<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0"
	xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/"
	xmlns:wfw="http://wellformedweb.org/CommentAPI/"
	xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/"
	xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom"
	xmlns:sy="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/syndication/"
	xmlns:slash="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/slash/"
	>

<channel>
	<title>Beiträge von Kevin Kraushofer - Mobile USTP MKL</title>
	<atom:link href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/author/it251506/feed/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
	<link>https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/author/it251506/</link>
	<description>Die &#34;Mobile Forschungsgruppe&#34; der USTP, sie  sammelt hier alles zu den Themen Design, UX und Entwicklung mobiler Applikationen</description>
	<lastBuildDate>Tue, 11 Aug 2026 20:41:26 +0000</lastBuildDate>
	<language>en-US</language>
	<sy:updatePeriod>
	hourly	</sy:updatePeriod>
	<sy:updateFrequency>
	1	</sy:updateFrequency>
	

<image>
	<url>https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/icon-120x120.webp</url>
	<title>Beiträge von Kevin Kraushofer - Mobile USTP MKL</title>
	<link>https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/author/it251506/</link>
	<width>32</width>
	<height>32</height>
</image> 
	<item>
		<title>Is Figma&#8217;s New Chrome Extension a Game Changer for Designers?</title>
		<link>https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/is-figmas-new-chrome-extension-a-game-changer-for-designers/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kraushofer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 09:18:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/?p=15880</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>As someone who spends a lot of time designing websites and apps, I&#8217;m always looking for inspiration. Not in the sense of copying other people&#8217;s work, but in understanding why certain designs work so well. Why does a landing page immediately feel intuitive? Why does a navigation menu make sense without thinking about it? Why <a class="read-more" href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/is-figmas-new-chrome-extension-a-game-changer-for-designers/">[...]</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/is-figmas-new-chrome-extension-a-game-changer-for-designers/">Is Figma&#8217;s New Chrome Extension a Game Changer for Designers?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">As someone who spends a lot of time designing websites and apps, I&#8217;m always looking for inspiration. Not in the sense of copying other people&#8217;s work, but in understanding why certain designs work so well. Why does a landing page immediately feel intuitive? Why does a navigation menu make sense without thinking about it? Why does one website feel modern while another already feels outdated? These are the kinds of questions I constantly ask myself when exploring websites. Until recently, my workflow for collecting inspiration was pretty straightforward. Whenever I found a website I liked, I would take screenshots, save links, and sometimes create mood boards in Figma. If I wanted to analyze a layout more deeply, I would even recreate parts of the design manually. It worked, but it was slow.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">That&#8217;s why Figma&#8217;s new Chrome Extension immediately caught my attention.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Inspiration Workflow We All Know</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For years, screenshots have been my go-to method for collecting design inspiration. With a screenshot, you can identify colors, typography, layouts, and maybe even recreate some components like buttons or cards. But screenshots only show the surface. They are static. You can look at them, but you can&#8217;t really interact with them. If you want to understand how a design is built, you often have to rebuild it yourself. You need to recreate sections, estimate spacing, and manually analyze the structure. It can be a useful learning process, but it takes a lot of time. And let&#8217;s be honest: rebuilding a website just to inspect it isn&#8217;t always the most exciting task.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What Figma Just Announced</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A few days ago, Figma revealed its new Chrome Extension on social media. The announcement immediately caught my eye. Figma wrote:</p>



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-x wp-block-embed-x"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Imagine a world where you could copy/paste websites into editable Figma layers (jk you don’t have to imagine you can do this now with our Chrome extension) <a href="https://t.co/leLFmh33yg">pic.twitter.com/leLFmh33yg</a></p>&mdash; Figma (@figma) <a href="https://x.com/figma/status/2065101067709472781?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 11, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
</div></figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">At first glance, it sounds simple. But if it works as advertised, the impact could be huge. Instead of taking screenshots, designers can capture a website and bring it directly into Figma as editable layers. What was previously just a reference suddenly becomes something you can inspect, move around, edit, and experiment with. For me, that&#8217;s a completely different way of learning from existing designs.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why This Excites Me as a Designer</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">One of my favorite parts of design is studying other people&#8217;s work. Whenever I discover a website that feels particularly well-designed, I don&#8217;t just focus on the visual style. I want to understand the decisions behind it. How is the content structured? How much spacing is used between sections? Why does the hero section feel balanced? How are users guided through the page? Finding answers to these questions usually required a lot of manual work. I often ended up rebuilding parts of the design myself just to understand how everything fit together. Now I can potentially import the design into Figma and inspect it directly. For someone who enjoys learning through observation and experimentation, that&#8217;s incredibly exciting.