Exclusive Interview With Color Eyes – iPhone App Marketing Director, Jennifer Metayer
Color Eyes is a really simple yet effective app to literally change the color of eyes within a photograph. We wanted to find out more about this app and the developers behind it, read this interesting interview now.
The Beginning
Can you tell our readers how your app was originally thought of, what were your thoughts behind the marketplace, specifically?
Our goal for ColorEyes was to create an app that would be simple, easy to use and provide a realistic eye color effect. We noticed there were several apps for adding cartoon eyes within the App Store but quickly realized there was no app for changing just color. We seized the opportunity and I think we achieved our goal. The app is extremely easy to use: you just shoot or pick the photo, move a pair of sliders and that’s it!
Design
Can you tell us how you came up with the colors and themes ideas, design?
In developing all of our apps, we try to design around the iPhone user interface following Apple’s guidelines. We also created a custom made title screen to make the intro a little more appealing. We kept the overall look of the app neutral and minimalistic so it’s easy for users to stay focused on the most important part of the app – the eye color!
Target Market
Who do you see as the main target market for this app?
Though we certainly anticipated that photography enthusiasts would appreciate this app, we didn’t plan for any specific market beyond that. We have a wide range of users across many market segments.
Production Process
How long did it take from the original planning to the production process of your app?
Since we were able to borrow some of the technologies from our existing app Make a Face, the entire ColorEyes project took us only about four weeks, all the way from planning to final testing.
Sales
How do you view your sales, is there a good solid market for this style of app?
ColorEyes has had the strongest start out of all our apps thus far with thousands of copies sold in just the first three weeks. This strength continued even after the app moved out of the top 20 list in the Photography category, so we’re confident about its longterm potential.
Obstacles
What has been the hardest obstacle you have had to overcome regarding this app development?
It was very challenging to develop an app that would provide high quality final images. Even if you select a photo with good resolution, the iPhone always shrinks the photo to use less memory.
Third Party Apps
Would you consider developing apps for third parties?
Yes, definitely. We have strong experience in all facets of the development process, including analysis, design, coding, optimization and testing.
App Store
What have you learnt from the App Store since you launched your app?
With over 200,000 apps downloaded by 15 million users, it is very challenging to predict which apps will be best sellers and which will not. As the number of iPhone users around the globe continues to grow, the App Store market preferences and expectations evolve along with it. The key is to evolve at the same pace and be prepared for the next step.
Apple Support
Have Apple supported you well with your app?
Yes. The support and app approval process has improved significantly in the last six months. We recently had a problem displaying one of our other apps, iMargin, in the App Store. We requested support by email and the problem was fixed in literally just minutes!
The Future
What next, are you developing another app? Would you go for the same genre again, if not which?
Our future plans include several more apps in the Photography and Business and Productivity categories that turn some of our single-function apps into more complete solutions. The feedback we’ve received in these categories already has made us quite knowledgeable about what users are looking for in these areas, so it’s a logical next step.
The iPad
The Apple iPad – what are your thoughts about it and how do you think your app will integrate?
We know already that not all successful iPhone apps will see the same success simply by becoming iPad compatible. So far, we haven’t considered making ColorEyes compatible and most likely will not until Apple releases iPads with cameras.
Our Support
What do you think of our site, have we helped you market your app well – do you like our design – would you recommend us?
We hope your site will help us market ColorEyes and other iPhone apps in the future. Overall, we like your website’s design and content.
Joanne Carter
Joanne Carter is a British photography journalist, editor, curator, and the founder of *TheAppWhisperer.com*, one of the world’s leading platforms dedicated to mobile photography and art. Since its launch in 2009, TheAppWhisperer has become an international hub for artists of all levels to discover, learn, exhibit, and engage with contemporary photographic practice.Built on principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and artistic excellence, Joanne has spent almost two decades championing mobile photography as a serious artistic medium. Through interviews, critical essays, exhibitions, competitions, and education, she has helped shape and document the evolution of mobile art on a global scale.Her work has taken her internationally, lecturing on photography and mobile art at institutions and events including the Museum of Art in Seoul, South Korea, alongside appearances in the UK and Europe. She has served as a juror for international photography and mobile art awards across Portugal, Canada, the United States, South Korea, Italy, and the UK.Joanne is also the founder of *TheAppWhispererPrintSales.com*, one of the first online galleries dedicated exclusively to collectible mobile art, connecting artists with collectors across Europe, the United States, and Asia.Before founding TheAppWhisperer, Joanne worked extensively in print journalism and photographic publishing, including roles at a paparazzi photo agency and as deputy editor of a leading photography magazine. Her freelance journalism, criticism, and commentary have been published widely in both the UK and the US, with bylines in *The Times*, *The Sunday Times*, *The Guardian*, *Popular Photography*, *NikonPro*, *DPReview*, *Which?*, *Vogue Italia*, *LensCulture*, the *BBC*, and more recently, the *Financial Times*, where her published letters on photography continue to contribute to wider conversations around the medium.Alongside her editorial and curatorial work, Joanne’s own photographic practice has been exhibited internationally across the UK, Europe, South Korea, and the United States. Her work increasingly explores themes of grief, loss, death, memory, and the body.Her current research interests centre on grief, death, and poverty, with forthcoming postgraduate study leading towards doctoral research in these areas.Joanne is currently developing new long-form writing and photographic projects and is available for commissions, editorial projects, speaking engagements, and collaborations.Contact: joannetheappwhisperer@gmail.com)
