The world needs more high quality app reviews. Have you noticed that most reviews in Apple’s app store are not well-informed? Many people dash off a tech support question, or write something based on a misunderstanding of what the app does.
Librarians have been reviewing books for years. Now is the time to do the same with mobile apps.
App Review Checklist
Here’s a checklist I’ve developed as a guideline for reviewing mobile apps.
Begin with:
- Your name and affiliation or expertise.
- App name: check the app stores for official name.
- App version.
- Developer, with link to their website.
- Link to app store. (Optional as developer’s websites have links to app stores).
- Platforms: iOS, Android, web, other.
- If it’s iOS, state whether it’s a universal app, iPad only, or whether there are separate versions for iPhone and iPad.
- Price. Is there is a free or lite version available? Are in-app purchases available?
In the body of the review:
- Basic functionality: What exactly is it designed to do?
- Audience: Who is the app designed for? What age groups? (if appropriate)
- Who else might like to use it and why?
- Simplicity and ease of use: Can you figure out how to use it quickly? Can you use it in short bursts between other tasks? (A reality of mobile app usage).
- Playfulness: Does it delight the user? Is it fun to use?
- Visual design: Is it visually appealing? Is the icon distinctive and eye-catching?
- Sound design: If sound is included, do the sounds help you use the app? Are they of good quality? Are they customizable?
- How does the app work for users with disabilities? Does it have features that help those with low vision, hearing impairments, or other disabilities? If not, does the operation system provide for this? Apple’s iOS is particularly good in this area. See Apple’s site about accessibility features of iOS.
- Examples: Give specific examples of how this app might be used.
- Related and similar apps: How does this app compare to other apps that do the same thing?
If appropriate, depending on the type of app, include the following:
- Does it work with bookmarking and storage services? (Instapaper, Dropbox, iCloud, Google Drive).
- Can you sync information in the app between different devices? (Smartphone, tablet, web version, desktop version).
- Can you easily share information from it on social networks? (Facebook, Twitter, Google+).
- Can you export to a variety of formats? (Text, CSV, PDF, other).
- Can you import from a variety of media types? (Text, videos, images, audio).
- Can selected material be copied and pasted elsewhere?
- Does it keep a history? Example: Wikipedia apps often contain a useful history of items you’ve searched for.
- Does it have a wish list or favorites list so you can get back to your favorite items?
- Does it promote creative and imaginative uses?
- Does it provide for collaboration?
- Does it allow you to do something you were unable to do before you got the app?
- Does it allow you to do something that can’t be done (or easily done) on a laptop or desktop computer? Specifically, does it take advantage of the features of the mobile device, such as geo-location, camera, or accelerometer?
- Does it give you feedback? (Quizzes, points, levels).
- Does it allow for personalization?
- Does it allow you to easily connect to information from outside the app? (In-app browser, or
- other mechanism).
With so many apps available, more quality app reviews are needed!
(Thanks to Flickr user “didmyself” for the photo in this post).
p.s. If you liked this post, you might enjoy my newsletter: Mobile Apps News. It’s an easy way to stay current with the world of mobile apps for education.