What is #MaterialDesign ?

I tried to learn a bit about Google's #MaterialDesign this evening following some criticism of my first icon design for my next app SiteSnaps.

So what is Material Design? Don't ask me! I spent an hour reading about it on Google's documentation pages and I still don't get it. I mean does this mean anything to anyone?

...The use of familiar tactile attributes helps users quickly understand affordances. Yet the flexibility of the material creates new affordances that supercede those in the physical world, without breaking the rules of physics...

Well not to me.

So I have some issues with Material Design.

Firstly as highlighted above, it seems like Material Design is the invention of a new language. I think this language is designed to monopolise the vocabulary around and as a result the approach to graphic design - Soon everything will look like it was made by Google.

Secondly, Google is trying to make us conform to a narrow design envelope. Where's the freedom and space for creativity? If all app designers use the fixed colour palettes and strict rules provided by Material Design, things will become quite predictable and boring.

Thirdly, who's judgement of good design are we trusting? There are a whole selection of Do's and Don'ts. Some of the Don't actually look OK to me.

And another (I quite like the off-center folds):

Finally, There's #contradiction. Material Design says in a number of web pages:

 A folder corner, or dog-ear, is used with forms associated with documents or traditional paper-based metaphors...Don’t use a dog-ear treatment in the upper-left of an icon. The cast shadow from this position interrupts the harmony of the icon.

... Google's Newsstand is probably the most heavily used app on my phone. Take a look at it's icon:

So that's clear. #WellDoneGoogle.

All this said, I don't claim to have good a good eye for graphic design, and I do like the look of Material Design icons. I expect I'll be a full convert within a month.

I'll post tomorrow about the useful Material Design related resources I located online.

Keyword ranking improves

A couple of days ago I was a bit put out by a sudden drop in keyword ranking for Float. I was at a loss to explain it.

Now just as suddenly, my ranking has returned. So what happened? Perhaps Google changed an algorithm then changed it back?

Even so, me restored ranking is still very low. I suspect I need more positive ratings to boost it up higher. But I have issue with this. Have you looked at the reviews of indie apps? All 5 stars and all genetic text like "great app, just what I needed!" And "this app is perfect. Outstanding work." These reviews could be for any app, and I suspect have been posted to many apps. Its a buddy system, and means nothing to the quality of an app, only the skill of the marketer.

I guess I need  to apply the same strategy...

Sensor Tower Keyword Analysis Revisited

I'd love to know what caused this sudden loss of keyword performance...

I'm getting that sinking feeling again.

(Statistics from sensortower.com)

Hiatus end

I was just getting going with  Float, having released my first version and maintained it with a few upgrades in its first month. But then the burden of marketing and a full time job, and international travel, and Christmas, and various other excuses, go tin the way.

The end result: a few months with no development and no promotion.

This has had the disappointing consequence of a complete drop off in use of Float, and thereby a reduction in add revenue (from a few pence per month to no pence per month).

I guess I'm picking it up off the ground to try and build something with momentum this time.

What is reassuring though is that a few months of inactivity can limit new users, but it seems active installs can weather the storm:

So I've been hard at work these last few nights on the next major release. And the good news is I've got something exciting to show for it. Last night I played the first ever game of Float 3D:

The only final comment I'll make is... Coming Soon to an app store near you!