Project Proposal:

Creating separate mobile apps to work with a variety of platforms and operating systems is a Sisyphean task. As soon as an app is created, upgrades and changes require constant maintenance and modification, and any improvements or modifications need to work across a variety of environments. Instead of developing new apps, energy is consumed by maintaining existing ones. Other solutions, like creating webpages that are mobile-friendly, partially solve this problem, but opportunities to use richer features found in apps is lost. There are now many companies that have done the hard work of developing a framework that works across many different types of devices and can be reused for a reasonable fee. By using their templates, we can easily add our own content, package the results into a simple, clean design, and offer it to our users.

Completed:

Guidebook is being used for Orientation and Family & Friends weekend, and several other events. The app uses a set of templates that you provide the content for, then Guidebook assembles the app and publishes it.

We have decided not to pursue Modolabs further. The framework is fairly complex for what we'd like to do with it and we have had success with applying a "responsive" design to some current apps and will be using a "mobile first" template for the development of most new apps.

Project Sponsor: Library & Technology Services

LTS Contact: Veronica Brandstrader