Since the first iOS 5 beta release, developers across the jailbreak community have rushed to create their own widgets on top of Apple’s existing options. The challenge from that point onward has been to build widgets that fit iOS’ existing frameworks; in other words, the goal is to integrate widgets natively into the operating system. The widget “playing field” recently expanded when Dashboard X was released, which allows users to place their widgets directly onto their SpringBoard. As a result, an entire dimension of widget real estate was added for the users to tinker with.
For those who know me well, I have professed on many occasions that widgets and my philosophy on the purpose of the Notification Center / SpringBoard don’t mesh well. I’m not completely closed to the idea, however I’m writing this post as a way to encourage developers out there to take the three factors below into consideration. I speak only for myself however my hope is that my suggestions are shared by others and that change for the better will occur as a result.
WWAD? - What Would Apple Do?
This is a huge concern of mine. When I look at any widget, my first question is, “Would Apple do it this way, in the event that they did?” Initially, think of it as a “What if” question. The reason why I chose iOS is because of its elegance, simplicity, and the overall experience it promotes. I can say with full confidence that many people share my view. With that said, when you’re creating a widget, be mindful that iOS users want to enhance their experience if it compliments the system they already love, not degrade it.
Take extra time to do “on-device research” to note certain design characteristics and paradigms that will help you build a widget that best integrates with iOS. I guarantee you that your success in development will fair much better if you go the extra mile and strive to promote iOS’ core strongpoints with your widget, versus simply “pasting” your project into the environment just because it adds a function. Great functionality is only appealing when it has great design; it’s a fact.
Widgets can be used in two different environments
As noted above, the Notification Center from day one has always been the main location for widgets. However, now that Dashboard X is out in the wild, the sandbox dramatically grew in size. With this in mind, you have to remember that your widgets can be used in more then one place. Unless you’re specifically designing your widget for one or the other (which I’m strongly against), take the time to design your project to fit all case scenarios.
Take this situation as an example: I am a user myself, just like anyone else. I don’t own or use Dashboard X. Let’s say that a really cool widget came out that I wanted but it was only optimized (in look and in its inner workings) for Dashboard X. That instantly raises my red flag. Why would I want this widget if it only works or looks good in one environment? Plus, I don’t even own or want to purchase Dashboard X.
My thinking is not exclusive to my stance on widgets. There are many people, naturally, who share this view. From the standpoint of downloads and (or) sales, you automatically cut out a huge section of your market when you don’t develop your project for all cases. You’re only targeting a relatively small piece of the iOS user base. Why would you want to do this? It’s a hinderance.
Everyone wants to be successful - it’s human nature. Success comes through demonstrating quality and excellence in whatever you do. If you have the opportunity to be successful to the fullest extent, wouldn’t you take up that without hesitation? You can do this with widget development. Take the environment into consideration and build a widget that works in each and every situation. You’ll see that people will be more inclined to take a risk and download or buy your widget. A first impression is huge, and you have the means to go off on the right foot from step one. This principle ties back with what Apple would do. They are targeting the entire mobile user base. If there are any components that don’t fit all case scenarios, they’ve instantly alienated a large group of people. I would say however that Apple has done an exceptional job of not going down this path.
You’re Not The Only “Big App On Campus”
I’ll keep this section short and sweet as it coincides with the above. Remember, there are many more applications and tweaks out there that are popular. You’ve got giants such as LockInfo and IntelliScreenX that dominate their area and their are, of course, other extremely well-favored applications that are the “numero unos” in their own domain. If you want to be just as successful, you must make sure to take other popular applications and tweaks into consideration and design your widgets to work well with all of them. Echoing from above, if you don’t, you cut your audience significantly when you don’t account for the other packages. Compatibility is key - make it a priority.
These thoughts are not meant to directly slander certain developers and their widgets. My hope from this is to encourage others to strive for excellence and quality in all that they build, create, or design when it comes to widgets. Apple gave us such an amazing system to play with. Let’s compliment the hard work they put into it by in turn firing back with the best we’ve got.
Promote excellence, not mediocrity.
Photos courtesy of iDownloadBlog and 9to5Mac.
As John continues to code Abstergo to how we both want it, I have expanded into other ideas to tackle after our project is done. The beauty of teamwork is continuous innovation. When one of us is at a standstill waiting for the other, opportunities to test and play around with new things gives a sense of direction after we’re done with our current focus.
Although no name has been chosen, here’s a small sliver of our next project; a SpringBoard manager. This manager is a vast and encompassing project and isn’t fully developed yet. Small parts have been brought from my mind to paper so as sections come together, I will showcase them to you.
This portion of the project highlights dealing with deleting applications and placing them into folders. It will include my multi-icon mover concept as well as new and unique functionalities.
Note: My idea for moving multiple icons has changed slightly from the concept above. Information on how I want it to work will be revealed as time goes on.
I won’t let out too much information, but I will let you know about a couple of things pertaining to this part.
- - You will be able to multi-select applications
- - With multi-select, you will be able to folder them instantly as well as delete them with ease (individual and multiple)
- - The drawer as shown in the pictures will be available to you only in Wiggle Mode and can be revealed by pulling down in the SpringBoard
- - There will be a lot of animations (just enough to be appealing to the user of course)
And to top it off, there’s much more than meets the eye. Feel free to ask questions and I will do my best to answer them accordingly.
