Our First App: Splashlight studio tour

We're pleased to announce that our very first iPad app has landed at the App Store. Splashlight studio tour offers a multimedia-rich excursion into some of the most exclusive photo studios in New York and Miami, complete with behind-the-scenes video, slideshows, panoramic views of each studio, blueprints and dimensions, and an online form to begin the booking process. Best of all, it's free. Check it out at here.

The app was built using WoodWing's Digital Magazine Tools, the same framework used by Time Inc. and other publications to develop their iPad editions. Joe Zeff Design is a Silver Authorized Solution Partner of WoodWing — one of only two in the New York City area — and thanks WoodWing for its support in producing the app, which we expect to be the first of many. Further, we look forward to working with WoodWing clients throughout the world on their iPad and Android publications.

The app took less than a week to create, leveraging assets that Splashlight had already collected for its new website. We were already aware of Splashlight's capabilities, having spent 15 months in their Soho studios as their in-house creative team. WoodWing provides an Adobe InDesign-based workflow, which allowed us to focus less on programming and more on design and interaction. We created both vertical and horizontal orientations, and included a help screen. The app was submitted to Apple on Nov. 30 and approved two weeks later.

We're learning volumes. On its first day, with no promotion whatsoever, the app was downloaded 168 times. Here's the breakdown of where:

(Dec. 14 update: After three days we have 613 downloads, and we're ranked No. 30 in the "Top Photography Free iPad Apps" category on iTunes.)

Maybe it's the supermodel on the home page of the Splashlight app that's generating all of the attention. In any event, here are a few screen captures. There are more images in our iPad gallery here.