Report

We continue to celebrate the top performing apps in creativity, quality, design, and innovation, as we interview winners of our Best of Galaxy Store Awards. Next in our blog series, we feature Matteo Dini.
Matteo Dini, founder and CEO of "Matteo Dini MD", shares with us how he manages to maintain a high level of quality and craftsmanship with his watch face designs, many of which boast five star ratings, the importance of developing a recognizable brand, and how the Galaxy Store badge has played an integral role in his marketing strategy
How did you first get into designing watch faces?
At the end of 2016, I bought a Samsung Gear S3 watch, and that’s when I started designing watch faces. At first, it was just for fun, something I did to explore the easily approachable software “Galaxy Watch Designer” (now “Galaxy Watch Studio"). In the spring of 2017, I started publishing some of my watch faces on the Galaxy Store, and I realized that people were really interested in them, therefore I decided to continue publishing my designs.
As one of our more seasoned and successful designers, can you share some key features of a good watch face design?
In my opinion, a good watch face design has to be easily readable. It should also feature well thought out colors and shades that match together, and the layouts shouldn’t be too complex. This is the key to attracting a wider range of customers.
With your broad experience as a watch face designer, do you still experience technical or design hurdles when designing a watch face?
There really is no limit to improvement when it comes to graphic design. The real obstacle to overcome is the lack of new ideas. There should always be new inspirations about how to improve the design aspect of the watch faces.
There have been, and still are moments, when I find myself stuck, even for several whole days, before getting to a final result. After creating several watch faces and crossing paths with so many great creations from other designers, pushing the creative limit further can be really hard, especially on a 360x360 screen. However, when I finally find the right path that can lead me to a new good project, I feel so enthusiastic and passionate about my job that it is definitely worth it.
Where the technical side is concerned, hopefully I’ll be able to add some new features that leverage Samsung’s hardware-and-software evolutions.

Your brand “Matteo Dini MD” is well known in the watch face community. How important is creating your own brand?
Having a well-recognizable brand is the key to being well known. Your brand identifies your work, that is undeniable.
Finding the perfect name for my brand was not the easiest choice to make. When I started publishing my work on the Galaxy Store I was really indecisive about leaving my real Name-Surname. I even thought of inventing a new name from scratch, but then I decided to go for Matteo Dini, since it gave me the impression of a more personal brand, and I think it worked, or at least I hope so.
My brand “Matteo Dini MD” is a legally registered brand in the US and in Europe.
How do you come up with new designs to support the continued growth and evolution of your brand?
Ideas can come from seasons, from highly- or poorly-inspired periods, and obviously from market research.
“There are no rules” is the only rule. Sometimes a design can sprout from a tiny detail that we come to notice in a random object, not necessarily a watch. In a certain way it’s kind of a meditation process - it’s mind work.
At the moment, there are two of us designing watch faces for “Matteo Dini MD”, my brother-in-law Luca Canaletti and I. Together we try to imagine how the product could potentially look, and we then sketch some drafts on paper or directly on the software.

