Expert Sessions: Windows Phone App Design with Dave Crawford

Designing an app that’s intuitive, elegant and easy to navigate takes blood, sweat and, sometimes, tears.

This spring, Microsoft design lead Dave Crawford helped three lucky Windows Phone developers improve the design and UI of their apps.

Take an inside peek
In one-on-one consultations, Dave worked with the developers to create a more functional and fun-to-use UI. In the videos below, you’ll get a sense of the challenges the app developers faced, the advice Dave provided, and how the apps changed as a result, from re-coding to transforming an app’s brand.

First, here’s Park It by indie developer Andrew Long. Via GPS functionality, the app helps you remember where you parked your car and guides you back to your vehicle. Among the takeaways that Andrew learned: Simple and clear is better than cluttered and complex.

Next, Dave helped developer Timothy Stewart with his app, Space Weather. The app monitors how the Sun, via events such as solar flares and geomagnetic storms, affects the weather on Earth. Among Dave’s suggestions: Cut the amount of text to include only the most important and relevant information.

The last individual consultation was with developer Darin Stromberg and his Crossfit app, WOD Warrior.

The app gives fitness enthusiasts a “Workout of the Day” and tracks their athletic progress via a calendar and timeline. With Dave’s help, Darin created a stronger, more defined brand through a well-balanced color scheme, simple font and rigid layout.

If you find these videos helpful and inspiring, check out all of Dave’s app design consultations here.

Are you an aspiring, newbie or veteran app developer, or know someone who is? No matter your skill level, you’ll get support from our DVLUP community.

By joining DVLUP, you’ll get access to app challenges and partner opportunities as well as earn points for rewards and more. And if you would like your own one-on-one design consultation, you can redeem your points for this one-hour consult with a senior designer from Toledo Design, a Seattle design studio that was co-founded by a former Microsoft UX designer.

Have you tried ParkIt, SpaceWeather or WOD Warrior? We’d love to hear what you think of them!