just using a mobile app? They require too much user input and don’t give enough information in return.

Generic push notification apps like those for this use case can become ignored and unnoticed, not useful if you have a health problem. An application can thrive by utilizing the extended functionality that monitoring with a wearable can bring. Wearables are no longer limited to just watches, there are many new devices bringing health monitoring to the next level.

3. Manage Specific Diseases 

With the extended development into new wearables, there might be a demand for a specific disease or condition that can now be monitored effectively. It’s all about the niche, in modern app development trying to have a broad coverage leaves many lost in the pool of others.

Look into specific diseases and health conditions supported by new technology advances. Find out who is being left out, see what their struggles are and where the pain point lies. This will enable you to create an app with a good use case and be an early presence in the niche.

4. Personal Medical Reference 

The actual app design in regards to UI and UX can also be a factor when creating a new app design idea. Medical reference apps that show first aid, cpr and allergy symptoms are already on the market. But often the information is not presented well and confusion could cause more harm than good.

Apprenuers might have the development capabilities, but design and user experience can suffer. Enterprise level development companies like NS804 are veterans and bring expertise that is highly important. A modern UI presenting the information in a clear way can be a new idea in itself. Especially when conveying crucial information about a topic such as life saving techniques like CPR.

5. Mental Health Reach Out 

A hot topic currently. The pandemic of covid-19 has had a big impact on people’s mental health, and it’s a rising issue in general modern day already. Apps with instant messaging, video and other forms of communication that allow social connections are top of the app store.

Being able to reach out with confidence with a mental health issue to a support point can be exactly what people need. Providing an app that connects with professionals, counselors and others to aid in mental health treatment will be a powerful and helpful service in modern day.

6. Emergency Health Details 

Diabetics have special jewelry designed to give details on their condition and people with certain allergies have similar items. There are an uncountable number of allergies; some people are even allergic to the medicine supposed to help. This is why there is a need for these items. Apps can also fulfill this role and there is a big demand for it, they can open it up for many more emergency health details.

Health details need to be available in case of an emergency, ER teams and first responders know to look out for this information. They even check phones for emergency contacts like relatives. Apps can support everyone, no matter what health condition Android and IOS app design ideas can support apps on lock screen.

7. Travel Medical Records 

Health details are important. When travelling it can be crucial especially if you have a health condition to keep accurate details on what medication or allergies it entails. Medication and allergies can translate very well into a majority of languages. 

Having an app that can store your medical records, and offer translations into other languages can be very valuable to many. Diabetic, asthmatic, allergic to paracetamol, for example, can all have very severe effects if the wrong medication is administered.

8. Symptom Tracking 

Searching up symptoms can leave people in dismay. The results can often always point to the worst case and be unhelpful. A journaling style app could not only assess symptoms, but also track them across a time period and make suggestions based upon the data provided. 

This can become a new app design idea, if you give the option to also change suggestions based upon location for example. Tracking diseases and illnesses could advise on a course of action in early stages that a hospital visit is required. It could alternatively insist medical advice is sought out from a pharmacist about helpful medication. (If you are concerned about symptoms, it is always best to seek medical help promptly).

9. Telemedicine 

Telemedicine is becoming popular; it is even starting to be offered on benefit plans by companies. On top of medical apps available there are new app design ideas around this new innovative way to seek doctors’ advice. To a certain extent a doctor can make a good assessment of a patient’s condition over video as if they were in the same room.

The importance of remote health visits too is accessibility. They save time for everyone, and you could have a 15-minute doctor’s appointment before going to work in the morning. They can provide those with difficulties of getting to a doctor a much-needed way to get help and advice.

10. Nutrition Coaching 

Forget diet apps. This is where you really need a unique spin on an idea in the oversaturated niche that is nutrition. Create a new app idea with customized approaches to improving overall nutrition based on current health and goals. Instead of dieting it can be a way of helping people understand what vitamins and other nutrition they are lacking or missing out on.

Tracking nutritional information like iron, magnesium, vitamin A B C and even fat or sugar intake can help with overall health. This avoids the app sounding like another conventional diet fad, and instead gives value where the user feels they are improving themselves and living healthy.

