How to Find an iPhone App Developer [iPhone Q & A]

This post is part of the iPhone Q & A series. If you have a question, send it over.
Catherine writes:

Are there app program developers that you would recommend? I have heard from a couple of them (one who wrote in on your blog) but I am not really sure (besides the fee and their resume) what I should be looking for to find a good developer at a fair price. Any ideas?

I have not worked with iPhone app developers myself, but here are 6 tips that might help you find a reputable iPhone app developer for your project:

1. Look in the App Store. A good way to find a talented developer is to see who designed the apps you like in the iPhone App Store. Look in the app description under “Company”. Sometimes this will not be the company that designed the application, but a lot of times it lists the websites of the developers themselves. If that’s the case, check out the developer’s website and shoot them an email asking if they would like to work with you.
2. Find professionals at a freelance jobs site. Post your iPhone app project to an online services marketplace, and developers will bid on your project. Check out these sites first:
   • GetAFreelancer
   • Elance
   • Guru.com
3. Start a dialog with prospective developers. If you find an available developer, talk about the details of your project and see how he/she responds. Do they reply in a timely manner to your emails? Do they sound like they know their craft? Ask to speak on the phone. Find out what programming languages they are familiar with and what kind of projects they like to work on.
4. Ask to see a portfolio. Find out if the developer you’re considering has made other iPhone apps. If not, what other development experience do they have? You should expect to see proof of experience — that is, completed projects — before you hire someone to work on your iPhone app. Consider the iPhone app you want developed and whether your prospective developer seems capable of completing it.
5. Choose a developer who’s worked on projects similar to yours. If your iPhone app will be graphics-intensive, look for a developer with graphics experience and an eye for aesthetics. If your app will be information-centered, look at how the developer organized data in their past work. Choose a developer who has a skillset that matches your needs.
6. Hire more than one developer. You may want to consider hiring more than one developer to design and code your iPhone app. Sometimes a developer is more comfortable with design, and another with code. Think about hiring a designer to conceptualize your iPhone app, and then finding someone else to code it.

If you’ve worked with iPhone app developers, tell us in the comments what your experience was like. iPhone app developers, feel free to let us know about your work and whether you’re available to work on new projects.

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