Personal thoughts on creating an app

Hi all

Well, we have now released our Team-FM iPhone app. If you haven't read about it, the internet radio station, Team-FM (owned by myself and my partner Lulu), now has an app available for iPhones, iPads and iPods. This is obtainable from the App Store if you search for Team-FM.

I have to say this has been a big learning curve for us. It means as an internet radio station we have a presence in the App Store and as a result there is expertise we can draw upon (and tools available) so as to encourage people to listen to Team-FM and we will be taking full advantage of those. The range of promotional tools available for developers is very impressive. I am very proud of the fact that we have this app available and also that a similar Android app is on the way very soon.

It just shows that, if you set your mind to something, you can achieve it. Last year, I knew absolutely nothing about Drupal setup or administration. But we needed a nice accessible website using Drupal as a platform. I learned it and built the site. We needed a way of people being able to listen to our programmes when they wanted to. We went out and found a way of doing it. We needed pictures not only for the website but certainly for the new app. We got them created. We knew nothing whatever about creating apps for the Apple and Android platforms. We're doing it. Who knows what else we could do.

My message is, don't give up. If you want something, go and get it if you can.

I must say that the app evaluation and review process from Apple seems to be very thorough and that is as it should be. The app submission process and documentation for developers is all there for anyone to use and it is accessible. Go for it!

We've received some amazing comments and encouragement as a result of launching the app and thank you so much. Please do keep your suggestions coming. We've already received a number of suggestions for improvement and features, and we are already very actively looking at moving forward from version 1 of the app to improve the user experience. This is only the beginning. We will keep improving.

If you have comments to make, (for example if you are having a problem with the app), do let us know. We cannot possibly improve anything if we don't know about it. If you have questions or suggestions, do send them to info@team-fm.com and we will do our very best to improve the app. We can only learn, but I think what we have is a very good start and something to build on.

Have a good day everyone!