Created
December 12, 2012 18:06
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I'm torn...
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I'm torn… | |
Whether to add features to a shipping app as a result of customer | |
feature requests is always an interesting one. I am certainly not a | |
fan of blindly adding every requested feature to an application but | |
I am definitely not one to completely ignore feedback from our wise | |
(and attractive) users. | |
You might have guessed that this is not a theoretical problem I am | |
talking about so let's talk specifics. | |
When we released Status Magic the most common feature request was one | |
that we did consider during development but rejected. People want to | |
be able to add custom carrier text on the status bar. The reasons | |
given for wanting this mainly boiled down to them wanting to put their | |
company name or similar as the carrier. | |
My big problem with this is that the original point of the app was to | |
clean up status bars and draw the user away from the top of the screen | |
and into the app itself and I think any carrier text at all is against | |
that original goal. | |
The problem with that last sentence however is where I said "original | |
point of the app". When we first had the idea, we didn't even consider | |
that it might end up being be useful for non-developers but I know | |
it's now being used by bloggers, journalists and authors as well as | |
developers. Turns out that it didn't need any changes to be useful in | |
those situations but if I only ever considered the "original point of | |
the app" and not what it's actually being used for then I am sure it | |
would eventually suffer for it. | |
The problem is, if we do add it it's almost like we are endorsing | |
using it to add your company name as a carrier on your App Store | |
screenshots and I really don't like that. I even toyed with the idea | |
of having the feature but showing a warning not to use it ;) (Don't | |
worry, I'm not going to do that). | |
We just finished up a new point release and it doesn't include this | |
feature but I am really torn as to whether that was a mistake or | |
whether we should add it in a future version. | |
I would really appreciate some input on the plusses and minuses of | |
this specific feature this so please comment or tweet me @daveverwer | |
with thoughts… I would really appreciate the help! |
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Thanks all for the comments everyone. Really appreciate it.
Nate: Thank you especially for your comment, I knew it was against the guidelines but I hadn't seen it written down in Apple documentation so clearly as in that document you referenced.
Decision made! We will add the feature but since those guidelines are so clear that you shouldn't have any carrier text at all visible on App Store screenshots I feel comfortable putting a warning to be clearly visible if you do set some carrier text. I think this gives a good compromise between flexibility and not seeming like we are endorsing it for App Store screenshots. The reason I initially discounted the warning was without something concrete like that to link to it felt a little whiny on my part but with a solid reference like that I feel better about it ;)
The warning will be worded something like "The App Store Marketing Guidelines recommend against having carrier text visible on App Store screenshots. You should remove the custom carrier text if these screenshots are intended for use on the App Store." with a button "Learn More" at the right hand side linking to the document on the Apple site.
Guidance along with your warning, what's not to like!