Meet UI CENTRIC, a consultancy creating incredible apps for Microsoft platforms

Located several floors upward in an unassuming eastward London building is a tranquility office where some of the nearly creative and beautiful experiences bachelor on Windows Phone and Windows 8 are being developed. Y'all may have never heard of them, but the guys at UI Centric have produced quality apps that you've most probable enjoyed if you've been an gorging Windows Phone user. We recently had the chance to visit that office and chat with CEO Dan Ulzhoefer, to discover out how they work, what they're most proud of, and their plans for the time to come.

Dan had some groovy experience to share which we're sure would benefit any developers reading this article. UI CENTRIC are currently hiring developers with a passion for Windows Telephone or Windows viii, and then if that sounds similar yous, check out the interview beneath for more details on how to contact them.

Interview: Dan Ulzhoefer of UI CENTRIC

Dan thank y'all for coming together with me, let's outset off with getting to know you lot, tell me about UI CENTRIC, who are you, what is your specialty?

UI CENTRIC is a user experience consultancy and custom software evolution company, we founded back in tardily 2007. We specialise in user centred design, which means that we build experiences that put the needs of the user at the core of what nosotros're creating. In that regard nosotros allocate ourselves as technology agnostic, considering if you lot're technology led you tin begin to forget about your users.

With that said, we are a Microsoft programmer partner, and nosotros take one of the largest portfolios of Microsoft ecosystem applications. We build not just for Windows Telephone or Windows 8, but also for Xbox, as well as edifice consumer applications and enterprise line of business software.

You lot have quite an expansive portfolio of apps across Windows 8, Windows Phone, and Xbox, which was the biggest challenge and which are y'all most proud of?

I recollect what we're really proud of is the common thread of quality in our piece of work beyond all of our projects, building standout application experiences, in which the UX is thoughtfully and meticulously planned and executed. We actually desire to build products which aren't just downloaded once and then discarded, merely are really valued by the users and after revisited time and fourth dimension again. That is what'south of import to us.

As for some examples of applications that we're really proud of, I'd point to Not bad British Chefs, which we think is a beautiful app that serves a number of purposes. Beyond just presenting the client'southward stunning content, it is virtually entertainment by creating an immersive browsing experience for the culinary fan and serving as a cooking help which is designed to be as valuable equally the knives in your kitchen.

You can take your tablet (or before long phone) into the kitchen and switch to the cooking mode to become step past step instructions to create your meal. That comes from fully agreement what are the requirements of the user, how tin you solve for a potential problem and make their lives easier.

In terms of challenges, nosotros were ane of the early on adopters of the platform, working with the pre-beta Windows eight and building apps for Windows Phone 7 and have learned a lot through that journey.

"If you create corking products you'll compel other brands to get involved"

Early on in the inception of Windows viii there was a trend towards brands slavishly following the guidelines, resulting in a lot of very generic experiences. We felt that it was doing a disservice to the platform, every bit an bureau actually focused on the user we saw the potential to create unique app experiences that followed the "content kickoff" philosophy of Windows 8 in conjunction with leveraging the native capabilities of the platform. Y'all could create standout applications, just that only wasn't happening at the time, and that'south why we took the line that nosotros wanted to produce some of the best products on the platform, and to hopefully generate interest and excitement well-nigh the platform. If you create great products, you lot'll compel other brands to get involved.

I'm a large fan of Great British Chefs, the pattern and animations are but stunning, tin can you tell united states about where you started when edifice that app? Is it the aforementioned process with everything you create?

Our standard production process is to separate information architecture and graphic design. That enables the states to solely focus on the UX before delving into the visual blueprint language. The reason nosotros exercise that is because in design you can start to focus away from the user needs, thinking instead nearly the emotional aspect of the design.

"The client have invested heavily in producing loftier quality imagery, such beautiful content, we had to practise that justice"

With Cracking British Chefs nosotros spent considerable effort defining the user experience before we started design. Yet it is equally important to spend as much time on the visual design, to develop a level of inspiration by design and then that people will want to collaborate with your product. If people aren't inspired to use your app visually, then they often won't learn how peachy information technology is to use.

And so you spent a lot of fourth dimension on the emotional pattern of the app, how long did it have to complete that from inception to release?

It took almost 3 months to complete from concept to store submission.

And was that with a full sized team? Or how many people worked on that product in relation to your other projects?

Well naturally different staff are involved at different stages of the process, UX, design and evolution, just it was an averaged sized squad for us.

