June 3, 2016

App of the Month: Youngstown Design Works

Our previous and first-ever App of the Month was awarded to an app filled to the brim with the wise hairstyling words of a true guru (or just your everyday ridiculously fashionable gay guy). The guru spree continues with May’s App of the Month, Youngstown Design Works – a pocket-size portfolio for the student-run graphic and interactive design agency with the same name.

Youngstown Design Works is a graphic and interactive design agency run by Youngstown State University. The initiative was launched to provide the students with practical experience while simultaneously working towards giving graphic and interactive design a bigger role in the local business community. The agency specifically collaborates with small businesses, non-profit organizations and startup companies. Every buck YDW makes on these projects goes straight into funding it.



The menu gives a good overview of what information you should stuff your business app with. You’ve got the general information, services, portfolio, contact, social media, etc.


The app gives us a rundown of the business. It explains the YDW program, what services they provide and where we can find them. It also boasts a voluminous portfolio of previous work assuring us that they’re bringing delicious design to the table. Whether you’re a startup looking to hook up with these guys for some sweet design making or just interested in what good app design looks like, it’s definitely worth checking out.



Quite the extensive list. Do they walk my dog or embark on a dangerous quest to destroy the One Ring to rule them all, too? Anyway, If you’re in the Ohio area and in need of a helping hand with any of these things, count yourself lucky!


Behind the app is 
YDW’s director, graphic-design professor / entrepreneur / insert fancy title, RJ Thompson. Thompson uses AppSpotr to build apps relating to his classes, and it’s also his tool-of-choice when assigning the students to build their own apps. Thompson reached out to AppSpotr a while back suggesting he’d build templates for us, so now we have that to look forward to as well. We’re excited to see what him and his students can come up with on our platform.



The Gallery module showcases the agency’s previous design projects, with a total of 69 logos to draw inspiration from at the moment. And no, not that kind of “inspiration” – the number is completely incidental. Sorry.


The app utilizes the Directions module to help clients and prospects find their way to Youngstown Design Works’s studio.


Using the modules Content, Gallery, Web Page and Directions, Thompson has managed to create an app that serves as an example for other businesses out there looking to showcase their services on the biggest platform for communication. It’s pretty rad that he chooses AppSpotr to help turn his students into full-fledged digital designers, and we’re looking forward to their upcoming contributions. A great download if you want to know more about the Youngstown Design Works agency or learn how to make a fantastic app-based portfolio.

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