Friday, April 26, 2013

Home, Sweet Home Screens - Three Options for Your App

As with all of our updates and development, we wanted version 2.0 of the mobile suite to address requests from our partners.  One such request has been for InstantEncore to provide different options for the Home screen, which is the first content area encountered when the app or mobile website launches.  In response to this request, InstantEncore now offers three Home screen options for your mobile app and website.

Icons ex: Berkeley Repertory Theatre

Icons

The Icons option provides a 3 x 3 table of graphics representing tabs or content areas within the app.  
  • This table of icons provides one-touch access to nine tabs in your app.  
  • If you have more than nine tabs, the bottom-right position will contain an ellipsis with the word "More" underneath.  (See example on right.) When you tap the ellipsis icon, you will see a page listing all of the remaining tabs in your app.
  • You may choose your icons from our library of graphics, or you may upload your own.  Custom icons should be sized to 60p X 60p and uploaded as PNG files with a transparent background.
  • In addition to providing navigation at-a-glance, the Icons option gives the greatest visibility to your custom background image.
Slideshow ex: Chattanooga
Symphony & Opera

Slideshow

For those who prefer a more graphically-focused Home screen, the Slideshow option allows you to create a series of full-screen slides connected to content within your app.
  • Each slide contains an uploaded image with descriptive text overlaid in the upper left corner and a call-to-action overlaid in the lower right corner.
  • We recommend uploading a 1024p X 768p image so that it appears vibrantly on tablets as well as smartphones.
  • You may use HTML markup tags to modify the descriptive and call-to-action text.
  • The call-to-action text may be linked directly to content within the app.
  • Slides may be added or deleted at any time.  Also, their order may be changed at will.
  • Slides may be loaded and scheduled in advance for seamless transitions throughout your season.
What's New ex: The Royal Conservatory

What's New

If you prefer an update-focused Home screen or you simply like the look and features of our original Home screen, then the What's New option is for you.
  • This option features a "welcome message" area at the top with a thumbnail image and 90 characters of text that can be linked directly to content within your app.
  • The second area features an upcoming event.  This may default to the next immediate event on our calendar, or you may decide to feature a particular event or no event at all.
  • The third area highlights the most recent content from the Buzz, Music and Video areas of the control panel.  As new content is added to these areas, that content will automatically appear in the What's New feed on the Home screen.

Don't Want to Choose Just One?  You Don't Have To!

Remember, the Home screen is just the first content screen that your visitors see when they open the mobile app or website.  If you like more than one of these options, you can choose one for the first position and use either or both of the others as tabs within your app.

For a step-by-step look at how to set up your Home screen, check out this tutorial video.

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