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">A Huge Time Saver for Redesign Projects</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">What excites me even more is the potential for client work. Imagine a client comes to you with an outdated website and wants a redesign. Usually, one of the first steps is recreating parts of the current website inside Figma so you can explore improvements and test new ideas. This process is necessary, but it can also be very repetitive. You spend hours rebuilding something that already exists before you can start doing the work that actually creates value. If this extension can accurately recreate a website inside Figma, that entire preparation phase could be reduced from hours to minutes. Instead of rebuilding the current design, I could immediately focus on improving it. And that&#8217;s where the real design work begins.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Will Tools Like This Replace Designers?</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Whenever a new design tool appears, the same question comes up:</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Will this replace designers?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To be honest, I have mixed feelings. Like many people working in creative industries, I sometimes wonder how AI and automation will affect the future of design. Every few months, a new tool appears that promises to make parts of our job easier. And yes, that can be a little scary. But at the same time, tools like this don&#8217;t understand users, business goals, or brand strategy. They don&#8217;t know why one design decision is better than another. They don&#8217;t know how to prioritize user needs. And they definitely don&#8217;t know what a client actually wants. What they can do is remove repetitive work. And honestly, that&#8217;s exactly what good software should do. The best tools don&#8217;t replace creativity. They create more room for it.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Final Thoughts</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The more I think about Figma&#8217;s new Chrome Extension, the more I believe it&#8217;s one of those features that seems small at first but could have a big impact on everyday workflows.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Will it completely revolutionize web design?<br>Probably not.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But for my own design process, I can already see how much time it could save. Less time spent rebuilding existing websites means more time spent analyzing, experimenting, and improving designs.And at the end of the day, that&#8217;s the part of design I enjoy the most.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Sources:</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.figma.com/downloads/chrome-extension">https://www.figma.com/downloads/chrome-extension</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/is-figmas-new-chrome-extension-a-game-changer-for-designers/">Is Figma&#8217;s New Chrome Extension a Game Changer for Designers?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Why Your Website Doesn’t Show Up on Google (And How to Fix It)</title>
		<link>https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/why-your-website-doesnt-show-up-on-google-and-how-to-fix-it/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kraushofer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:41:17 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/?p=15876</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>I chose this topic because before writing this blog, I honestly didn’t really understand how websites actually get found on Google. I also didn’t know what you can do to improve visibility or why some websites show up everywhere while others basically don’t exist in search results. A lot of people think that once you <a class="read-more" href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/why-your-website-doesnt-show-up-on-google-and-how-to-fix-it/">[...]</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/why-your-website-doesnt-show-up-on-google-and-how-to-fix-it/">Why Your Website Doesn’t Show Up on Google (And How to Fix It)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I chose this topic because before writing this blog, I honestly didn’t really understand how websites actually get found on Google. I also didn’t know what you can do to improve visibility or why some websites show up everywhere while others basically don’t exist in search results.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A lot of people think that once you build a website and put it online, it automatically appears on Google. But that’s not how it works. Search engines first need to find the website, analyze it, and add it to their system. Only after that it can show up in search results.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What does indexing mean?</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">When a website goes live, it does not immediately appear on Google. Instead, search engines use automated programs called crawlers. These crawlers constantly scan the internet, follow links from page to page, and collect information from websites.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">When they visit a page, they read the content and store it in a huge database called the index. You can imagine this index like a giant digital library. If your website is not inside this library, Google simply does not know it exists.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why being online is not enough</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Just putting a website online is not enough to be visible. Many websites stay invisible because search engines cannot properly find or understand them. This often happens when the technical structure is weak or when the website is not clearly organized for crawlers.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Even a well-designed website can have almost no traffic if it is not technically optimized for search engines.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">SEO and why it matters</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization, plays a very important role here. It is one of the main factors that decides how visible a website is on Google.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">SEO is influenced by things like page titles, high-quality content, fast loading speed, and especially mobile optimization. Today we live in a “mobile first” world, which means websites are mainly evaluated based on how they work on mobile devices.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Keywords are also a big part of SEO. These are the search terms people type into Google. To make a website visible, these keywords need to be used naturally in the content. But it is not about adding random words everywhere. It is much more important to understand the search intent behind them. People usually search either for information or for products and services, and the content should match that.