As I continually iterate on the Mixologist Sticker Pack, I’m also paying close attention to the iMessage App Store and its trends. Screenshots for sticker packs are still largely disappointing. But some of the craftier developers are coming up with presentations for their stickers that are quite nice. My favorites have done away with the entire notion of presenting actual screenshots, and are instead just presenting the stickers in rows on a colored background. This makes perfect sense, as anyone buying stickers gets the idea, generally, of what stickers…

For version 1.2 of the Mixologist Sticker Pack, I wanted to do more than just add a few more new drinks.[1] Taking a lesson from my friend Curtis Herbert, I wanted to add something to the app that improved it as a business. In this case, I wanted a link to my other sticker pack, the Leo Collection, inside the Mixologist. Seems like a no-brainer to let the customers of one of my sticker packs know about my other packs, right? After all, these are people who have…

The bar for iMessage sticker pack screenshots is really low right now. Take a look at some of the sticker packs on the App Store, and you’ll soon see what I mean. Many sticker packs have one or two screenshots max; many are obviously hastily snapped from within iMessage without much thought to presentation. It’s a huge missed opportunity. I can’t tell you how many sticker packs I’ve passed over because of poor quality screenshots. I know making screenshots of iMessage is a huge pain. The…

Mixology has been an interest of mine for many years. Not in the “let’s party all night until we fall over” way, but rather in an "appreciation for the finely crafted beverage after dinner” sort of way. I enjoy reading up on techniques, finding new recipes, and researching the histories of various cocktails throughout the ages. Crafting fine cocktails and software design actually go hand in hand. They both involve a bit of art and science, and they both require an appreciation for getting things just right. Attention…

I was wrong about stickers. Sitting in a hotel room, watching the WWDC keynote address with some friends this past June, Curtis Herbert commented that “Stickers will be huge” no matter how much developers make fun of the whole concept. I remember thinking, of course they would be. It didn’t even occur to me to make fun of the concept. There was no question stickers would be immensely popular. But there was no way I was going to use them. I’m the guy who doesn’t even use…