Exclusive Interview With TiltShift Generator – Fake Miniature – App Developer – Takayuki Fukatsu

Please explain how your app was originally thought of and what were your thoughts behind the marketplace, specifically?

Initially I am huge fun of fake miniature pictures that you can see on flickr, youtube or vim. However, to take those images you need to use a kind of special lens, TiltShift Lens is needed and its so expensive ( approx $2500 to $3000).

What I did first is making flash web application for personal use, after I released it on the web site, many people wanted iPhone version of it.

Explain the design, how you came up with the colors and themes.

My main concern is simplicity and make photo manipulation handy. This is a mobile application, I don’t want to spend too much time editing photographs with a small screen. If an app forces people to spend too much time, the user will use just photoshop.

So I eliminated functionality, placed layout buttons carefully and made it as simple as possible. The result is simple tab based navigation with popup controllers. All the user needs to do is just move tab menu from left to right and you
can get nice result.

It is a good thing that many photo app developer follow that manner(tab and footer popup) since we developed the app. We made a kind of standard interface ( I hope it is not popular before we made the app).

Who do you see as the main target market for this app in terms of age, genre and expenditure?

Our original target is people who love photography but don’t have an actual TiltShift Lens for fake miniature pics.

Basically TiltShift Lens is too expensive even for professional photographer. I would like to introduce this Lens to more casual market.

How long did it take from the original planning to the production process of this app?

At first I made working prototype in a week with Adobe Flash. Afterwards I spent three months working on user interface improvements and beta testing. Finally, with my friend’s help,  it took 6 weeks to translate the flash version to an iPhone version.

How do you predict sales to be, is there a good solid market for this style of app?

When I made it, I didn’t know if there was a good market for this kind of app. However, just as we released the app another app (called TiltShift) received short term success in the Japanese market. So I thought If I made good app people probably love it.

What has been the hardest obstacle you have had to overcome regarding this app development?

Simply fast and high quality blur processing. Second trial is translating user interface from web app to iPhone app.

Would you consider developing apps for third parties?

Sometimes yes. I don’t do coding so much but designs user interface.

What have you learnt from the App Store?

Too keep the app fresh, developers need to develop what they really like and what they need themselves, otherwise they can’t keep the passion for updates. Its not just a business.

Have Apple supported you well with your App development?

Yep. Guideline of user interface is always helpful and brilliant.

What next, are you developing another app, would you go for the same genre again, if not which?

I have now made several photo apps. For the next project I would like a challenge by making an Album app because I need it personally. I know instagram is one of the coolest solution of photo/album app but I also want to find different solution.

What do you think about TheAppWhisperer.com?

This is first time so not sure yet. But seems you guys loves camera application. It is good to me 🙂

Tiltshift Generator for iPhone retails for $0.99 and you can pick it up here