We felt a weight of responsibility with Smashing British Chefs. The client accept invested heavily in producing high quality imagery, such beautiful content, we had to do that justice. In conversations with the client we both knew there was potential to create something actually special and information technology'southward always keen to start with having fantastic content. Our objective always was to never make using the app feel like hard work, but always an enjoyable experience. Nosotros characterise it as gliding effortlessly across a surface of h2o rather than paddling like crazy.

That gliding takes thought and consideration. What Windows viii besides gives u.s.a. to assistance in that experience is some fantastic animations to play with which we could then customise quite a bit.

And how would you lot propose smaller developers to reach that experience?

For starting time-ups and indie developers there's a great set of animations to beginning getting to grips with, before trying your hand at customising them. The key communication with animations is that it's very important that you utilize them judiciously, because they accept the power to bring an feel to life, but if over used they tin also kill information technology.

How do you ensure that you create a great user feel? What kind of testing is involved?

The commencement thing to do is understand who your users are. That can be as simple equally starting with a conversation. In that location don't demand to exist huge barriers to agreement the behavior of your users, you don't necessarily need to commencement with circuitous testing or heed-bending techniques to achieve a unproblematic premise. Start past engaging with your users and asking open questions, define your target user group, and sympathise the purpose of your product before y'all commencement building it. A great identify to start is with a pencil and an eraser.

"Commencement past engaging with your users and asking open up questions, define your target user grouping, and understand the purpose of your production before you start building it"

Yeah considering how many ideas I've thrown out I agree with the eraser! And so does that mean that you guys spend a lot of fourth dimension at the "sketch phase"? How many of your designs go thrown out?

Yeah we definitely spent fourth dimension there, at the concept stage nosotros will often start with very simple sketches, to visualise everything, get some unproblematic ideas, and define the user core stories or journeys. We can go from that low level all the way to clickable prototypes very quickly, which are as powerful for large and more circuitous products. Where it might be more hard for the client to conceptualise the dynamic experience information technology'due south much easier for them to click through it, and nosotros get much better feedback from the clickable prototypes which reduces our projection lifecycle time.

What I would like to emphasize is that we don't just accept a one size fits all approach, nosotros use so many unlike tools, from sketches through to fully interactive prototypes. It's actually a matter of using the correct tools for the chore.

Speaking of tools, one of the things I'yard seeing here appears to be some sort of centre tracking test system, can you tell usa a petty about information technology?

Sure, nosotros take a full service user exam lab in house, which includes Tobii eye tracking with a rig for testing on PCs, tablets, mobiles, Xbox and smart TVs. The great thing about eye tracking is information technology enables u.s.a. to run tests on our clients existing experiences, or to test our own concepts before nosotros get into full production to gain quantitative insights on our user experience. The value of this to us is that it enables us to build high quality products for our users and for our clients. The value for the user is we create products that are useful to them. The other do good is a productivity proceeds, because this testing is an boosted function, a tool to be used if appropriate, not a stage that introduces more fourth dimension. Instead it reduces rework prior to going into development, meaning our clients become high quality products in less time and for less money.

Some of our clients bring existing, established products to usa and are looking to perform user testing and video tape how users interact with the product. Nosotros can then use the eye tracking tool to analyse that information and create highly reliable evidence to support our recommendations. Those clients can and so have that information and come across how much they could benefit from re-developing sections of their product with more focus on user experience.

Are there whatever heady apps or new features you're working on that you can tell us about?

Nosotros're due to launch Slap-up British Chefs for Windows Phone 8 soon, which will includes an sectional recipe binder that enables users to sync their saved recipes across the web and Windows Telephone 8. They can likewise share images of the meal they take cooked and so share it via social channels against the professional chef's recipe, which is kind of absurd.

Nosotros've also recently released an update to Discovery News, every bit well every bit other apps which I tin't mention openly, but there is definitely more to come and I'm really excited about our projects this year.

That recipe folder feature sounds very useful, you say for Slap-up British Chefs it will be exclusive to Windows Telephone eight, will information technology be coming to Windows 8?

Hopefully, if our client decides they'd like to bring it into that platform as well.

Do you go on to support apps? How does that progress?

We build products for our clients and they 100 pct own the full Intellectual Property. That being said we want to be in that location to fully support our clients and take a lot of pride in our work. Beyond the warranty period we're always there to provide support because we desire to build relationships with our clients, not just one off products.

We too knowledge share with our clients, we recognise that they often have minimal exposure developing for Windows viii and Windows Phone 8  and we can footstep them through what we're creating for them. We also co-locate with our clients at times to support a daily organic transfer of knowledge.

So yous talked about building relationship with your clients, non just products, how do those relationships offset? Are Microsoft involved?

