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Kinetise - Rapid Mobile Apps Development Platform

almost 7 years ago from , CEO

Hey Designers,

Allow me to share the project my team created for you guys. It's called Kinetise, it is prototyping/development DIY platform. Our message to you is simple: Build apps, not prototypes!

We try to explain the concept in this short video: https://vimeo.com/196578384

Basically instead of creating mockups or wireframes you can now build a real mobile app with all the necessary logic, features, and data connections - all without writing a single line of code.

  1. DESIGN IT, as if you were working with Axure, InVision or Balsamiq.
  2. BUILD FEATURES, all with a drag and drop interface.
  3. PRODUCE. Deploy an iOS and Android app in 2 minutes.

Please join us here: www.kinetise.com. And we'd love to hear your feedback :)

Cheers, Piotr Pawlak CEO, Kinetise.com

19 comments

  • Joseph Decker, almost 7 years ago

    Thank you for sharing this. I will however not use this and the reason is simple. Design is important, it allows the interface to be intuitive, functional and understandable — it also builds trust.

    All above are missing for me looking at the outdated look of the app, it doesn't even interest me the slightest to explore it — also with the idea that the code won't be proper enough for actual deployment, and if that is correct, why not use a more efficient prototype tool such as FramerJS.

    I suggest that you should have a look at webflow.com, they did a great redesign.

    7 points
    • Piotr Pawlak, almost 7 years ago

      Thank you very much for this slap in the face. I humbly take it, and I will pass it to our designers for sure.

      Still, the biggest advantage of Kinetise is the depth of functionalities you can put into your app how advanced app you can build and deploy WITHOUT coding. And for both mobile platforms at once. How you design your app, is entirely up to you.

      Invitation for you still stands, I hope that one day you will check us out. Especially when you find yourself in a situation that you need to build a mobile app in 24 hours or less.

      3 points
      • Joseph Decker, almost 7 years ago

        Did not mean it like that, I apologise. What I'm suggesting is taking some proper time to take the UI of the Application and Website to today's standards — think of FramerJS / Webflow / etc..

        I hope not to be in the position of deploying a mobile app in 24hours or less, currently in the wrong field ;P I do know how to communicate a well designed product within 24hours, letting the developers do all the code work so the structure is nice and tight :)

        I wish you all the luck!

        3 points
    • Sacha GreifSacha Greif, almost 7 years ago

      That's a really short-sighted way to look at this product, it's obviously not competing in the same space as Webflow, it's clearly meant for utility apps for business and enterprise. It's probably trying to compete with Excel, not Squarespace.

      I don't know if the product is any good, but dismissing the whole thing because of poor UI design is really missing the point of the product completely, imho.

      1 point
  • Mike Kingsborough, almost 7 years ago

    Piotr,

    Do any examples of apps using your product exist yet on the app stores?

    4 points
  • Alberto OrsiniAlberto Orsini, almost 7 years ago

    Piotr, I'd like to say that your team shouldn't feel disappointed about the responses posted so far. It is difficult to separate the noise from feedback, specially if the former comes disguised in harsh comments from what one would expect is one's target audience.

    Aside from that… I'd love to take a stab a it and see how it works. How are you guys capturing early user feedback?

    3 points
  • Aaron SagrayAaron Sagray, almost 7 years ago (edited almost 7 years ago )

    I have some experience in this space, and it's a very challenging problem to get right, at a scale where you can build a successful business. I wish you all the best.

    2 points
  • Blagoja Karafiloski, almost 7 years ago

    Hey, Piort, First of all, I would like to congratulate you on building this project. Obviously, not everyone will be supportive but I can see it a great tool for small businesses and designers who don't have the time or the budget to pay a developer to build a simple app. I agree to some of the comments that the UI feels a bit outdated but I think that can be flushed out in future updated. I'm considering trying out your product, I just have a few questions. Can you show me examples of apps built with this tool? Also how much creative freedom do you have compared to a tool like sketch for example?

    2 points
    • Piotr Pawlak, almost 7 years ago

      Hey Blagoja, thank you for your kind words. I replied with some app examples to another comment, can you check that out? I don't wanna trash this section with duplicates...

      As for the creative freedom. I'd say the freedom is similar to the one digital artist has - you can parametrize each object with margins, paddings, width, height, alignment settings, radiuses, background, borders, etc. And you can insert objects one into another, therefore creating layered structures, dynamically fed with data.