11. Custom Fitness Coaching 

There has been a huge surge in downloads in custom fitness apps, this is mostly due to the pandemic. A new idea has sprouted and there is a common trend amongst the top downloaded. Both general fitness and customized fitness apps have introduced videos. This allows the app’s content to be truly unique from others on the market.

People use videos online for their fitness, the added benefit of an app is the extra functionality it can provide. Not only can it supply the videos, but the user can opt to tailor the course and content to their style and track certain metrics or statistics. The app can offer incentives like goals and achievements to boost morale, often needed to increase engagement and sustain continued use of the app.

At NS804 we understand the challenges of new ideas and user engagement. If you have an idea or are looking to discuss any app related development Get in touch. Let us turn your ideas into what could be a life saving app!

How COVID is Changing Custom Business Apps

Ways COVID is Changing Custom Business Apps Permanently

A recent study into the post-COVID business climate revealed some insight into the draining effects of Zoom meetings. Zoom, of course, is the popular video-conferencing application. Businesses and individuals have turned to using Zoom all over the world because of the pandemic. However, with such up-close pictures, and a limited range of mobility, Zoom meetings have proven to be even more stressful than their in-person counterparts. Zoom isn’t the only business application getting attention, though. Rather, custom business apps are becoming more and more popular as the work-from-home wave continues on.

Custom business apps are changing the way that companies and organizations operate entirely. Instead of being told what features are available in a one-size-fits all enterprise application; your company is king when it comes to designing a custom app specific for your organization.

Developing Your Custom Business App

After making the decision to invest in a custom business application, there’s a lot to consider before getting started. For instance, a major decision organizational leaders have to face is whether they want to go with a professional app designer, or a more cost-effective choice. Now, there are obvious benefits to both sides; cost-savings on one, and a more professional end-result on the other.

Keeping in mind the use-cases of your custom business apps, it makes sense to prioritize quality over cost when it comes to choosing a designer. Choosing a cheaper route could result in unnecessary bugs that bog down your application, or glitchy and unreliable operations. Either way: not ideal results for the application your remote teams are going to rely on.

Furthermore, choosing a professional app designer to build your custom business apps guarantees a more sleek, modernized, and updated application – ultimately boosting your remote teams instead of hindering them.

Must-Have Features

Once a designer or design firm is chosen; your team can begin looking at what features they want to include in their custom business apps. Depending on your industry, your business needs, and your general workflow; business apps can look vastly different from organization to organization. However, there are a few features that are pretty staple to include in custom business apps despite organizational or marketplace differences.

One feature that your team needs to include in your custom enterprise app, almost without saying, is an instant messaging platform. Instant messaging is a must have. This is because remote workers and teams need to be able to quickly and effectively communicate with one another. Not to mention management and business leaders.

Another must-have feature in your custom enterprise app is scheduling and video-conferencing. Folding project management and video-conferencing capabilities into your custom business apps will bring the tools that your team needs to them, no matter where they’re located. This is a huge advantage in the new economy, as the work-from-home and remote-work era is here to stay.

Wrapping Up

Custom business apps are a great way to build a framework in which remote teams and remote workers are able to thrive. As we’ve seen over the past year, a functional remote work-force is vital to long term stability. For more information on the impact of COVID and how it’s changing the economy; continue browsing NS804’s content library.

Pubnub Vs. AWS: Developing Chat Apps

Developing Chat Apps: A Look at Pubnub and AWS

Communication is undoubtedly an integral ingredient for any business. Scratch that. Communication, evidently, is a major part of any relationship. However, in the business-to-customer relationship, this is particularly true. It goes to logic, then, that chat apps would be a popular topic of discussion in today’s mobile app market. But with so many chat apps available, and under development, it can get a little hazy navigating the marketplace, especially for developers. So if you need to build a chat app, either as a portion of a larger system, or as an individual application, where should you begin your development journey?

There are two pretty popular power-houses when it comes to developing chat apps. In fact, their names may be familiar already. Those developers are Pubnub, and AWS. Each company has their own sets of strengths and weaknesses and slightly unique service offerings. As such, it’s important to have an understanding of your companies needs before choosing who you want to develop your chat apps.