Information technology's a mixture. We take a very strong relationship with Microsoft that nosotros value. We have clients that we have been introduced to, and those who reach out to the states based on our portfolio. The latter is increasingly becoming the example now every bit we're seeing a clear growth in Windows Phone and Windows 8 interest.

We do also have a peachy relationship with Nokia as well, they are very easily on in offering back up and guidance around the applications.

The departure between producing apps for Microsoft & Nokia ecosystem is that they are very involved and offer lots of support if needed, which is rare with other ecosystems. The level of support is fantastic.

What's your favourite thing about Windows Phone and Windows 8 as either an end user or a programmer?

It has to exist the content over chrome philosophy and the focus on the user. I actually love the de-cluttering whilst at the same time emphasizing what'southward almost important, driving the user right to the content.

With Windows eight in that location are some great features. Semantic zoom and snap views all take a utility and value but likewise in design can exist treated to make a product stand out.

"We're seeing a clear growth in Windows Telephone and Windows 8 interest"

You're planning to move into the US market place, what are your plans there and who are y'all looking to work with?

We already exercise a lot of work with clients in North America, simply our product staff is based hither in London. Equally the clients demand is growing in u.s. we experience information technology'south the right time to start to move some production out there. That's going to be headed upwards by Kalem Fletcher, UI CENTRIC Founder and SVP of North America operations.

Our goal is to proceed offering our slap-up service and to grow our customer base of operations. With the aforementioned ethos of building groovy digital products for our clients.

So are you moving out there with a item view to work on Windows 8 or Windows Phone apps equally your specialty?

We of course have a potent relationship with Microsoft North America and will continue to build our Windows 8, Windows Phone viii and Xbox portfolio merely we actively work across all the platforms to ensure users have a choice, and that our clients can exist wherever their users are.

You mentioned in house software which I call up is the only matter nosotros oasis't covered, tin you lot give the states any examples of the kind of products y'all have produced?

Nosotros built a native touch-based business sales solution for the National Lottery, for their telesales and field sales teams, all powered with an Azure backend.

The client came to us with an inquire; they had a number of legacy systems they wanted to rationalise, and produce a software solution that would provide productivity gains and a "single version of the truth" for their information, which could be shared with their portfolio of customers. Actually the way that we learned the brief was to shadow their sales team to empathize their unique business functions.

We've covered everything you exercise in terms of products, does UI CENTRIC provide whatsoever other services?

We're running Windows 8 and telephone viii user experience workshops from participants that range from enterprises to commencement-ups. The workshop is very hands on. We take participants through the user centred design process. We present the core principles of the modernistic UI for Windows 8 and Windows Phone 8, as well equally the underpinning benefits of those principles and how they relate to the user.

We and then go to hands on and sketch the participants' concepts. We so run development readiness session and take found those to be really valuable. People coming to these workshops typically have very little feel, but leave to progress their applications, confident in their cognition of the Modern UI.

What almost hiring: who are you looking for and how should they contact you?

We are looking for people in both the Great britain and the United states of america who are enthusiastic and take a passion for building great digital products beyond all disciplines, in particular:

Developers, specially indie devs coding in their spare time and just starting out who might desire to larn about working with other like-minded people in all disciplines.

Graphic designers and people with feel or a desire to create great User Experiences.

We are always interested to hear from people who have the right attitude of wanting to build fantastic products and won't compromise on quality, and care nearly the small details. If y'all'd similar to arrive touch you should go to http://www.uicentric.com/careers to find out more.

"We are looking for Uk and US people who are enthusiastic [about] edifice cracking digital products"

Dan give thanks you for your fourth dimension, it's been a pleasure seeing your team at work.

Thank you, we hope you lot'll relish what nosotros can create this year!

If you want to check out some more of UI Axial's work we've got a list of simply a few of the apps they take been involved with, a more comprehensive characteristic portfolio is here on their site. You can download all of these right at present on either Windows 8, Windows Phone or Xbox 360, in fact Great British Chefs launched on Windows Phone 8 just yesterday, so make sure you option upward that 1 costless in the store. Or you could check out the spotlight video in a higher place, recently created with Microsoft for more of Dan and the UI CENTRIC squad.

• Great British Chefs (Windows Phone and Windows viii)
• Discovery News (Windows 8)
• WWE (Windows viii and Xbox 360)
• The Daily Show Headlines (Windows eight)
• Time Out (Windows Phone and Windows viii)
• National Geographic Globe Atlas (Windows 8)

Nosotros may earn a committee for purchases using our links. Learn more.

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Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/ui-centric-developer-interview

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