THE ACADEMY

Fatimah Al Matter

TEAM: THE VENUE

How do you innovate when it comes to tech and how important is thinking outside the box? In my opinion, for tech companies innovation is key to be a more impressive value proposition than competitors. There is always a way to do things better and always a way to optimize. The how can I do more with less question always help in innovation. Thinking outside the box is key. What is next in the world of apps and what is key to building a successful app with high engagement? In apps, AI will be the gamechanger. The key to building a successful app is the idea itself. App owners should think about one main question before starting (is the chosen idea solving a real problem?) and always be questioning whether or not we’re doing the things we do to address a real need. What’s an innovation that has changed the game in your life, career or business and how so? Many things have changed things in my life and other’s life. For example, iPod was an innovative idea when it was launched – one can put all songs he/she has on one device. Google has changed lives of people by not just giving us information but also even predicting what we need to know. YouTube has changed education and the ability to self-learn. What or who is innovative to you and why? Being innovative is to provide your customers with unique value. It is to be a game changer!

Shatha Alanizi

TEAM: AWARE

How do you innovate when it comes to technology and how important is it to think outside the box? To innovate in the field of technology, it is important to keep abreast of the latest developments and trends in the industry, as well as be open to new ideas and ways of thinking. This can be achieved by conducting research, experimenting with new technologies, and collaborating with diverse teams. Thinking outside the box is essential to come up with unique solutions. What is next in the world of apps and what is key to building a successful app with high engagement? The next big thing in the world of apps is likely to be the integration of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, virtual reality and blockchain. To build a successful app with high engagement, it is important to conduct thorough market research, understand the user’s needs and create a user-friendly interface. It is also important to continuously update and improve the app based on user feedback.

What innovation has changed the game in your life, career or business and how? The innovation that changed the game in the tech industry is the development of cloud computing and the widespread adoption of smartphones and mobile apps. These technologies have made it easier for me to stay connected with others, access information, and complete tasks on the go. The development of cloud computing has allowed data and applications to be stored and accessed remotely on the Internet, making them more accessible, cost-effective, and scalable.

What or who is innovative to you and why? To me, innovation can take many forms and can come from a variety of sources. I find inspiration in people who are creative, resourceful, and unafraid to take risks. I also look to companies and organizations that are leaders in their respective industries and are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible.

Eman Mohammed

TEAM: BRAND IT

How important is thinking outside the box? Thinking outside the box means letting go of traditional constraints or default ways of reasoning to embrace new or innovative ways of thinking. It means to find creative ways to solve a problem.

How do you innovate when it comes to tech? Innovation is improving existing products or providing a new product with the latest technological features to set it apart from the other products.

What is next in the world of apps and what is key to building a successful app with high engagement? We live in a world full of new ideas where you can’t guess what’s coming next and which new technology is being discovered. When talking about mobile app success it is the whole journey, beginning from satisfying your end user’s needs quickly and effectively. Your app can do just one thing, but if it can do it perfectly it will succeed. When we talk about our users, we need to think big and to solve a problem that makes their life easier. Just focus on one central and core added value that can make a real difference. The best advice is to keep it simple. What’s an innovation that has changed the game in your life, career or business and how so? Innovation can change people’s lives and make life more manageable. Something innovative should ideally savs time.

What or who is innovative to you and why? An innovative person can turn an idea into a solution as long as it’s solving a problem. Any suggestion that can help people and make life easier is innovative and does not necessarily have to be a creative idea. Sometimes innovation can be done through a great business model, great Ux, or even adding value to an existing product.

WORDS: AMY SESSIONS

We discuss innovation with the bright new stars newly graduated from APPLE Developer Academy, in Saudi Arabia

Najat Ali

TEAM: HOVER

How do you innovate when it comes to tech and how important is thinking outside thebox? Harnessing technology to innovate and provide services that facilitate and change the lives of people and the world needs courage and a stimulating environment for the maturation of this innovation. Currently, Saudi Arabia is living a qualitative leap and encouraging in the world of innovation and aims to harness technology for it. Especially in the presence of His Highness Prince Mohammed bin Salman, founder of innovation in Vision 2030 and its supporter. Through the projects we have developed at the Academy, we have always been keen to think outside the box, and we mean thinking outside the box to get out of the circle of knowledge in our minds and make our ideas commensurate with the challenges we face and learn about the experiences of others so that we get innovative solutions that facilitate. What is next in the world of apps and what is key to building a successful app with high engagement? There is no doubt that applications have made a big difference in people’s lives through the solutions they provide. One of the foundations of creating successful applications is designing an application suitable for the audience you intend to target, knowing their needs and providing them with easy and accessible solutions.

What’s an innovation that has changed the game in your life, career or business and how so? One of the most important innovations that has changed all our lives is the mobile phone. Through this we are able to use applications to learn new skills and ease our lives. What or who is innovative to you and why? Innovation should not always be about creating a new idea, but about finding new ways to solve problems and being able to turn new knowledge and skills into a successful product or service.

HANAN ALHARETH TEAM:

TIDY

How do you innovate when it comes to tech and how important is thinking outside the box? Recently, many technical inventions have been created to ease people’s lives and take into account some of the suffering that exists in the society in which we live. In my opinion, when you want to create something related to technology, you must look at the simplest problems, work on creating solutions for them, and think in a creative way in order for this solution to appear.

What is next in the world of apps and what is the key to building a successful app with high engagement? The world of applications is an expanding and accelerating world, and there are many new applications that have emerged in many fields and will soon take over. As for how to build a successful application, whenever it is built in the right way followed by several stages of the idea to program the application with work and perseverance. Furthermore, by believing in the idea and developing it innovatively, and making it valuable, you will have a successful application.

What’s an innovation that has changed the game in your life, career or business and how so? There are many applications that have changed my life, including delivery applications in general, whether food delivery, grocery items, or simple daily needs.

What or who is innovative to you and why?

An innovator is someone who creates a solution arising from a problem he or she has. Innovators are able to see solutions to things that aren’t perceived problems.

Fatimah Almalki

TEAM: DEERHA

How do you innovate when it comes to tech and how important is thinking outside the box? I have the passion and desire to learn new things which enable me to innovate and be creative. The desire for continuous improvement has pushed me to innovate new ideas consistently. Being surrounded by inspiring people in an environment like the Apple Academy Developer helped me take innovation and this way of thinking to a new level. What is next in the world of apps and what is the key to building a successful app with high engagement? Technical sciences are rapidly developing, and we can reach far horizons in technology. Mobile apps, we are constantly looking to provide an easier life for the user and to understand all their needs. The main point to having a successful app is providing a clear and simple user experience, which must go through several stages: First we must empathize with the users (learning about the audience) to understand their pain points, essentially to see the problems they fac. We need to clearly define the problem (identifying the users’ needs), ideate (generating ideas) by brainstorming ideas for design solutions to the user. From this we can then create a prototype (turning ideas into concrete examples), test and generate feedback. All this leads to the eventual success of an app. What’s an innovation that has changed the game in your life, career or business and how so? It is not only one innovation; it is several innovations that changed my life and everyone’s life.

What or who is innovative to you and why?

Daily lifestyle has become easier with innovative applications from an alarm when you wake up to a nighttime routine.

COMPILED BY: DAN ROBINSON