Your designs are highly rated on the Galaxy Store which speaks to the quality and craftsmanship of your work. How do you achieve such great quality with your designs?
To be honest, when it comes to my work I’m a very strict critic. I always detect some enormous flaws, and I hardly find myself truly and completely satisfied with my work.
Apart from that, the thing Luca and I focus on is quality. To achieve that, we try to include as many details as possible and to test our watch faces for several days, in different light and weather conditions, in order to get a good result. But, as I was saying before, there is no limit to improvement, and we learn something new every day.
It’s evident that you understand the market and what users want. How much does user feedback factor into the designs you create? Are there other factors?
I pay so much attention to user feedback. I obviously cannot design something that works for each of them, however I tend to use their suggestions to improve my watch faces and to meet their needs and tastes.
Being on the Galaxy Store has provided me with knowledge about people’s taste, and I’m constantly trying to keep several watch faces on the store that can satisfy a wide range of consumers, both young people and adults. I also keep an eye on market trends and all the cutting-edge news that comes out.
You employ various marketing strategies, including third-party watch face reviews from JibberJab, social media promotion, free trials, contests, and giveaways. How important is marketing your designs to becoming a successful seller? What tips can you share?
The Galaxy Store is introducing more and more new content every day, so it is really fundamental to promote one’s projects on other marketing channels as well. This is why I employ all those things you mentioned, in order to drive awareness and visibility of my brand on the Galaxy Store.
The paramount thing to do is to create a well-recognizable brand identity, in order to be easily found on the store. I created my brand’s accounts on all the most important social media platforms in order to gain followers and to have a community to directly communicate with. This is fundamental, it’s the starting point for any marketing strategy.
How does the Galaxy Store badge support your marketing strategy?
Galaxy Store badge is, without a doubt, an excellent tool. It generates customized short URLs, it can monitor all the clicks you get (which is important for statistics and promotions), and it also gives you the opportunity to use an official Samsung official logo, which can be really helpful when it comes to marketing strategies.
How has the Samsung Developer Program supported your journey and growth as a watch face designer?
The SDP team has always been very helpful and professional, promptly answering my request for technical assistance and solving my problems. They always keep us up-to-date about Samsung news and share detailed studies about technical topics. They really support our work.
It is also important to follow the dedicated forum. The forum allows us to ask questions and get answers from Samsung and the developer community,
I was very pleased to meet the team in person, twice actually, at the 2018 and 2019 editions of the Samsung Developer Conference.
Thank you for the question; since you mentioned it, I really want to publicly thank the SDP team for their amazing work.
As the winner of Samsung Best of Galaxy Store Awards 2019 for “Best Watch Designer (Big Brand)”, what advice do you have for new designers looking to create a successful watch face business?
Besides being a watch face designer, I’m a technology enthusiast and my first step was studying the product (Samsung Gear Watch / Galaxy Watch / Galaxy Watch Active), wearing it 24/7 for several months. I got the full user experience, before becoming a designer.
Passion and patience are fundamental, new designers shouldn’t get discouraged if the big results don’t come right away. They should keep focusing on finding their style and on trying to improve it day after day. The results will come eventually.
What is next for Matteo Dini MD Watch Faces?
At the moment we are focusing on watch face development and we are trying to improve ourselves in order to be ready when Samsung shares its plans on any new products or product updates.
We want to thank Matteo for sharing compelling insights on watch face design and tips on becoming a successful designer with a recognizable brand.
Be sure to check out Matteo Dini MD’s watch face portfolio, and download your favorite in the Galaxy Store. We recommend this one.
Follow us on Twitter at @samsung_dev for more developer interviews as well as tips for building games, apps, and more for the Galaxy Store. Find out more about our Best of Galaxy Store Awards.
View the full blog at its source

Nanobit is an award-winning game publisher headquartered in Zagreb, Croatia with a branch office in Budapest, Hungary. They are developers of popular game titles including My Story, Tabou, and Hollywood Story. Nanobit’s games allow their users to escape from the ordinary into non-reality, which is more popular now than ever.
Filip Cindrić, Head of Business Development for Nanobit, shares how to develop a successful game, what models are used to make money in the gaming business, and emphasizes the opportunity for game developers in our current global climate.

Who and what is Nanobit?
Nanobit is a global gaming studio started by two entrepreneurs in 2008. Today the team consists of more than 120 experts of various backgrounds, all dedicated to one goal - the development of high-quality, super-fun, mobile games! We specialize in mobile casual games, with over 10 million happy gamers who play our games monthly. Both our games and apps have been downloaded over 130 million times.
We have been recognized by the likes of EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2014, Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 Central Europe 2014, 2015, multiple times on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 EMEA, and FT 1000: Europe’s Fastest Growing Companies.
There are many indie game developers working on the next big game title. You have a very similar story. Can you share your journey?
Nanobit was founded by two young entrepreneurs, Alan and Zoran, in Zagreb, Croatia. These two programmers who were completely self-taught. They started the company with 1 iPhone and developed one of the first lifestyle apps for calorie tracking, Tap & Track. This soon paved the way for more apps, and games followed as they were determined to bring more fun into the world.
Today, Nanobit is a world renowned publisher for lifestyle, narrative, and fashion games, with hits such as Hollywood Story, the winner of Samsung’s Best of Galaxy Store Awards 2019 for “Best Choose Your Own Adventure Game”, and My Story.
Little did Alan and Zoran know how successful they would be, which makes Nanobit’s journey even more exciting and admirable.

