Exclusive Interview With Fontify App Developer – Bitongo Limited

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

The idea of a drawing tool where users can draw pictures by using fonts was first mentioned last year by a designer friend. At that time we did not consider it deeper though because of our time constraints. Earlier this year the idea surfaced again and we were really interested to see how we could create such an app with a very strong social element – enabling users to immediately share their font sketches with friends who could in turn continue editing them as well. We decided this could easily become a viral product especially within the circles of designers interested in typography. We had several ideas for a name but then we decided Fontify is catchy, short and communicates the purpose of the app properly.

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

We started from a very minimalistic approach, thinking about gray tones and just 1-2 buttons. Then we decided to add more features to the app, like Online Gallery browsing, local load/save, advanced selection editing like duplication, flip. During the evolution of the app features we also felt that a warmer atmosphere would greatly benefit Fontify and we went for drawing board-like visuals, making the user really feel like they were sketching on a piece of paper on a desk.

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

Our target audience is 25+ creatives interested in creating unique sketches. When we advertised our beta test program we realized we had pinpointed our audience pretty well. Almost all signups to the beta were 25+

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

Our first proof of concept was done in February and now we are looking at a mid-August release. The most time consuming part of the product was the online features: sharing, browsing online sketches, the process of ‘liking’ and reediting existing sketches.

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

Currently it looks like there is a vacuum and we are trying to fill it with Fontify. We have not found any other apps on the App Store which enables users to do what Fontify is capable of

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

The biggest challenge was probably the technical side of rendering the fonts in a nice way. As our users have a great taste in aesthetics it was crucial for us to present their sketches in the best possible way, without causing any performance issues. We are glad to say we are able to support not only the latest iOS HW but older generations as well with decent performance.

Would you consider developing apps for third parties?

We already have experience with developing for third parties and we are interested in future possibilities as well.

What have you learnt from the App Store?

The App Store is an extremely competitive environment. As overcrowded as it might be, I believe it is still possible to stand out with exceptional apps.

Have Apple supported you well with your App development?

Absolutely. When we needed assistance they provided great information which helped us build Fontify an even better app.

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

We have been developing for iOS since 2008 and our main profile was games in the past. Recently we have done some other applications like Green Wave, a community-based traffic monitoring app and Budapest Cycle Track which aims to demonstrate popular bicycling routes in the city, also based on a community effort. We are planning on moving Budapest Cycle Track to a global market but our immediate plans are revolving around our games portfolio again for now. Soccer Tactics Multiplayer enjoys a loyal player base and we are in the middle of a complete makeover for that app, making it even better than today.

What do you think about TheAppWhisperer.com? Have we helped you? Would you recommend us? Have we been supportive?

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