Earlier this year we were contacted by Grant Glas of App Press inviting us to try out their platform for creating Android and iOS apps without writing a single line of code.
After chatting with Grant he suggested working together to create a free iPad app based on Insites: The Book. We thought that this was a great idea and as of today you can download Insites: The App directly from the App Store. Grant and his team worked closely with us to create the app and have done a fantastic job of showcasing a couple of questions from each of the 20 interviews in the book — we couldn’t be happier with the result.
Whilst we were waiting on Apple to approve the app I sat down with Grant and asked him a few questions about the App Press, the company, it’s history and their mission to enable designers to create apps code free.
Grant, tell us a bit about the people behind App Press
App Press is a web platform where users can create apps and mobile web sites code free. App Press was created by Kevin Smith and me to bridge the knowledge gap between graphic designers and developers.
As a designer, I wanted to build apps code free. As a developer, Kevin wrote the solution. After creating several apps utilising an early version of App Press, we decided to launch a private beta in May of 2011.
During the next 12 months, 2,000 designers signed up and created 32 apps. Leveraging feedback from those designers, we went back to the drawing board and re-imagined App Press, launching version 1.0 in June of 2012. To-date the entire business has been bootstrapped by Kevin and I.
What were you and the Kevin doing prior to starting App Press?
I was a magazine art director in charge of all editorial design and layout for two monthly magazines. I have expert knowledge in Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator, but can’t write a line of code to save my life.
Kevin, on the other hand was a IT Specialist for a large nonprofit. He is proficient in PHP, JavaScript/HTML 5/CSS3, C#, Java, and Objective-C. Before we created App Press, Kevin built an award winning app called Droptext.
Droptext was the very first iOS app to edit Dropbox text files. The app was showcased on online.wsj.com, gizmodo.com and wired.com. We decided to team up and combine our talents to create a designer friendly way to create apps.
What are the main challenges for app (both iOS and Android) developers and designers today?
We know the main challenges for creating apps today is time, money and fragmentation. Building an app the traditional way is expensive with U.S. developers billing clients at $100 per hour.
Plus, if you want to release on Android and iOS you are looking at several additional hurdles, which include redesigning your user interface, to adjust to Android’s multiple screen sizes.
What are the barriers to entry and how does App Press reduce them?
One of the highest barriers of entry is learning how to code an app. App Press eliminates that completely. In fact 95% of our apps were created without writing a single line of code. No code means no headaches for a lot of people.
How easy is it for a “web designer” to get started with App Press?
Any type of designer can easily jump into App Press! The UI and UX was developed based off the fundamentals of everyday design software. App Press is a combination of MailChimp meets Photoshop.
Which apps that have been created on App Press are you most proud of?
Three App Press powered apps really stick out to us. Of course, Viewport Industries’ app, Insites is one of our new favorites!
The Chili Chef was one of the very first apps created using App Press. Apple placed it on the homepage of the App Store in the ‘Staff Picks’ section and it took off! The Chili Chef app was proof the App Press platform worked. We built the app code free in less than a week and Apple hand-selected it as a showcase app. That type of success is usually limited to large developers that spend big bucks developing apps using native code.
Another favorite was developed by an entrepreneur based out of Greenwich Village, New York. He built a guide to Greenwich Village that perfectly showcases the capabilities of App Press.
What’s your roadmap looking like?
We have several great additions in store, including Push notifications and analytics for the apps our users build.
How can people find out more about App Press?
We suggest giving it a test drive. There is a free 30-day trial if you visit: www.app-press.com. We are also happy to offer your readers a special discount. If you enter the promo code: insites when subscribing to the Pro account ($39 per month) it will be discounted to $9 per month.
Download Insites: The App from the App Store