      The layouting algorithm is similar to RWD. Thanks to it, you can design your app only once and it will look (and work) good on both platforms, and on various screen resolutions.

      You can also add screen transitions.

      1 point
  • Skye SelbigerSkye Selbiger, almost 7 years ago

    Hey Piotr -

    Thanks for sharing this with the community. Criticism can come in various shapes and sizes, and not always in the most appropriate of ways.

    I think this is an interesting product, but I would agree that the UI feels outdated and the UX patterns not very conducive to a streamlined workflow.

    There are already plenty of tools that allow for quick ship apps and comps, so what makes yours more special? Why would I choose to use Kinetise over anything else?

    Also with a lot of products that auto-generate code for you, it often comes out as subpar, under performing, and poorly written. How would using your product ensure that this doesn't happen? Why should I take the risk?

    1 point
    • Piotr Pawlak, almost 7 years ago

      Hey Skye, thank you for your comment.

      So far I didn't come across any DIY tool allowing to build as advanced native mobile apps as Kinetise does. With dynamic connection to data sources, ability to handle offline scenarios, user authentication with OAuth 2.0, complex data structures, live GPS tracking, user roles and more - and all this without coding.

      Performance? You can optimise it yourself by deciding on content refreshing policies object by object. Then, test it out on the device without even installing Xcode/Android Studio for compilation.

      The basic concept here is to NOT follow the templates, but to build up your app from scratch brick by brick with the flexibility iOS/Android developers have.

      0 points
    • Piotr Pawlak, almost 7 years ago (edited almost 7 years ago )

      Also, let me rephrase:

      • If you only need a clickable prototype, presenting look & feel and navigation - you'll probably not use Kinetise, there are plenty of tools, that can do that

      • If you are a fan of webapps/hybrid apps, and want to code them with HTML5 or JavaScript - you'll probably not use Kinetise as well, there are plenty of tools, which are based on coding

      • If you don't know how or don't want to code or don't have time to code, but still you need a mobile app - let me repeat invitation to check out Kinetise.

      • Or if you want a prototype, that shows not only look & feel and navigation, but also connection to data and actual data changing upon user actions - then feel invited as well. At some point you'll realize, you have not created only the prototype, but... the real app itself, and perhaps you don't need any further engineering work because you can just launch it.

      0 points
  • Brian ZaikBrian Zaik, almost 7 years ago

    Thanks for the submission and congratulations on launching.

    One question I have is how these components are defined. Do you have a plan to support custom components in the future? And would those be built in native code or as web components that could then be incorporated into this (presumbly) native app?

    0 points
  • Chris KeithChris Keith, almost 7 years ago

    Hi Piotr, this looks really interesting! I'm missing one thing, and that's who you built this product for. Your homepage says "For tech-savvy people, designers and web developers." Sure that makes sense, but that might be like offering a really easy to use and capable compact digital camera to a crowd of DSLR enthusiasts and pros. You're solving a huge problem in that your mission is to make app development more accessible to more people (maybe even the sorta-tech-savvy?) What a great mission that is! Best of luck to you.

    0 points
    • Piotr Pawlak, almost 7 years ago (edited almost 7 years ago )

      Hi Chris. We have noticed three types of people use Kinetise, with three skillsets:

      1. non-coding people.

      2. tech-savvy project managers.

      3. webdevelopers.

      Non-coders can build and deploy simple apps, for displaying and collecting data, building up some nice layouts and navigation.

      Techies create apps, that connect to data, delivered from their private/company backend servers via RESTful API, often secured and parametrised.

      Web developers code-in backend logic and are able to singlehandedly create even whole platforms, e.g. social platforms: backend+iOS app+Android app. One good web developer could create a solid custom social platform in a matter of days.

      The concept of putting so many types of users onto one product is nothing new. Take... Excel. Every computer user can launch Excel and set up simple calculations. Tech-savvy people are fluently using even very complex formulas. And developers write Macros to get even more out of tools capabilities.

      However, what is most rewarding to watch is what... non-coders do. How they learn-by-doing. Try things. Check the tutorials. Getting to the tech-savvy level step-by-step.

      Let me tell you a story. Some time ago we worked with a female designer. Her designs were brilliant, and she couldn't code at all. One time when she first built an app with Kinetise, deployed it and saw it work on her personal phone, she shouted with excitement: "Yeah, I'm a developer now!" Such moments are worth building for.

      0 points