Apps and the ICI
By Jeff Coburn - Web Services Manager
“We should make an iPhone app for our project. Can you do that for us?”
“How easy would it be to make this site into an Android app?”
The web services team has been getting those questions a lot. And rightly so—people are seeing the power of having a networked computer in their pocket. We use our smartphones to message our loved ones, avoid traffic jams, check into flights, and, you know, make a phone call once in a while. And while everybody is busily downloading apps, they’re wondering if the ICI is going to jump into the app game.
The answer is we are not, and we feel that deserves an explanation. But first, let me clarify what a native app is and what a web app is.
Native Apps vs Web Apps
A native app is an application that is built to run on a specific type of device. For instance, if you wanted to make a iPhone app, you would purchase the Apple iPhone developer kit, use it to build your app to run on the iPhone, submit it to be available in the App Store, wait for approval—and then folks would have access to your app.
A web app (or mobile web app) is a website with app-like qualities. It can update content over a network, store data locally, and be location-aware. But rather than being built for a specific type of device, it’s built to run in a web browser on any device.
At the ICI, we don’t build native apps. We build web apps. Here’s why.
We Believe in the Open Web
Here at the ICI, we have no qualms with the concept of native apps. Most of us are walking around neurotically checking our messages and social networks on native apps. But we’re committed to inclusion and access. If we build something, we want it to run on as many devices as possible, and be accessible to as many people as possible. Not just iPhone users, Android users, or users of any other specific device.
With the help of the newest web technologies and resources, we can mitigate the differences between web apps and native apps. We use HTML5 and responsive web design to create flexible, usable websites that are just as slick as native apps—but can be accessed on any device.
So that’s our stance: We believe in the open web as a powerful tool for all people. That doesn’t mean you’ll never see a native app from us. It just means we’ll be focusing on building kick-ass websites for ICI project teams.
Resources
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/responsive-web-design/
Oh, and update your web browser: http://browsehappy.com/
