The Birth and Life of an App

When did you first start planning the app and when was it launched?

I was inspired to pursue an ISLANDS app in March 2009 when I watched Apple's video presentation of the then-new iPhone OS 3.0. One screen showed an in-app purchase of a magazine subscription, and that opened my eyes to more revenue beyond maybe a 99-cent download. I bought "App for Dummies" to see how far I could get. Answer: page 104. At that point, online director Bill Crosby took mercy on me and connected me with James Vaughan, a developer here with loads of enthusiasm and expertise for apps. That was June 2009. We worked off and on for the next nine months together as a side project, finally debuting it in the App Store on March 31, 2010.

Who is the app for and how do you expect people to use it?

The ISLANDS Pictures app is for anyone who loves island pictures - so we hope everybody. It is like a little island vacation in your pocket. Have a minute to daydream? Look at a picture and escape in your mind. And when you're ready to travel there, each photo links to an ISLANDS Destination Guide. Plus we worked in a camera contest, quizzes, photo feed, picture of the day and of course, a subscribe button for our magazine, newsletter and more.

Who developed the app?

James Vaughan in IT here in Winter Park. His knowledge of the code opened doors to what we could do. On the editorial side, I worked with our art director, Mike Bessire, on design elements to give the app a consistent feel with the ISLANDS brand.

What has the response been?

1,400 downloads within the first week with just some promotion on islands.com and Facebook. Our in-magazine promotion and beyond-ISLANDS marketing kicks off in early May. We're monitoring the reviews and other feedback to learn from this first app.

Plans for the future?

More content and tools for travelers that increase their engagement with and enjoyment of the ISLANDS brand. Our team is cooking up more ideas now. Oh, and we'd like to make money.

You can download the app here.