Here are a few examples you might wish to follow and adapt:
Example #1 News app
iPhone application required for local US newspaper., features to include:
- Feed of all latest articles from our website (your help will be required to set-up the feeds)
- Dynamic gallery content using user gestures
- Facebook/Twitter integration and ‘email a friend’ functions
- Allowing users to set-up alerts (push notifications) for different types of stories
- Allowing users to ‘set’ certain sections and stories as ‘favourites’ within the app
- Integration of ‘X’ ad platform
Similar apps we took inspiration from include:
– [App Name 1 / app url (if you know it)]
– [App Name 2 / app url (if you know it)]
Design (example mock-ups attached) to be implemented to the highest standard and use iPhone gestures / standards as appropriate.
We require an immediate start subject to agreement, you may also be asked to sign a non disclosure agreement.
Please respond with your:
- Online portfolio / example of recent iPhone Apps in the App Store (particularly any news apps)
- Budget estimate
- Timeline estimate
- Experience working with iPad Apps
- Experience working with other platforms (Android, Blackberry etc)
Attached (further information will be supplied to shortlisted suppliers):
- Sitemap
- Design mock-ups
Example #2 iPad game
iPad designer / developer required for ground-breaking new iPad puzzle game idea.
Must have experience of:
- Creating games for iPhone and/or iPad (please state whether as designer, developer or both)
Please include in your reply:
- List of recent games published in App Store and your online portfolio.
- Standard day rate (US dollars)
- Signed non-disclosure agreement (attached)
Further details will be revealed to shortlisted companies after receiving signed non-disclosure agreement.
Attached:
– Non-disclosure agreement.
[If you require a separate designer you can also post a similar tender on the appropriate design category (Elance: Design & Multimedia / Guru: Graphic Design & Multimedia)]
Example #3 Multi-platform app
iPhone application required for local US newspaper. Also planning on releasing an enhanced iPad application afterwards (making full use of the iPad screen) and looking for one agency to handle both, if possible.
- Feed of all latest articles from our website (your help will be required to set-up the feeds)
- Dynamic gallery content using user gestures (where available)
- Facebook/Twitter integration and ‘email a friend’ functions
- Allowing users to set-up alerts (push notifications) for different types of stories
- Allowing users to ‘set’ certain sections and stories as ‘favourites’ within the app
- Integration of ‘X’ ad platform
Similar apps we took inspiration from include:
– [App Name 1 / app url (if you know it)]
– [App Name 2 / app url (if you know it)]
Design to be implemented to the highest standard (example templates attached) and use iPhone / iPad gestures and standards as appropriate (suitable alternatives should be made for Android/ Blackberry).
We require an immediate start subject to agreement, you may also be asked to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
Please respond with your:
- Online portfolio and, if possible, examples of other cross-platform apps you have developed (if not, at least examples of apps you have developed on each platform)
- Budget estimate for iPhone/Android/Blackberry
- Timeline estimate iPhone/Android/Blackberry (iPhone is our priority but all apps must be released within six weeks of the first one going live)
Budget/timeline estimate for upgraded iPad version Attached (further information will be supplied to shortlisted suppliers):
- Sitemap
- Design mock-ups
Try to use simple, clear terms that can be read without ambiguity. Some of your potential suppliers may be from countries where English is not the first language and – although their English may be excellent – it is unlikely to be as strong as a native speaker’s (particularly if you include colloquialisms or other slang in your text). There is no point phrasing a request like ‘I need you to stay on top of things for the project duration and provide me with a morning rundown’ when you could say ‘I’d like you to manage the project and email me a progress update every morning’.
You don’t necessarily want to post your whole specification in the description field. For that I’d recommend using the attachments feature that both websites provide.
Attachments
As I’ve stressed, the more information you can give up front (without giving suppliers 100 different documents to look through) the easier it will be to get useful quotes that get straight to the point.
How much you share is entirely up to you and what you are comfortable with. If there’s no national secrets involved then help your potential suppliers to help you by putting a decent amount of detail in there (I suggest a sitemap and perhaps two or three of your design mock-ups) so the quotes get back are more useful.
If you would rather not reveal too much information at this stage then you can send further documents to shortlisted suppliers later. It will likely mean a little more work, but you will be more in control of what you share.
There’s one extra attachment you might also want to include, the non-disclosure agreement.
Non-disclosure agreement?
While you shouldn’t need to worry in most cases, you may feel more relaxed if you get potential suppliers to agree to a simple confidentiality/non-disclosure agreement before getting into detail with them about your plans. I think in a lot of cases this won’t be necessary, but if you do want to use one then websites such as Elance provide free templates that you can simply copy and adapt to your needs. If your potential supplier is not happy to agree to it then just be glad you picked out this bad apple early on and move on to someone else.
Elance: Sample Non-Disclosure Agreement
help.elance.com/entries/34759-sample-non-disclosure-agreement
Elance: Sample Mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement
help.elance.com/forums/30970/entries/34757