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Local visibility and Google Business Profile</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For local businesses, regional visibility is extremely important. A Google Business Profile helps companies appear in local search results and gives users key information like opening hours, address, contact details, and reviews.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For small and medium businesses especially, this can make a huge difference because many customers search for services “near me”.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Security also affects ranking</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Website security is another important factor. Websites should always run on HTTPS because Google prefers secure connections. If a website does not have an SSL certificate, it can not only reduce user trust but also negatively affect rankings.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">It is also important to keep platforms like WordPress updated. Outdated plugins or insecure configurations can cause performance issues and even create security risks.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Google Search Console as a key tool</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">One of the most important tools in technical SEO is Google Search Console. It helps you control and monitor how your website appears on Google.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">With this tool, you can submit your website directly to Google, upload a sitemap, and request indexing for specific pages. It also shows whether there are crawling issues, which pages are already indexed, and which search terms bring users to your website.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For new websites, this tool is especially important because it speeds up the whole indexing process and gives clear insights into visibility.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Traffic and what happens after indexing</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Once a website is indexed, the next step is improving traffic. Getting indexed is a big milestone, but real success starts when people actually visit the website.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">There are many ways to increase traffic. A big part of it is networking and simply getting the website out into the world. Sharing it on social media helps a lot, as well as using business cards, flyers, or even adding the website to directories and online listings.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The more places a website appears, the more signals it sends to search engines that it is relevant and active.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Before my first real website project, I thought building a website was mainly about design and development. I assumed that once a site is online, it will automatically be found.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But in reality, it is completely different. Visibility depends on many factors working together, like indexing, SEO, technical quality, content, and external signals.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A website is not just something you build once. It is something you need to optimize and maintain if you want it to actually be seen.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And yes, traffic matters a lot. Google basically thinks: “If nobody visits it, is it even worth showing it?” So the more real users interact with a website, the better it performs in search.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">So, in true “help a student&#8221;. I’d really appreciate if you could do me a small favor and click on the links below. No pressure… but Google definitely loves attention.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Swiva: <a href="https://swiva.app/download">https://swiva.app/</a><br>RKZ Metall Design GmbH: <a href="https://www.rkz-design.gmbh/">https://www.rkz-design.gmbh/</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Sources:</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://webgo.de/blog/bei-google-gefunden-werden">https://webgo.de/blog/bei-google-gefunden-werden</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.media-company.eu/blog/website-bekannt-machen-bei-google">https://www.media-company.eu/blog/website-bekannt-machen-bei-google</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.peaknetworks.ch/blog/wie-wird-meine-website-in-google-angezeigt">https://www.peaknetworks.ch/blog/wie-wird-meine-website-in-google-angezeigt</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/get-on-google?hl=de">https://developers.google.com/search/docs/fundamentals/get-on-google?hl=de</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://webdirwas.at/website-fuer-google-sichtbar-machen/">https://webdirwas.at/website-fuer-google-sichtbar-machen/</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.domainion.at/suchmaschineneintrag">https://www.domainion.at/suchmaschineneintrag</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/why-your-website-doesnt-show-up-on-google-and-how-to-fix-it/">Why Your Website Doesn’t Show Up on Google (And How to Fix It)</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>PROJECT &#124; Building a New Website for RKZ Metall Design GmbH</title>
		<link>https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/building-a-new-website-for-rkz-metall-design-gmbh/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kraushofer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:59:02 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/?p=15871</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>For this project, I had the opportunity to create a completely new website for RKZ Metall Design GmbH. RKZ is an Austrian company based in Lower Austria that specializes in professional flood protection solutions for windows and doors, as well as custom-made solutions for special situations. This project was especially interesting for me because my <a class="read-more" href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/building-a-new-website-for-rkz-metall-design-gmbh/">[...]</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/building-a-new-website-for-rkz-metall-design-gmbh/">PROJECT | Building a New Website for RKZ Metall Design GmbH</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For this project, I had the opportunity to create a completely new website for RKZ Metall Design GmbH. RKZ is an Austrian company based in Lower Austria that specializes in professional flood protection solutions for windows and doors, as well as custom-made solutions for special situations.