A Dubai student’s software makes creating and publishing tales enjoyable and simple.
Ishan Vaish, a Dubai student who designed an app that helps individuals improve their writing and reading abilities, provides advice to students on how to pursue their ambitions of working in the app development industry.
Ishan encourages individuals just getting started in app development that failing is okay: “You are not at a dead end – you just found a path that does not get you to your destination.”
Ishan Vaish, a 17-year-old student at Dubai’s Millennium School, saw that growing social media use was leading to a decline in young people’s literacy abilities. He discovered that writing abilities, vocabulary, thought process sequencing, and grammar were all impacted. “The pandemic made this problem worse with libraries closing down and schools switching to a virtual learning environment,” he says. To address this issue, he developed LiteraryLabs, an app that allows individuals of all ages to “read and relax, express themselves, and test their knowledge.”
With a passion for computer science, Ishan is also part of the innovation club at his school.
Excerpts from a conversation:
What is the LiteraryLabs app all about?
LiteraryLabs is a great place to go if you enjoy reading and writing. While most applications with e-libraries charge money, LiteraryLabs’ e-library is free and includes over 200 books from a variety of genres. By utilising the programme a few of times per week, you may save a lot of time, money, and develop a valuable habit of reading and writing. You may also use the app to publish your own literary works, such as short tales, poetry, and essays, as well as read others’. This would aid in the development of crucial writing abilities while working with other authors. Participating in online competitions and quizzes can also help you enhance your grammatical knowledge.
What has been the feedback on the app?
There have been over 400 downloads on both platforms since its introduction on September 9, with an average rating of 4.5 stars on Android and five stars on iOS.
What were the obstacles you had to overcome when creating it, and how did you overcome them?
I spent a lot of time making pitch decks and figuring out the features and purpose of my app when I first started developing it. I assumed it was the most difficult aspect, but I was mistaken. Finding someone who believed in my idea enough to help me bring it to reality was the most difficult aspect. I spent months presenting my idea to many investors before finding one who was prepared to take a chance on it.
In addition, I selected to engage with an app development company situated in India. I spent a long time on the app’s design and then months developing it. Following then, there were multiple rounds of bug fixes and user testing to complete. It was a lengthy process, but I am pleased to report that I completed it.
What were the three most important things you learned from designing an app?
1. It’s okay to fail; you’re not at a fork in the road; you’ve just discovered a route that doesn’t lead to your objective.
2. You must have faith in yourself. You should have enough faith in yourself to believe that you will succeed.
3. It’s risky to travel a route that few others have taken, but you shouldn’t give up. We must confront our anxieties in order to progress as individuals.
What have been the most important lessons learned while designing the app?
To begin with, I’ve learned that everything I do must be a fantastic service or product. It must truly meet the requirements of people, or it will be abandoned. Second, I’ve learned to take chances. I would never be able to progress and deploy this programme unless I took certain risks. Finally, I discovered that you must be obsessed. If you’re not drawn to what you’re doing and constantly thinking about it, your prospects of success are slim.
What advice do you have for students interested in app development?
It’s best to just start, in my opinion. Validate your concept once you’ve come up with one. Speak with a variety of individuals to see if they are interested, and take part in a variety of invention challenges and hackathons. Attempt to make it as affordable as possible for everyone. Assemble a team of people you can trust and who are as enthusiastic about the idea as you are. Everything else will take care of itself from there.
