DEVELOPING MOBILE APPS FROM IDEA TO LAUNCH: CASE STUDY

Anna Jaeger, CTO, Caravan Studios, a division of TechSoup Global

October 25, 2013

Today’s Agenda:

Introductions

Participant Polls

Case Study of SafeNight

Lessons Learned

Q&A

INTRODUCTIONS

Who Is TechSoup Global?

TechSoup Global isworking towards the day when every nonprofit, library, and social benefit organization on the planet has the

technology, knowledge, and resources they need to operate at their full potential.

About Caravan Studios

Caravan Studios is a division of TechSoup Global.

We believe technology can intervene to solve problems. We work with communities to design responses to the issues about which they care the most. We start with community and end with a solution.

About Me

I am not an expert

www.linkedin.com/in/annasjaeger/

ajaeger@caravanstudios.org

POLLS

Participant Poll

Do you use mobile apps on a smart phone?

Answers: • yes • no • I only read my email

Participant Poll

Does your organization run web/app-based projects internally, or do you work with a third party developer?

Answers: • Internal Team• Outsource IT • We don’t do web-based development

Participant Poll

Is your organization planning to develop a mobile app?

Answers: • yes• no• considering it

THE SAFENIGHT APPA Case Study

Defining the SafeNight App

SafeNight is a mobile service that allows the community to respond to

urgent needs for shelter.

Why Are We Doing This Project?

• One in every four women will experience domestic violence in her lifetime.

• An estimated 1.3 million women are victims of physical assault by an intimate partner each year

• On September 12, 2012, In California alone:• 2,975 survivors found refuge in emergency shelters or

transitional housing.• 792 more requests for housing went unmet

• Human Trafficking• 300 people a day turned away from services in California

Source: NNEDV 2011 California Summary

A Real Example

“A victim called because her husband, who was on parole for assaulting her, violated the no contact order. She saw her husband that day sighting her with a rifle, and learned that he had purchased a shotgun a few days prior. He has threatened to show up at her workplace to ‘come get her.’”

Questions to Ask at the Start

• What is the social benefit goal you’re trying to accomplish with your app?

• What does your community think of the idea?• What kind of app: Native, hybrid, web app?• Getting it built: In-house or third-party development?

• Do you have budget to maintain it once it is built?

Goals of SafeNight

1. Reduce incidents of domestic violence by allowing more survivors to remove themselves from the threat

2. Generating new sources of support and capacity for the domestic violence sector

3. Capturing data to better serve women and children in need

Engaging the Community

Advisory Board

Pilot participants

What Kind of App?

Name: Virtual Aid Drive™Type: WebsiteUsers: Shelters staffPurpose: Send alerts, view reporting

Name: SafeNightType: Mobile appUsers: DonorsPurpose: Receive alerts, make donation

Partners

Partnered with Aidmatrix, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit• Deep experience with fundraising via Virtual Aid Drive• Thorough knowledge of developing infrastructure to meet

the needs of nonprofits• Technical experience building apps

Grants from:• Microsoft Citizenship• Blue Shield of California Foundation • Vodafone Americas Foundation

SOME DEFINITIONS

Waterfall Development

Planning

Requirements

Design

Development

Testing

Acceptance

Agile Development

Image by: http://www.benlinders.com/2011/using-scrum-for-process-improvement/

Other Definitions• iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8 (WP8)• Native App• Web app• Hybrid app• HTML 5 and CSS 3• Open Source vs. Proprietary• Responsive web design

Getting Started with a Mobile App(continued)

• App Flow• Wireframes• Designs• Content• Legal content• Development• Testing

Wireframe Example

Design Example

LESSONS LEARNED

Launching in the Marketplace

• Each app market is different• Some allow Beta releases• Expect 2-6 weeks of back and forth• Expect to submit multiple releases before big marketing

push

Engaging Community: Our Pilot

Sites• Geographically spread across California• Urban, suburban, and rural shelters• Have the staff capacity and skills to help

Timeline• Beta test mid-July to mid-August• If all goes smoothly, pilot in Sept and Oct.

Lessons Learned & Pitfalls

• Goal of the project must be aligned with the objectives of your organization

• Keep it simple• Make it secure, if it needs to be• Have your content copy-edited• Have a marketing plan• Budget to maintain it when phones upgrade

Tips, Resources, Best Practices

• Define the goal and how you want to achieve it first.• Engage your community and target audience early.• Consider convening an advisory board of people from your audience and beneficiaries.

• Avoid trying to make it all things to all people.• Don’t build a website in an app• For content apps, try Infinite Monkeys or similar• Be aware of platform restrictions• Listen to community (user) feedback

Q & A

Additional Resources

• Search on native app vs. web app: http://venturebeat.com/2013/07/29/native-v-web-chart/• Content/media app tools:

• Infinite Monkeys: http://fantastic4nonprofits.com/ • Apps builder: http://www.apps-builder.com/en/features

• HTML 5 Website Tools: • Wix: http://www.wix.com/• Strikingly: https://www.strikingly.com/

• TechSoup’s collections of mobile and app-related content: http://www.techsoup.org/transforming-communities and http://www.techsoup.org/mobile-technology

About Aidmatrix

• Aidmatrix is an international nonprofit sponsored by some of the world’s leading corporations; offices in USA, India, Europe & Australia.

• We leverage innovative solutions from industry and apply them to the nonprofit world of humanitarian relief.

• More than 50,000+ leading business, nonprofit and government partners leverage our solutions to mobilize more than $1.5 billion in aid annually, worldwide. The donated goods, money, and services impact the lives of more than 65 million people.