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This project was especially interesting for me because my father works at the company, which gave me a closer connection to both the business and its challenges.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Why This Project?</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">You might be wondering why I suddenly included this project among my master&#8217;s projects.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The answer is quite simple. The company had received very few customer inquiries in recent months. During trade fairs and exhibitions, potential customers often mentioned that they could not find the company online. After taking a closer look, it became clear why.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The existing website had several issues. It suffered from poor performance, weak SEO, and limited accessibility. Important legal pages such as the imprint and privacy policy were also incomplete and contained errors. Overall, the website did not represent the quality of the company and its products.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Because of this, I offered my support and took on the challenge of creating a new website from scratch.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Project Scope</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">One of the biggest problems with the old website was that it had been developed entirely in React. While this worked from a technical perspective, it made content management almost impossible for non-technical employees.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The company wanted a website that they could update themselves. They wanted to be able to change texts, upload images, and maintain content without needing programming knowledge every time.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This became one of the main goals of the project.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Core Features</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Before starting the design and development process, I spoke with the client to understand what they needed from their new website.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Of course, the products had to be presented clearly. Beyond that, they wanted customer reviews, information about partners, a contact form, and an overall more modern appearance.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">My personal focus was on creating a website that performs well in areas that are essential today: responsive design, SEO, and accessibility. A website should not only look good, it should also be easy to find and easy to use on all devices.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Since the company had almost no digital presence beyond its website, I also created a Google Business Profile and set up Google Analytics to help them understand and improve their online visibility in the future.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Design, Tools, and Technologies</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The design process started in Figma. The client requested a visual style inspired by water and waves to reflect the company&#8217;s connection to flood protection.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">At the same time, I wanted to keep the design clean and professional. The target audience is mostly businesses and homeowners looking for reliable protection solutions, so the website needed to maintain a strong industrial and trustworthy feel.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To make content management easier for the company, I decided to build the website with WordPress instead of creating another fully custom solution. This allows employees to manage content themselves without needing technical knowledge.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To customize the website and provide all required functionality, I researched, installed, and configured several WordPress plugins that support performance, SEO, security, forms, and content management.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What I Learned</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">This was the first time I created an entire website completely from scratch.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I was involved in every step of the process, from researching hosting options and planning the structure to designing the interface, setting up WordPress, configuring plugins, creating the Google Business Profile, and integrating Google Analytics.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">On top of that, I made sure the website worked well on different screen sizes and followed SEO and accessibility best practices.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The project was definitely time-consuming, but it taught me a lot. I gained a much better understanding of how many different areas come together when building a professional website. It was not only about design or development, but also about planning, communication, marketing, and long-term maintainability.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion and Future Steps</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">At the moment, the project is not completely finished yet. I am currently waiting for feedback from the company, and some final content such as photos and text material is still missing.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Once these assets are available, I will make the final adjustments, complete the remaining content, and submit the website for indexing so it can be found through search engines.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">After that, the company will finally have a modern web presence that better reflects its expertise and helps potential customers find its services online.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Check It Out Soon</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The new website will soon be available at:</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.rkz-design.gmbh">https://www.rkz-design.gmbh</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Feel free to take a look once it goes live.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/building-a-new-website-for-rkz-metall-design-gmbh/">PROJECT | Building a New Website for RKZ Metall Design GmbH</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>PROJECT &#124; Redesigning Swiva: Building a Clear and Consistent Design System</title>
