Can Mobile Apps Really Be Described as ‘Art’?
Since the iPhone was first launched way back in 2007, the world of mobile apps has come on in leaps and bounds. Where once the functions
of our phones were limited to things like calculators, email and SMS messaging, we can now do so much more. Whether you want to do
your weekly grocery shop or download a new Live wallpaper to
make your phone look great
, anything is possible with today’s range of apps. But this evolution begs a question: Now that we have the functionality of the apps nailed down, is the next step to ‘beautify’ these apps? And if so, which ones are already doing it and, the biggest question of all, can a mobile app ever really be described as ‘art’?
The Apple Design Awards 2013
One piece of evidence that mobile apps are now eligible to be seen for their artistic merit is the fact that Apple now provides annual awards to apps which have “raised the bar in terms of design, technology and innovation”.
The Apple Design Awards 2013
which were recently handed out included a number of apps that were rewarded for their bold art style. One such example is the video game Badland, which has over 1000 positive reviews in the App Store alone. The game uses a silhouetted art style, with foreground elements forming shadow-like shapes and the background doing a lot of the ‘talking’. This is most certainly an artistic choice and, when placed against other more simple games, deserves recognition as a piece of art – or at least the closest to it that it’s possible to get when up against other titles.
The dangers of artistic success
Both Android and iPhone handsets are the most widespread in the world, with a high proportion of the population of many countries
having one or the other. In much the same way that art forms such as writing and painting started small then gained mass popularity,
the same seems to be occurring with mobile apps. The population’s adoption of smartphones has led to numerous consequences,
including an increase in the number of thefts of mobile phones – although this can be countered with the use of a
comprehensive insurance policy.
An increase in criminality often goes hand in hand with new forms of artistic expression – just look at the number of art and antique thefts that happen each year. Luckily, your phone will usually be covered by a
homeowner’s insurance policy
so your mind should be at relative ease. Just like priceless paintings, having insurance on your mobile offers great peace of mind (although, thankfully, mobile devices are a little more easily replaced).
Apps that are pushing the boundaries
With such a high adoption rate for mobile phones, it’s no surprise that many app developers are already looking at ways to make their apps more beautiful. In fact, the concept of creating something with inherent beauty is at the core of Apple’s ethos – and that’s reflected in many of the apps available in the App Store. In fact, many of these have
already been selected
as being ‘officially’ beautiful. For example, the drawing app Paper has time and again been recognised as being a step ahead everything else that’s available in that subset of apps. And its artistic merits don’t stop at what it looks like, they also refer to the way you interact with the app. Pages flow smoothly, pens and pencils react and you would expect, and the whole experience is top notch. It’s for reason that apps like Paper are quickly becoming the standard in mobile app stores, for both iOS and Android. Other examples of apps that are pushing creative boundaries include games such as Limbo, a recently released minimalist platformer which uses a haunting art style to tell an interesting story.
The ever-evolving world of mobile apps
As with any art form throughout history, the evolution of the mobile app is a slow process. From the early days where everything was a little more perfunctory to our current state where developers are looking to explore limits and push creativity. It’s only through this innovative use of media that we discover true art, and maybe – just maybe – mobile phone applications could become the future’s greatest masterpieces.
This article is written by
Lisa Hoyte.
Since the iPhone was first launched way back in 2007, the world of mobile apps has come on in leaps and bounds. Where once the functions of our phones were limited to things like calculators, email and SMS messaging, we can now do so much more. Whether you want to do your weekly grocery shop or download a new Live wallpaper to make your phone look great , anything is possible with today’s range of apps. But this evolution begs a question: Now that we have the functionality of the apps nailed down, is the next step to ‘beautify’ these apps? And if so, which ones are already doing it and, the biggest question of all, can a mobile app ever really be described as ‘art’?
The Apple Design Awards 2013
One piece of evidence that mobile apps are now eligible to be seen for their artistic merit is the fact that Apple now provides annual awards to apps which have “raised the bar in terms of design, technology and innovation”. The Apple Design Awards 2013 which were recently handed out included a number of apps that were rewarded for their bold art style. One such example is the video game Badland, which has over 1000 positive reviews in the App Store alone. The game uses a silhouetted art style, with foreground elements forming shadow-like shapes and the background doing a lot of the ‘talking’. This is most certainly an artistic choice and, when placed against other more simple games, deserves recognition as a piece of art – or at least the closest to it that it’s possible to get when up against other titles.
The dangers of artistic success
Both Android and iPhone handsets are the most widespread in the world, with a high proportion of the population of many countries having one or the other. In much the same way that art forms such as writing and painting started small then gained mass popularity, the same seems to be occurring with mobile apps. The population’s adoption of smartphones has led to numerous consequences, including an increase in the number of thefts of mobile phones – although this can be countered with the use of a comprehensive insurance policy. An increase in criminality often goes hand in hand with new forms of artistic expression – just look at the number of art and antique thefts that happen each year. Luckily, your phone will usually be covered by a homeowner’s insurance policy so your mind should be at relative ease. Just like priceless paintings, having insurance on your mobile offers great peace of mind (although, thankfully, mobile devices are a little more easily replaced).
Apps that are pushing the boundaries
With such a high adoption rate for mobile phones, it’s no surprise that many app developers are already looking at ways to make their apps more beautiful. In fact, the concept of creating something with inherent beauty is at the core of Apple’s ethos – and that’s reflected in many of the apps available in the App Store. In fact, many of these have already been selected as being ‘officially’ beautiful. For example, the drawing app Paper has time and again been recognised as being a step ahead everything else that’s available in that subset of apps. And its artistic merits don’t stop at what it looks like, they also refer to the way you interact with the app. Pages flow smoothly, pens and pencils react and you would expect, and the whole experience is top notch. It’s for reason that apps like Paper are quickly becoming the standard in mobile app stores, for both iOS and Android. Other examples of apps that are pushing creative boundaries include games such as Limbo, a recently released minimalist platformer which uses a haunting art style to tell an interesting story.
The ever-evolving world of mobile apps
As with any art form throughout history, the evolution of the mobile app is a slow process. From the early days where everything was a little more perfunctory to our current state where developers are looking to explore limits and push creativity. It’s only through this innovative use of media that we discover true art, and maybe – just maybe – mobile phone applications could become the future’s greatest masterpieces.
This article is written by Lisa Hoyte.
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