"Mobile App Trends for 2017: Design, Monetization & More" These slides accompany the February 2017 presentation at the Dallas App Developers Meetup by Nick Culbertson. Also included are links to the GDC Crossy Roads Talk and EZSwift Github project (a simple webview app with autolayout).

2. MOBILE APP TRENDS
FOR 2017
NICK CULBERTSON
DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS - FEB. 2, 2017
▸ Design, Monetization & More

3. DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS
Outline
▸ Recap 2016 - App Market Data
▸ What’s New For 2017
▸ Design - Icon, Screenshots, User Interface
▸ Monetization

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WHAT HAPPENED IN 2016

5. DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS
Fun Facts
▸ The global revenue growth rates for both the iOS App
Store and Google Play were greater in 2016 than 2015
▸ China become the largest country in terms of iOS App
Store revenue in 2016
▸ Pokémon GO launched in July 2016 and made the top five
apps for worldwide revenue

6. DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS
New in 2016
‣ iPhone 7, Google Pixel, Samsung Note
‣ Pokemon GO & Super Mario Run
‣ Messages Store
‣ macOS
‣ Search Ads
‣ VR/AR

7. Users spent 25% more time in apps
DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS

8. Downloads increased by 15%
DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS

9. Revenue increased by 40%
DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS

10. Streaming apps took off in 2016
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11. Pokemon GO rapid growth
DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS

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13. TEXT
Games became more dominant

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25% of apps are games

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1000+% difference in 1st & 10th
top grossing apps

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Now over 2 Million iOS Apps!

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Revenue projected to double by 2020

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WHAT’S NEW FOR 2017
New screen size, new OS, same design?

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Design
▸ Icon
▸ Screenshots
▸ User Interface

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Icons
▸ Apple
▸ White logo w/ color gradient or opposite
▸ Games are the exception
▸ Android
▸ Material design w/ Flat colors
▸ Apple Style Rounded rect or Circular Pixel-style icon

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Examples
White Logo with color gradient or color logo on white

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White Logo with color gradient

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Android icons look similar with some changing to circular

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Google’s icons use Material Design look with flat colors

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Dallas App Developers Icon Mock-Up

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Screenshots
▸ Apple shows screenshots of screen exclusively
▸ Other developers frequently include the outline of a
device with a description (users tend to read text on
screenshots before the description)
▸ Google uses a combination of two styles depending on
the app

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Screenshots with device and description

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Screenshots with device and description

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Screenshots with device and description

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Screenshots with In-App Screen

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Android screenshots with In-App Screen

32. DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS
Android screenshots with device and description

33. DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS
User Interface
▸ Minimal (UI and functionality)
▸ Blur layers
▸ Outline iconography
▸ Colorful
▸ Heavy use of native UI elements

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WWDC iTunes UMusic Memos

35. DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS
Other Design Considerations
▸ Watch App Store features, Apple’s apps, and iOS updates for shifts in design
trends (last major update iOS 7).
▸ Design with future updates in mind
▸ Minimal Design - What would this look like if it were simple?
▸ Autolayout
▸ Have a few great features
▸ Go native
▸ Reuse your core codebase
DEMO - EZSwift (https://github.com/NickCulbertson/EZSwift)

36. DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS
Monetization
▸ 3 Models
▸ In-App Purchases (Consumable, Freemium, Subscription,
pay-what-you-want, etc.)
▸ Ads (Banner, Interstitial, Video, Reward Ads)
▸ Premium

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Top Grossing
▸ Most are free to download
▸ Games - Monetized with Reward Ads & IAP Consumables
▸ Others - Subscription

38. DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS
Example 1: Angry Birds Blast
▸ Reward Ads & Consumable IAP
▸ Pros: Makes winning feel like saving money
▸ Cons: I played the entire game without them earning any
revenue from me (ads only pay when they are clicked).
▸ Also incentivize user to return daily, rate prompts & time
refills lives

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Example 2: Okay
▸ Pay-what-you-want & Reward Ads
▸ Pros: Marketable
▸ Cons: Doesn’t work

42. DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS
Reward Ads
▸ Uses
▸ Should add an advantage to the player without them feeling like
they are cheating. i.e. checkpoints, power-ups, hints, continue/save
life
▸ Sample locked content - Crossy Roads, Epic Orchestra ;)
▸ Implementation
▸ Can earn more than IAP - Crossy Roads (https://www.youtube.com/
watch?v=lMqIHm3dDJI)
▸ Great Reward Ad Providers - Chartboost, AppLovin’, Unity Ads

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Subscriptions
▸ Access to information, media or service

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Other Monetization Considerations
▸ Think of your monetization strategy early
▸ Study other successful apps in your category to see how
they are monetizing
▸ It is never too late to change your monetization model (i.e.
Hulu, Netflix, etc.)

45. DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS
Discussion
▸ When should you update your apps?
▸ Are premium apps dead?
▸ How can you get featured in 2017?

46. MOBILE APP TRENDS
FOR 2017
NICK CULBERTSON
DALLAS APP DEVELOPERS - FEB. 2, 2017
Next Meeting
▸ Show & Tell / App Lightning Talks - March 2nd