		<link>https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/redesigning-swiva-building-a-clear-and-consistent-design-system/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kraushofer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Jun 2026 18:20:56 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/?p=15862</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>In this project, I worked on redesigning Swiva and creating a style guide to make our design process more consistent and structured. Swiva is an app that focuses on reducing decision fatigue in everyday life. The idea is simple: users collect things they would like to do, organize them into lists, and when they don’t <a class="read-more" href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/redesigning-swiva-building-a-clear-and-consistent-design-system/">[...]</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/redesigning-swiva-building-a-clear-and-consistent-design-system/">PROJECT | Redesigning Swiva: Building a Clear and Consistent Design System</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In this project, I worked on redesigning Swiva and creating a style guide to make our design process more consistent and structured. Swiva is an app that focuses on reducing decision fatigue in everyday life. The idea is simple: users collect things they would like to do, organize them into lists, and when they don’t know what to do next, they can just swipe through these activities on the home screen and pick something in a quick and effortless way.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In short: <em>scroll less, experience more.</em></p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Problem and Project Process</strong></h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">When we started this project, we only had a early prototype and not really a clear or strong brand identity. Since we only had one project semester, we also didn’t have the time to go deep into branding and design from the beginning. As a result, things felt a bit inconsistent and not fully thought through yet.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">So I set myself the goal to change exactly that.</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">I started by creating a proper style guide and reworking both the logo and the overall brand identity. After that, I worked in an iterative design process. That basically means I constantly moved between creating ideas, building mockups, improving them, and then discussing everything with my team. Feedback played a important role here.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">On top of that, I also designed the preview visuals for the App Store and Google Play Store, making sure the first impression of Swiva feels clean and engaging.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Tools and Technologies</strong></h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For the design work, I used a mix of different tools. Figma was the main tool for designing all the app screens and building the overall structure of the product. For image editing and vector work, I used Adobe Creative Cloud.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To speed up the workflow and find the right visual elements, I also used platforms like Magnific and Envato Elements for icons, illustrations, and other design assets.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>What I Learned</strong></h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Besides the design part, there was also a lot of organizing and planning involved in this project. My team and I used Swiva as part of our course <em>Tun/Forschen/Gründen</em>, but also for different competitions and our project exhibition.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Because of that, I naturally improved my time management and learned how important it is to stay structured when working on a longer project with multiple goals at the same time.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">From a design perspective, working with a style guide really changed how I approach design. Instead of just designing based on feeling, I now have a clear system that helps me stay consistent. It also made it much easier to improve the quality of the design over time, since everything follows the same direction.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Overall, I would say my design skills improved a lot during this process, especially in terms of consistency and visual thinking.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Conclusion and Future Steps</strong></h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Next up, we will take part in the Interactive Digital Media Student Contest in Romania. After that, we’ll present Swiva at our project exhibition, and in the winter semester we will pitch it for the pre-incubator program.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">At the same time, we are currently working on a full brand book. The goal is to clearly define our design principles and values, so we always keep a consistent direction as the project continues to grow.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Try Swiva</strong></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">If you’re curious, you can check out Swiva here:<br><a href="https://swiva.app/download">https://swiva.app/</a> </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Or download it soon on the App Store or Google Play Store.<br><a href="https://swiva.app/downloads">https://swiva.app/download</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/redesigning-swiva-building-a-clear-and-consistent-design-system/">PROJECT | Redesigning Swiva: Building a Clear and Consistent Design System</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>Freemium, Subscriptions, and Ads: A Technical and Economic Look at App Revenues</title>