Starting With Pubnub Chat Apps

Pubnub is a great solution for those looking to develop chat apps. Especially if you’re just starting out on your chat app development journey. The thing that jumps out right away about Pubnub is that they have a totally free version that’s available. While the free version is severely limited in its scaling and features; it also offers enough for the user to get a feel for the Pubnub platform. Additionally, using the free version enables you to get some traction, trial the service, and make an informed decision.

Looking beyond the free plan, Pubnub has solutions for every and any type of application. This extends well past applications that are specifically designed for chatting; and reaches other pillar communities in the application world. This is important to note, because it goes back to the point that Pubnub is perfectly capable of even adding a chat-service onto existing applications, or assisting with real-time updates in-app.

Pubnub offers their users a variety of plans. These plans range from free, to the standard $50/month plan, and then finally, Pubnub also offers custom plans. It’s integral to note that the support plans from Pubnub also range from free, to $1,500/month.

AWS With Appsync

AWS with Appsync is another popular choice for developing chat apps. Powered by Amazon, AWS with Appsync has a true monolith in the business community supporting them. AWS builds GraphQL API’s that are multifaceted and give developers a lot of flexibility when it comes to how they want to implement GraphQL endpoints. AWS with Appsync offers a whole slew of services that allow companies to develop solutions for real-time chatting, real-time collaboration, offline application syncing, and much more.

The Best of Both

Pubnub and AWS with appsync are two of the popular choices when it comes to developing chat apps for a reason. However, users are in luck; as the hard choice is no more. The two forces partnered back in 2018, making a truly comprehensive force in the world of developing chat apps.

How To Successfully Run a BETA

BETA Testing Basics

Hard data is a powerful asset. As such, it can be difficult to gather. Yet, it’s integral to decision making. Especially leading up to product launches and app release. However, there are ways to compile insightful data that will help dictate the direction of a mobile app before it’s official launch. One of the best tools to gather this sample data is conducting a BETA test.

BETA testing generally consists of creating a series of small-groups. Then presenting those groups with an early version of the app (or the BETA version). When the small group concludes their trial of the BETA version, their feedback is then prompted and garnered. Importantly, these small groups should represent samples of the various target demographics included in the marketing strategy.

As enterprise apps grow in popularity, and the volume of mobile app development continues to increase, quality becomes even more vital. To deliver this quality in mobile apps and enterprise apps alike, the BETA testing process is crucial.

The Small Group Sessions

As mentioned above, the BETA version of the app is a skeletal version. Therefore, user design and user experience will likely be incomplete. However, the BETA should offer users a very similar experience to that of the end-product, as initially designed. That being said, it’s important to have an updated design plan aligned with the latest trends.

There is information that’s particularly important for developers to note from these small-group sessions. This information can be garnered in one of two ways.

Group Discussion

The first option regarding this process is an open and honest group discussion. The discussion is usually led by a facilitator. They can ask specific questions. Therefore the feedback is poignant when needed and open-ended elsewhere.

Individual Feedback Surveys

This is another tool. A tool to gather feedback. Instead of a group discussion, these responses are written. Written on a hard-copy survey that asks the testers questions. The questions are about various aspects of the BETA version.

After conducting the surveys, collect them. Then review them.

Utilizing Feedback

After collecting the feedback the small-group concludes. Then reiterate the process. After conducting a variety of small-group sessions with representatives from a spectrum of target markets, there is ample feedback.

Utilizing the feedback means comparing the various sources of feedback to each other. In other words, cross-reference the feedback from the various focus groups. This should reveal some trends.

Upon reviewing and cross-referencing patterns will emerge in the data. These patterns help make informed decisions regarding a range of important factors.

Marketing Strategy:

Not every app is for every person, and this is an important reality to face as a developer. BETA testing will reveal key insights into the most marketable target-demographics.

Additional Features:

Through BETA testing, users will define features they felt the app was missing. These notes are specifically helpful, as they can directly impact the end functionality of the app.

Unnecessary Features:

Similarly, users may identify features the app currently includes that they find unnecessary and suggest removing.

UX Direction:

Finally, as mentioned above, there should already be a design-plan in place – but BETA testing results will undoubtedly provide vital information that provides additional direction for the UX.

NS804 is dedicated to making mobile app design services more accessible than ever before. For more information on developing mobile or enterprise-level apps, and all the help you need – visit NS804 today.