You specialize in mobile casual games which have amassed over 100 million downloads. What is the basic structure for developing a successful game?
There is no secret formula on how to develop a successful game. Basically, the first step is to do proper research of the industry and see if your idea is of interest to the potential users. Secondly, you need to have an excellent team of people, including great artists, developers, producers, game testers, and many others. Once you publish your game, you need to stay in touch with your users and listen to their needs and wants. That is the basic structure, but as we said, there is no secret formula!
Is there a preferred language for game developers?
The preferred programming language of game developers used to be C/C++, and to some extent, it still is. However, with the rise of quality and accessibility of cross-platform frameworks and game engines, the language used tends to be whatever your engine of choice supports.
That being said, C/C++ is basically the only natively supported cross-platform language and is still unmatched when it comes to getting every last bit of performance from your game.
Hollywood Story is a game full of unique, fun characters. What systems do you use to create game concepts and story characters?
We brainstorm a lot! There are lots of discussions every day on how to spice up the virtual lives of our users. Each novelty, whether it is a game concept, or a new character in the existing game, is discussed by various team members. We need to make sure that our next step is the right one to introduce to our players. We also want to increase the variety of our characters, so regardless of your position within the team (be it developers, artists or analysts), every input is very valuable!
What are some of the challenges you face while developing your games?
It is definitely a super-competitive market, where there are many great producers and where consumers are becoming more and more demanding. User acquisition is becoming challenging as well. Speaking of internal challenges, sometimes there are too many good ideas at the same time, which makes it difficult for us to decide what idea to implement first. Fortunately for us, it seems that we made good decisions so far.
Are there common errors made by developers while programming games?
Most common errors tend to be general beginner's mistakes that are often related to a framework or a language used. However, one thing specifically related to game programming are the errors caused by the fact that the changes in the game scene often don't take effect until the "next frame" i.e. the next iteration in the core loop.
What are the models used to make money in the gaming business?
Things have certainly changed over the years for video games and monetization models fueling its growth. The evolution has taken games from the premium model only, in which users had to commit spending even before making a download, to a more accessible free to play model that has made games widely available for anyone with a proper device. Nowadays, free to play model is definitely a dominant one on mobile devices and that is where we at Nanobit found our success as well.
The majority of Nanobit’s revenue is generated through micro-transactions, also well known as in-app purchases (IAP), where the user is making a purchase of low value and is being delighted with premium in-game currency, special outfits, etc. Apart from this, ad monetization has seen tremendous growth over the years, and developers have become ever so sophisticated in finding ways to earn more while also enhancing user experience.
The most popular ad format today is rewarded video, which gives in-game rewards to players in exchange for their time, however formats such as interstitial ads, banners, offer wall, and native ads also follow. And then, of course, there are games that, due to their immense popularity and scale, are able to sign bespoke deals with consumer or other brands and secure extra income through custom advertising, brand partnership, or affiliate deals.
How do you stay up to date with the latest game and software trends?
We are continuously researching current trends in technology and gaming industry and are always re-evaluating our development strategy in that regard.
What advice do you have for indie developers and designers attempting to develop a successful game business?
We would definitely advise them to focus on the idea and to create something unique and fun, rather than focusing on the monetization model and how to make the game (super) profitable. If you make something unique and creative, success will follow.
The current global climate has resulted in an increase in gameplay, and a spike in game downloads and sales. Is this an especially unique opportunity for game developers?
The times we are living in are definitely uncertain, and there is no doubt that this global pandemic has negatively influenced many businesses worldwide. However, this really is a unique opportunity for game developers. Many people worldwide are at home and have more time than usual, so game developers should use this opportunity to gain as many new users as possible.
With all of your current success, what’s next for Nanobit and Hollywood Story?
We are working on exciting updates for the current top titles and have new projects in pipeline in the narrative and lifestyle genre.
We want to thank Filip for talking with us about Nanobit’s journey from game entrepreneurs to their success as an award winning game publisher, and for sharing the importance of staying in touch with your users.
If you want to check out one of Nanobit’s award winning games, and escape from the ordinary into non-reality, you can download Hollywood Story on the Galaxy Store from your Samsung device.
Follow us on Twitter at @samsung_dev for more developer interviews as well as tips for building games, apps, and more for the Galaxy Store. Find out more about our Best of Galaxy Store Awards.
View the full blog at its source