		<link>https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/freemium-subscriptions-and-ads-a-technical-and-economic-look-at-app-revenues/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kraushofer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 10:26:08 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/?p=15805</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Whether it&#8217;s social media apps, games, or news, all these apps are offered for free nowadays. For us users, it has become a habit not to pay anything for software on our phones. Hard to believe: Back in 2009, a proud 77% of apps in the App Store were paid. Today, that number is just <a class="read-more" href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/freemium-subscriptions-and-ads-a-technical-and-economic-look-at-app-revenues/">[...]</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/freemium-subscriptions-and-ads-a-technical-and-economic-look-at-app-revenues/">Freemium, Subscriptions, and Ads: A Technical and Economic Look at App Revenues</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Whether it&#8217;s social media apps, games, or news, all these apps are offered for free nowadays. For us users, it has become a habit not to pay anything for software on our phones.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Hard to believe: Back in 2009, a proud 77% of apps in the App Store were paid. Today, that number is just 4.9%. Because of this, it is increasingly difficult for developers to find indirect or even invisible ways to finance server costs and their own work. Nevertheless, giants like Snapchat, WhatsApp, Instagram, or Facebook manage to be part of a multi-billion dollar economic empire, even though their download button says &#8220;Free&#8221;. How does that add up?</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In this blog post, we will take a look at the three biggest monetization strategies, their technical hurdles, and why the classic &#8220;pay once&#8221; model is almost extinct.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>In-App Advertising</strong></h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In-app advertising remains the most well-known and successful method of app monetization. These are ads that users see while using the app. According to Netimperative, this leads to up to a 12% increase in users&#8217; purchase intent. The most common formats are:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Banner Ads:</strong> Small ads, usually at the top or bottom edge of the screen.</li>



<li><strong>Video Ads:</strong> Short clips played before or during use.</li>



<li><strong>Interstitial Ads:</strong> Full-screen ads that often appear during natural pauses (e.g., after completing a level).</li>



<li><strong>Native Ads:</strong> Ads that blend seamlessly into the visual design of the app.</li>
</ul>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">These formats are typically found in social media apps, news apps, and very frequently in gaming apps.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>In-App Purchases</strong></h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In addition to in-app advertising, developers can generate revenue through in-app purchases. This method is especially popular in the gaming sector. The business model behind it is that players can acquire skins, items, or objects. This type of monetization is also often exploited through the &#8220;Pay-to-Win&#8221; pattern. In this scenario, purchases are offered that give players an unfair advantage over others. Games are often specifically designed to offer helpful (but paid) items at particularly tricky spots. For example, to skip a level or gain more power.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Generally, we distinguish between two categories:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>Consumables:</strong> In-game currency (coins/gems), health points, power-ups, or building materials. These can be bought over and over again.</li>



<li><strong>Non-Consumables:</strong> Unlocking hidden levels, new characters, or cosmetic goods like &#8220;skins&#8221; and outfits. These are purchased only once.</li>
</ul>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Freemium</strong></h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">With the freemium model (a portmanteau of &#8220;free&#8221; and &#8220;premium&#8221;), the basic version of the app is completely free. However, if you want to use additional features, exclusive content, or an ad-free environment, you hit a so-called paywall. The goal is simple: users should get to know and love the app, so they are then willing to invest in the best user experience. The most prominent example of this is Spotify. You can easily use the service for free, but you have to take out a monthly subscription for features like offline listening, unrestricted song selection, and the removal of ads.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Technical Implementation: How Does the Money Get Into the App?</strong></h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Integrating these monetization models into an app requires some technical groundwork. Fortunately, developers no longer write these systems entirely from scratch; instead, they rely on proven interfaces. For ad integration, so-called SDKs (Software Development Kits) from large ad networks like Google AdMob or Unity Ads are embedded directly into the code. These communicate with the servers in the background and fetch perfectly tailored ads in real-time.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">When it comes to in-app purchases and subscriptions, the payment processing doesn&#8217;t go through the developer&#8217;s private bank account, but always through the secure infrastructure of the respective operating system. Apple provides the StoreKit framework, and Android offers the Google Play Billing API. To ensure everything is secure and fraud is prevented during these transactions, server-side validation is essential. The app&#8217;s backend directly asks Apple or Google whether the user&#8217;s digital receipt is actually genuine before virtual items or premium features are unlocked in the app.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>The Balance Between Profit and User Experience (UX)</strong></h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The biggest challenge with all these models is the fine line between maximizing revenue and annoying users. A poor user experience (UX) caused by overly aggressive monetization inevitably leads to the app being uninstalled quickly. For example, pop-up full-screen ads or poorly optimized video ads not only consume valuable data volume but can also cause annoying delays and longer loading times due to their size.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">If you add too many ad interruptions, paywalls in inappropriate places, or a strong pay-to-win feeling, the trust of the user base is usually completely lost. A smart way out of this dilemma is often so-called Rewarded Video Ads. Here, the user decides for themselves whether they want to watch a commercial and receives an in-app reward as a thank you. To find out exactly where their own target audience&#8217;s pain threshold lies, experienced development teams also rely on A/B testing. This helps determine how many ads will be tolerated without people bouncing.