The Question Mark: I spaced on what I originally wanted in that box and I’m searching for the lost recollection of my idea. If you have any ideas, feel free to shoot me them. Hopefully I figure out what I wanted there!
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I leave you with a quote from a man who we’ve all come to cherish and love. For his inspiration and impact on the world. His definition of innovation is what absolutely defines my experience; it’s powerful.
“But innovation comes from people meeting up in the hallways or calling each other at 10:30 at night with a new idea, or because they realized something that shoots holes in how we’ve been thinking about a problem.” - Steve Jobs
Until next time.
-Josh
Twitter: Joshua Tucker, John Heaton
WARNING: Anything and everything is subject to change.
© 2012 Joshua Tucker
The number one question I get when I post anything on my Tumblr is “Where can I download this or when will it be available?” For this reason, I figured I would explain myself:
Everything that is initially posted on my Tumblr is a concept unless otherwise specified. This may come as a disappointment to many of you, however I’m here to say that I only create concepts that I feel would be worth pursuing and developing. In other words, I fully intent on getting these projects developed in one way or another so don’t let your sprits drop!
When it comes to bringing a project to life, the hardest first step is finding the right person to work with. Expertise, personality, and a friend relationship are the three main characteristics I look for when I’m scoping out potential partners. Entrusting the vision of your project into the right person is vital for the success of the application, so naturally, the selection process is rigorous. I have high standards for how I want things to work and operate and my expectation is that my co-partner is on the same path and shares the same goals as I do.
Now to the fun part. I have begun my first project based on one of my concepts with John Heaton. He’s the developer of tweaks such as MarkThatMessage, BadgeClear, and Locktopus, plus he’s a great friend of mine. My decision to approach him with my project was deliberate and I know that I made the right choice. Without further to do, I’d like to officially announce our first project together - Abstergo.
Abstergo is based off of my lock screen notification clear concept and is going along quite well. There are obviously hurdles to get this functionality to run smoothly and efficiently, but John has done a wonderful job of taking each chunk one at a time and I’m excited for each new step. The picture above is what we have done thus far.
To alleviate any questions you may have, skim below to get an overview of what we’re willing to answer at this time.
1) First of all, why would you name it Abstergo? That’s a really odd name!
Well growing up, my first language I actually studied in school was Latin. As a result, many of the words and phrases I learned make up a great word bank of names to choose from! They all have significant meanings and definitions and are the foundation for languages such as English, French, Romanian, Italian, and Spanish (plus any other Latin based languages)
Abstergo in Latin means “to clean or wipe away.” For you Assassin’s Creed fans out there, the use of Abstergo is because the group’s purpose was to “cleanse” the world of assassins, or basically their enemies. A domination technique.
Because managing lock screen notifications will require you to clean or wipe away the badges from the screen, I found it to be an appropriate fit. The name is not set in stone, however I’m almost 100% sure this is it.
2) What kind of progress have you made? Is there an ETA?
All we will say at this time is that progress is definitely happening. Giving out an ETA will only setup us up for failure because really, we’re not sure how things are going to play out as things move forward. Since we are both perfectionists, we want to ensure the user experience as well as the coding efficiency behind it are on par. For this reason, we would appreciate all you users to refrain from asking ETAs, although we won’t rudely respond to you if we do answer those types of questions here and there.
3) What will Abstergo do?
Since it is a a lock screen notification manager, it will allow you to do the following:
- Clear individual notifications from the lock screen
- Clear all notifications from the lock screen
- Mark individual notifications read from the lock screen
- Mark all notifications read from the lock screen
Obviously things will change in terms of additions and how it will work, but those four things are our goal at this time. At some point, we will post a video about how it works since a simple photo doesn’t give it justice.
4) What’s the compatibility with Abstergo?
Abstergo will be available on all devices capable of running iOS 5.
5) How much will Abstergo cost?
We haven’t come to a conclusion on that. Whatever the pricing is, we won’t charge anymore than what it is worth.
6) How can I stay updated on Abstergo’s progress?
Follow both John and I on Twitter. At the very bottom of the post, both our Twitter accounts are linked for your convenience
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These are all the questions I’ve come up with thus far; if more questions come in, I’ll add them to this list. You’re welcome to comment below if you have any questions, feedback, or suggestions.
Until next time!
-Josh
Twitter: @joshmtucker, @gojohnnyboi
© 2012 Joshua Tucker
CallBar is 50% off for a limited time (one week)!
CallBar has come a long way since its first design, as you can see from above — through the version updates, CallBar has evolved into a very comprehensive application. It has become one of the most popular phone tweaks from Cydia as well as an overall favorite for all iOS users. Both Limneos and myself couldn’t be more excited and thankful for all the support you guys have given us.
We surpassed 8000 purchases today, so in light of the holidays and this accomplishment, we dropped the price of CallBar from $3.99 to $1.99 for one week. Grab it if you haven’t it and make sure to share this awesome news with friends!
If you’re unsure about what CallBar is all about, make sure to read the depiction.
Enjoy!
You can follow us both on Twitter if you’d like —> @limneos @joshmtucker
