Going Mobile

Although mobile advertising and marketing are in an infancy, recent developments indicate that mobile technology is moving to a platform, similar to the rise of the personal computer that started in the 1980s. Although there is plenty of dust to kick up and settle, we're now able to explore the use of mobile technologies to achieve strategic objectives of a meaningful scale.

objective

Explore and understand the current state of mobile technology, especially for mobile marketing and communication.

requirements

Develop an idea for a mobile application or website (e.g., an iPhone or BlackBerry app).

Create a mock-up of the application for the relevant screen size.

Include a example of how your application would utilize location data of the handset.

Description of how the application is used and under which circumstances.

Description of the business model behind the app (e.g., ad-supported, low-cost, premium price, etc.).

first steps

After generating an idea, you may want to use a program like Photoshop, or GIMP to create the mock-up. You could also potentially use Word or a page layout program, but make sure you research the screen size of the device you've chosen (e.g., the screen size of the Motorola Droid is a bit longer than an iPhone's).

You may also want to check out some of the resources listed below for help creating a mock-up of the application.

Collect your ideas and requirements in a single blog post to submit for this exercise.

grading

50 points possible

Up to 10 points for each requirement

Points off for cutting corners or other evidence of a lackluster effort.

Creativity is welcome and encouraged

deliverable(s)

  1. Submit your assignment using the submission form below
  2. Post a response to this exercise with a link your blog post summarizing what you did to meet each requirement.
  3. Respond to at least one of your class colleague's submissions by replying to their comment on this assignment page.
  4. Rate this exercise and explain your rating with comments about specific strengths/ improvement ideas. Anonymous posts are perfectly acceptable, just log out of the site first.
  5. UIUC Students: Tag the link “ADV400E8” on delicious.com
  6. SU Students: Tag the link "IST400E8" on delicious.com

resources & examples

AppMakr | DIY iPhone application maker, mostly for content based applications

Swep Apps | another DIY iPhone application maker (may not be easy to share your completed mock-up, but has more features than AppMakr)

MobBase | DIY iPhone application maker targeted at bands and online communities

Safari Web Content Guide | a guide for developers on how to write iPhone-friendly websites

How to create iPhone microsites | an article about coding a website for the iPhone

A Guide to WPTouch | a guide to using a WordPress plugin that optimizes your site's content for the iPhone

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