EXCLUSIVE Pre-Launch App Interview With iPhoneography, PicPlayPost CoFounder, Ihung Tu

J We’re really excited about your new appPicPlayPost and we are lucky enough to have had a sneak peek prior to launch. It’s an inspiring app and one that we feel many photographers will enjoy. Can you tell us how the idea for this app came about?

I I just asked my team this question and no one knows so I’m going to take credit for it. It was my idea, all of it. It might be time to remove-“Co” from my title.

The inspiration for PicPlayPost derives from our first app called Clefit (for iPad only). This is a great platform used to design interactive portfolios, presentations, sales kits, ebooks, etc and we wanted to make it available on smaller mobile devices. As is, Clefit wouldn’t be a great experience on the iPhone or iPod so we decided to break this app down to the fundamental feature, the act of adding pictures and video (or “building”) on a mobile device. Our hope is that consumers will develop a habit of “building” on their mobile device and trade up to Clefit for a much greater building experience.

Image above copyright Joanne Carter, 2012

J There are several quite popular framing style apps now available in the app store, what do you think will make yours stand out?

I This interview, Joanne, you have over 15K followers on Twitter so we know you will get us noticed! (actually Ihung, it’s closer to 16,000 but anyway…:) I only have three and two of my followers are @Clefit and @PicPlayPost I don’t know who the third follower is…stalker.

Seriously though, there are a number of great framing apps on the market but what sets PicPlayPost apart is the ability to integrate video within the frame. Video integration certainly adds another layer of fun and engaging experience for the end user. There are a multitude of customizable features and the user interface has been optimized for smaller screens.

J We particularly like the sharing facilities that you have created, will you also be adding more?

I ABSOLUTELY! Sharing is a critical part of PicPlay(POST) and our goal is to identify and link to as many different services as possible to give consumers a wide selection of sharing outlets.

J Will you, in a future update, consider including some photo editing tools within the app?

I Hmm, this is not a bad idea! Joanne. We are certainly open to adding new features to PicPlayPost so readers should follow us on twitter @picplaypost and facebook to receive instant updates.

Image above copyright Joanne Carter, 2012

J We love the choice of frames, there are so many to choose from.The styles adjustments and patterns also add unique features, where did the inspiration come from for them?

I Depending on who you ask on my team, the response will change so I’m not sharing this question with them. The features in PicPlayPost exist in Clefit and they evolved over time after many late nights filled with cold pizza, beer and a copy of the Modern Family Season 2 DVD (we spend all our money on beer so we can’t afford Blu-ray).

J Do you have a price point yet for this app?

I PicPlayPost will release for $0.9899999 cents. Most consumers will round up to $0.99.

J How long has it been in development?

I 18 months, 3 weeks, 6 days, and roughly 19 minutes wait I don’t think this is right….

To be honest, the framework for PicPlayPost was already developed within our first app Clefit and our 2-man programming team spent a few weeks tweaking it for a separate release.

J Will this be a universal app, so that users can use it on both iPhones and iPads?

I Yes, PicPlayPost is compatible with iPhones, iPod Touch, and iPads.

J What is your target market demographics?

I EVERYONE! Anyone who loves sharing multiple pictures and video at once is the perfect demo. PicPlayPost is designed with a very simple interface and is easily shared through Facebook, Twitter, Email, etc.

Image above copyright Joanne Carter, 2012

J Have you considered in-app purchase features?

I Hmm, this is also a great idea, we need to do more of these interviews! Joanne. Sounds good to me, Ihung. This is something we have thrown around in our team meetings but have not gone in-depth because we have been focused on prepping PicPlayPost for its release on February 23.

Image above copyright Joanne Carter, 2012

J Thank you so much Ihung for this great interview, we can’t wait for PicPlayPost to hit the App Store and wish you all the success in the world, and of course, we’ll help you with that 😉