Commercial Applications

Great consumer applications are a combination of innovative ideas and intuitive interfaces. Here at CPS, we’ve helped our clients ship hundreds of consumer applications for a wide variety of markets-from screenwriting to internet security, from quilt label kits to spyware protection-so we know a thing or two about consumer apps.

First off, we know the technology. Our engineers are fluent in MFC, .NET, Windows Platform SDK, Macintosh Toolbox, PowerPlant, Carbon, Cocoa, Xcode, and Visual Studio. Second, we know how to put together a usable design. In addition to our years of experience building interfaces and application architecture, we stay on top of the latest design methodologies with an eye on constantly improving the user experience and code efficiency.

But the most important thing we know about developing consumer apps is this: the best way to help you ship a quality product is to know your market. That’s why we take the time up-front to ask questions and do in-depth research. We know that the essence of a great consumer application is not in the spec or the source code, but in how well it meets your customers’ needs and expectations.

Our development approach will scale to meet your needs as well-we have the experience and the capacity handle as much of the project as you want. From design and engineering to project and localization management to QA testing and documentation, we’ve done it all and we’ve got the expertise to do it right.

Case Study: Custom Page Layout and Printing Software

CPS initially developed a cross-platform page layout application for the printer division of a major computer vendor. The app was made to create custom “skins” for a consumer inkjet printer, and would be included with every printer shipped. In addition to engineering and QA for the project, CPS was tasked with researching content creators for bundled content. The resulting product shipped with thousands of pieces of content including backgrounds, textures, photos, and designed type. The content-browsing functionality built into the layout application is intuitive and extensible, allowing users to create their own categories for browsing. Finished designs are printed full bleed on large-format paper designed specifically for the “printer skinning” process.

Based on the success of the printer skins project, the client decided to use it as a launch pad for two subsequent custom content applications: a quilt label kit used to design quilt labels, then print them on inkjet-compatible fabric sheets; and a digital scrapbooking application used to create multi-page scrapbooks from included and imported content, including photos directly imported from digital cameras. We developed each of these products using the cross-platform application framework we built for the printer-skinning project, adding and customizing features for each respective market; the result is two unique and feature-rich products developed in the time it would have taken to develop one product from the ground up.

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