Apps have become a dominant part of our daily lives. They can be useful, entertaining or even completely pointless.

We here feel, however, that apps have yet to reach both their creative and functional zenith. So what is the key to a successful app?

2011 brought with it some of the most creative apps yet, and here at The Practice we were smitten by some more than others, such as VW’s outstanding iPad app, which implemented augmented reality in a completely new way as part of their marketing scheme.

Well, a wise man once said that simplicity is key and it certainly is! How do you expect to get market penetration if half your target audience are unable to work the app? Another wise man (myself) once said that a new app should be different. If you are going to spend your time and money on an app, it should stand out from the crowd. And what a big crowd it is! On iOS alone, there are over 500,000 apps to choose from, it’s a highly competitive arena. So what do we mean by ‘being different’?

First off, it’s important to remember that an app doesn’t necessarily need to be monetized or have an advertising stream in order to be valuable to a brand. Apps can come in all shapes and sizes and can be for one, many or all platforms. Here’s an idea I had whilst watching the latest season of Sherlock on the BBC.

In episode 2, you will note that Sherlock and Miss Adelaide have a running battle over a mobile phone, which is locked by a 4 letter password. We thought it would be neat if a simple app was created that allowed users to guess the password throughout the show. Now this app does not generate any income, nor is it highly functional, yet it creates a brand awareness and allows the viewers/users to interact with the show, a powerful marketing tool.

2012 is the year of the application. Yes! Many cool devices will come out that exhibit never seen before speed and screen clarity. You will note, however, that this is only so they can run their apps better.