{"id":346,"date":"2013-11-27T22:14:28","date_gmt":"2013-11-27T22:14:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.knicket.com\/magazine\/?p=346"},"modified":"2013-11-28T22:43:37","modified_gmt":"2013-11-28T22:43:37","slug":"9-questions-for-app-developer-lucas-zanotto-maker-of-drawnimal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/en.knicket.com\/magazine\/9-questions-for-app-developer-lucas-zanotto-maker-of-drawnimal\/","title":{"rendered":"9 QUESTIONS FOR LUCAS ZANOTTO, MAKER OF IPAD KIDS APP DRAWNIMAL"},"content":{"rendered":"

His app DRAWNIMAL<\/a> is a fascinating hybrid of the analogue and digital world. It connects on-screen animation, learning and real drawing around the iPad. We asked Lucas 9 questions.<\/p>\n

How did you become an app developer?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It started with an idea about an app. I got fascinated by \u00a0it and wanted to hold this product in my hands. Bit by bit I started to enter the market, teaming up with people and developed the workflow.<\/p>\n

How big is your team and how did you find it?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We are a part-timer team of 3 people spread over europe. The programmer Niels Hoffmann I met through a friend and Ulrich Troyer, the sound designer I knew already fro my childhood.<\/p>\n

You recently moved to Finland. How is the app developer scene there?<\/strong><\/p>\n

It is very impressive how much is happening here in developer scene, considering how small Finland is. There are many very successful gaming companies and also many smaller startups.<\/p>\n

How did you get inspired to develop DRAWNIMAL?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The idea was born while my daughter and I played with an alphabet book. This book showed us how to build an origami-animal out of a paper letter. I wanted to bring a similar analog and funny learning experience to our daily digital devices.”<\/p>\n

\u00a0What were the obstacles developing DRAWNIMAL and how long did it take?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I think overall we worked 2 months on it. The main obstacle was to find the right animals for the letters. We started with 4 languages and wanted to minimize the animations. So we had to find animals that worked for all the 4 languages and move them around the alphabet. We ended up to cover english, german, spanish and french with 32 animals. That was quite a task.<\/p>\n

What did you learn from developing this app?<\/strong><\/p>\n

That it will take always at least 5 times longer then planed. We learned a lot about the workflow and can use now our knowhow on the following apps we are producing at the moment.<\/p>\n

What tips would you give someone who is just starting out developing apps?<\/strong><\/p>\n

To make a good plan. To give yourself deadlines. Accept compromises. Don’t be to eager to launch.<\/p>\n

What is your next project and how did you come up with the idea?<\/strong><\/p>\n

We will launch soon a children app where you can mix animals. It is based on a classic flip book. It will be full of lovely hand drawn animations. It will be funny and a very simple app with a little educational twist. The idea came again from some old school books. We did not find so far a version of this flip book on the appstore, which convinced us, so we wanted to try it out.<\/p>\n

Finally, what app is most fascinating to you right now?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I just stumbled across the game Drei by Etter<\/a> the other day and I am really impressed about the experience, design and the simple 3d in it.<\/p>\n

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