With the iPad growing to over two million units in two months, it is inevitable that there would be a multiple of similar apps being released. A few weeks ago I reviewed a wireframing app by the name of iMockups developed by Endloop.ca that is very promising but has with a few usability issues. I made mention of its limited export capabilities and somewhat unintuitive interface. There is a new app called SketchyPad that brings serious competition to the nascent iPad wireframing market.
SketchyPad is a gorgeously designed app with a leather aesthetic that mimics a day planner. On the left is a collapsible menu comprised of 56 stencils - the majority of the screen available for the blank canvas area. The canvas is a fixed size, unlike iMockups, which can be resized according to your project needs. For me, having a fixed area for the canvas is preferable to iMockups where I was always adjusting the wireframe size. At the top are alignment options, color pickers, text tools and file management menus. Stencils are utilized by dragging them from the left menu onto the canvas, once there they can be resized or locked so they do not interfere with additional stencils.
Text elements such as titles and URLs can be edited by using the text tool; iMockups has what I call "smart stencils" that automatically determines text input areas depending on the stencil type. This is area that SketchyPad should look to iMockups to improve on. SketchyPad treats each wireframe as an individual page so there are no options to create multiple wireframes as part of a project. iMockups much better project and file management functionality and SketchyPad loses points in the area.
SketchyPad, however has several robust options for export - these include saving to the camera roll, sending a sketch by e-mail, or my favorite, export to Balsamic. An exported file can be opened and edited on the desktop with Balsamiq. This one feature alone, for me made SketchyPad a go to tool, as I can initiate a wire frame on the train and then finish the project on my MacBook Pro.
SketchyPad brings a new paradigm to wireframing on the iPad and hopefully will improve rapidly. It has a more refined interface, with better options for file export, but has somewhat poor document management capabilities. I suspect that those looking for a wire framing app, will be split between on iMockups and Sketchy. Each app has their pros and cons and choosing one will be determined more by user preference. Personally, I am leaning towards SketchyPad due to its lower price point - S4.99 vs .99 for iMockups, along with its export capabilities to Balsamiq.
SketchyPad v1.0
Developer: Nick Golovin
Cost: .99
App Store Link
[rating:4.0/5]
You've probably seen QR codes on postal packages, in print ads and catalogs, even on an iPad commercial; but do you know what they are and how it can benefit your business?
A QR (Quick Response) code is a two-dimensional matrix barcode that can be decoded ("read") by smartphones that have a decoder app installed. Created in Japan by a subsidiary of Toyota in 1994 these codes have been commonly used there and in Europe for over ten years for a variety of purposes. In 2010, they started appearing in the US in marketing Applications.
The majority of these codes are black on a white background. Free apps are readily available for creating and decoding QR codes and many smartphones are now coming pre-loaded with a decoder. (Microsoft owns a proprietary version called Microsoft Tag that uses CMYK colors and requires its own app for decoding.)
A recent industry study showed that QR code creation has increased 700% from January 2010 to January 2011. U.S. consumer based code scanning has increased from an average of 1,250 times per day in January 2010 to an average of 37,500 scans per day as of January 2011. Clearly, this is just the beginning of a growing trend.
The marketing Applications of these codes are relevant for any type or size of business. Because they can be generated at no cost, the bar for entering this area of marketing is low. The key to using these codes successfully is in the creative and appropriate placement of them.
At their most basic, QR codes are an efficient way to transmit information directly to a prospect's cell phone. You can program a QR code to take the recipient directly to a website, deliver your contact information (VCard), or to create an SMS text message to be sent directly to your cell phone so that your prospects don't have to manually enter the information. This ensures that your prospects won't mistype anything causing them to be unable to reach you.
For more experiential marketing opportunities, QR codes can be used:
on in-store signage giving customers on-the-spot discounts and incentives and product information. to drive people to your Facebook or Twitter page to get them to "like" or "follow" you. in museums, art galleries, or other displays to link to an online audio file that will use their phone to take the place of an audio tape tour. to deliver clues in a scavenger hunt. to run an online sweepstakes. as an invitation to an event. to give directions to a particular location for an event.
To create a QR code, simply use one of the free code generators available online (just search the term "QR code generator"). Some of the generators have more functionality than others. Paid generators with more robust capabilities, including the ability to track statistics on scanned codes are also available.
Where can you put a QR code?
printed marketing materials (e.g. business cards, brochures, etc...), promotional products, signage, websites and online ads, product packaging, and more.
The key to marketing successfully with QR codes is to create a code that, at its minimum, gives the person scanning an easier way to start or maintain contact with you. At its best, a successful QR code creates an interactive opportunity for your customers and prospects so that they want to continue a relationship with you. A marketing professional versed in the uses of QR codes can develop a program that can integrate the use of QR codes into an existing marketing plan while maximizing results from their use.
The options are really only limited by the imagination of your marketing team!
QR Codes - Are You Responding Quickly to Their Marketing Applications?