Our Best of Galaxy Store Awards series highlights publishers who won awards at our second annual Best of Galaxy Store Awards ceremony at the Samsung Developer Conference. These publishers represent the top performing apps of the year, pushing the boundaries of innovation, quality, and creativity.
Next in our series, we sat down with Cogul Planet, the winners of not one, but two awards: Best Themes Brand Collaboration and Best Themes Designer (Big Brand). The Cogul Planet team shared their inspiration for their MLB Themes, technical challenges they faced, and advice for designers who want to have a successful Galaxy Themes business. Check out the interview below!
What inspired your idea for the MLB Themes?
There are many ways for a fan to cheer on his or her favorite team or favorite player. Some of those ways are to visit a game in the stadium, buy a uniform, cap, or purchase other accessories. They can also participate as members of team clubs. Fans interact in these ways because they want to feel a sense of belonging. They want to feel that they contribute or that they belong to the team dynamic.
Taking that into consideration, we thought that applying a sense of belonging into the fans' mobile devices, which they check and use nonstop throughout the day, could be a new way for a fan to be part of the fandom as well as maximize their sense of belongingness and satisfaction.
Although there are many online wallpapers of MLB teams and players with some available on the MLB site, we wanted to take the next step and provide a more advanced experience to the users by not only providing wallpapers, but also designing icons, buttons, animations, and sounds.
How would you describe your approach to design?
First, we like to design themes that are easy to use from a user perspective. Even if a theme is filled with pretty and cool images, if it doesn’t have good legibility or doesn't harmonize overall, the user will get tired of it.
From a designer’s point of view, we want to communicate the topic of a theme clearly and harmonically so the theme stands out among many other themes. Creating a theme that can capture both design and readability is our main approach to creating themes.
What is your process for designing Galaxy Themes?
The first step in the process of designing a theme is to have a concept meeting with the designers and the planning department. The meeting will occur two to three times each week. During the meeting, seasonal issues and trends of major countries are discussed. Meeting participants recommend concept production ideas. We always try to maximize each designer’s individuality or merit by applying their ideas and supporting them for an optimized result.
Once the concept is set, each person will sketch their ideas and share them with each other. After ideas and sketches are shared, drafts are made. In case of different feelings and aesthetics among two drafts, we choose one and proceed with the work on the editor. The final theme reflects more individuality than the team, but the team collaborates a lot in the production process.
What is the most important thing to consider when designing Galaxy Themes?
It’s important to attract consumers’ attention with a pretty and cool design, but one of the things we think about most when designing is legibility. Especially the home screen, the dial screen, and the message screen that are frequently used, and the purpose of their use is clear, so if poor readability interferes with that purpose, users will feel uncomfortable using their smartphone and will find a different theme soon.
What is the biggest technical challenge you face as a Galaxy Themes designer?
At first, video lock screens were not supported and as technology evolved, it was difficult to learn new skills by using a video production program in addition to a lock screen produced by a theme studio. To create a theme that is more complete with maximized quality, designers need more skills and to always be learning new skills to adapt to advanced technologies.
What design elements do you think all good Galaxy Themes have in common?
Popular and pretty Galaxy Themes have a clear concept and are clearly visible for users. When users use various functions of their device, they can experience the detailed work which gives them a fun and complete feeling. For example, we think you bought a good theme when the details of the lock screen pattern, Iris design, buttons, switches, and keyboards feel alive. These themes are legible and comfortable to use.
How do you keep your Galaxy Theme designs fresh and relevant?
We do a lot of research to understand the tastes of Galaxy Theme users and to create new and fresh themes that haven't been seen in the traditional Theme Store. We use new concepts or mix and match two categories to create something brand new and fresh.
What advice do you have for designers who are starting out to have a successful Galaxy Themes business?
If you study the tastes and minds of Galaxy Theme users, you can come up with a variety of themes that suit your individuality. It’s as important to be up to date with trends, markets, and seasonal events of the Theme Store as it is to create a new theme.
How did it feel to be recognized with two awards?
I felt proud and responsible to win two awards among countless sellers. Since becoming a member of the Theme Store in 2016, Cogul Planet has launched nearly 20,000 applications so far and has been working hard to create new trends and segments such as Ebichu, Siba, MLB and “Good job today.” I believe our contribution both quantitatively and qualitatively to the Theme Store was recognized and rewarded.
In the future, we will continue to create many good and fresh themes so that our users can have a better and easier experience using our Galaxy Themes!
Thanks to Cogul Planet, Inc. for sharing their insights on the complexity of theme designs, how to approach design thinking, and how new designers can get started building Galaxy Themes for the Theme Store! If you're on a Samsung device, check out their designs and MLB themes.
Follow us @samsung_dev for more interviews with Best of Galaxy Store Awards 2019 winners.
View the full blog at its source