The New Renaissance : A Glimpse Into The World Of Creative App Development By Sarah Jarrett

Portrait ‘La Vie en Rouge’ – © Sarah Jarrett

SJ – Procreate (Sketch.Paint.Create) was recently awarded an Apple Design Award honouring outstanding Design and Innovation. Quite a remarkable achievement in its brief two year existence. I was interested to find out how the app came into being,

JC – ‘We wanted to develop an illustration app that could rival or exceed the desktop for performance and capability. We felt if we achieved that, we could transform the iPad into a true next-generation drawing tablet, free from bulky PC towers and tethered drawing tablets. Unlike Adobe, we didn’t see the iPad as a consumption device or ‘companion’ to the PC. We saw the iPad as the new PC. It was this line of thinking that guided us during every step of the design and development process.’

SJ – What do you think makes this app so unique? What stands it apart from others?

JC – ‘Procreate is the only iPad illustration app aimed at the professional illustrator. And of course it has all the depth you would expect from software aimed at professionals, many of which are unique to Procreate like our 4K canvas size. This ultra-high definition canvas translates into 16 mega-pixel or 4096 x 4096 pixels in size. Other major features include 64-bit colour, blistering performance thanks to our OpenGL Silica engine, custom brushes, up to 128 layers, over 120 beautiful tools for sketching, inking, painting and airbrushing, plus many other wonderful and imaginative digital tools!

But I think Procreate’s most compelling features are the things you can’t really quantify on paper. Thoughtful details, intelligent multi touch gestures and care throughout the app, combine to form a beautiful environment in which to be creative. I think the fact it’s well designedand fully featured, is the main reason artists keep coming back to Procreate.’

SJ – How much attention do you pay as an app developer to the imagery being created with the app? Does this influence its ongoing development? Do you interact with your users?

JC – ‘We’re a very hands-on company. Artists are creating amazing artworks using Procreate and we spend a great deal of our time talking directly to these artists. These relationships invariably impact the development of Procreate, almost always in a positive way.’

Is there a point when you see the app has reached a state of perfection and needs no further changes? Do you feel compelled by competition to keep making the app better?

‘We’re guided by our own compass and driven by our own incessant need to better our past work. In a sense, we are our biggest competitor. And we believe there is always room for improvement.’

Portrait ‘The Blackbird’s Song’ – © Sarah Jarrett

SJ – How fast is technology changing in creating apps that can offer users a better and better experience?

JC – ‘I think the most interesting trend in the software industry is the rise of design. In 2013, great design is no longer an advantage.It’s mandatory. This thinking is really changing how we interact and experience technology for the better.’

SJ – Do other apps influence what changes you make to the app?

SJ – ‘We have a very precise vision of Procreate. The only outside influence we allow into our roadmap, is the collective voice of the Procreate community. We listen toProcreate artists very carefully and make sure that at every stage, we are developing a tool that empowers them to be creative.’

SJ – How competitive is the market?

JC – ‘The high-end illustration market is quite niche, but iOS as a platform, is exceptionally competitive.’

SJ – How difficult is being an app developer?

JC – ‘It’s easy to register as a developer, download the tools and create an app. But to produce compelling software which truly impacts someone’s life, is something else entirely. It’s a lot of hard work and consumes our life. Thankfully we find it incredibly rewarding and meaningful!’

Portrait ‘Things that were left unsaid’ – © Sarah Jarrett

SJ – What vision do you have of apps in ten years time? Where is the technology going?

JC – ‘Ten years might be a bit hard to call. But for the near future, I think the iPad app revolution will continue to expand and disrupt many different industries.’

SJ – Anything else you would like to add?

JC – ‘I recommend growing a beard and taking a short holiday. It really puts things into perspective.’

SJ – Thank you so much James Cuda for generously giving your time. http://procreate.si/

Don’t miss my interview with Teresita Alonso Garit from iColorama on Tuesday 24 September 2013, only here on TheAppWhisperer.com

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