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading"><strong>Conclusion: &#8220;Free&#8221; Always Has a Price</strong></h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">At the end of the day, it becomes clear: no app is truly completely free. Even if we don&#8217;t pay a cent when downloading from the App Store, we indirectly co-finance the development and server costs. Be it through our attention to advertising, the purchase of virtual coins, or signing up for a premium subscription. The free-to-play and freemium models have prevailed because they lower the barrier to entry for us users to zero.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">For development studios, however, it remains a constant balancing act. Only those who have a firm grip on the complex technology in the background and find a fair balance between monetization and a great user experience will survive on users&#8217; smartphones in the long run. Ultimately, the apps that win are the ones that offer real value without making us feel like walking wallets.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Sources:</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Picture is generated with Gemini (Nanobanana)</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://startup-creator.com/blog/app-monetarisierung">https://startup-creator.com/blog/app-monetarisierung</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.publift.com/de/blog/app-monetization">https://www.publift.com/de/blog/app-monetization</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.adpushup.com/de/blog/game-monetization-model">https://www.adpushup.com/de/blog/game-monetization-model</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://www.devteam.space/blog/how-to-add-ads-to-your-app">https://www.devteam.space/blog/how-to-add-ads-to-your-app</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://nirajpaul2.medium.com/storekit-2-0-part-1-dcacd1a1e861">https://nirajpaul2.medium.com/storekit-2-0-part-1-dcacd1a1e861</a></p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://developer.android.com/google/play/billing?hl=de">https://developer.android.com/google/play/billing?hl=de</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/freemium-subscriptions-and-ads-a-technical-and-economic-look-at-app-revenues/">Freemium, Subscriptions, and Ads: A Technical and Economic Look at App Revenues</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>1 Semester Project &#124; dishy</title>
		<link>https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/dishy/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kraushofer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 13:04:43 +0000</pubDate>
				<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/?p=15412</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Dishy is an intelligent, collaborative application for weekly meal planning. To clear up a common misconception right away: Dishy is expressly not a recipe app. Instead, it serves to save familiar and established everyday meals that can be cooked without much effort or the need to study new recipes. At its core, it is a <a class="read-more" href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/dishy/">[...]</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/dishy/">1 Semester Project | dishy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Dishy is an intelligent, collaborative application for weekly meal planning. To clear up a common misconception right away: Dishy is expressly not a recipe app. Instead, it serves to save familiar and established everyday meals that can be cooked without much effort or the need to study new recipes. At its core, it is a highly customizable calendar that makes it easier for households, families, and flatmates to organize their daily meal plans. Based on a modern tech stack consisting of Angular, Ionic, NestJS, and MySQL, Dishy allows users to intuitively plan and manage their everyday meals, and have the plan generated automatically if needed.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">problems solved by the app</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The app primarily addresses the everyday stress of deciding what to eat. This daily deliberation and discussion are eliminated by a clear, pre-planned weekly overview. Furthermore, Dishy solves the problem of a lack of synchronization within a household. Analog notes on the fridge or confusing chat groups are replaced by a centralized digital solution where every household member can view the same plan in real time. When inspiration is lacking in a stressful everyday life, the app fills empty days with random but already proven favorite dishes of the household at the push of a button. Ultimately, the clear assignment of dishes to specific days also prevents duplicate purchases and planning errors when grocery shopping.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">core functionalities</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The heart of the application is the comprehensive household management system. Users can organize themselves into households, with all data such as dishes and plans strictly isolated from one another, ensuring that data privacy and clarity are always maintained. The interactive Weekly Planner offers a calendar view for the current week, allowing users to navigate through weeks and edit days individually. A particularly intuitive feature is the drag-and-drop planning, which allows dishes to be seamlessly dragged and moved within the calendar. Additionally, the app features a Smart Shuffle, essentially a random generator. This algorithm can automatically fill completely empty weeks or remaining gap days with dishes from the user&#8217;s own library. This dish library is a complete CRUD system designed to build and maintain a personal pool of favorite meals. The entire system is secured by a robust authentication process with login and registration based on secure JSON Web Tokens.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">plugins and technologies used</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In the frontend, Dishy relies on the Ionic Framework in combination with Angular to ensure a responsive and cross-platform user interface with a mobile-first approach. For smooth interactions within the weekly planner, the Angular CDK Drag and Drop module is utilized. Reactive state management and event communication between the various views are handled via RxJS. The backend is built with NestJS as a scalable, modular Node.js framework. TypeORM is used for the relational database design and seamless communication with the MySQL database. Security is ensured by Passport.js and the NestJS JWT module for token-based authentication, alongside bcrypt for password hashing. Additionally, the NestJS Config module ensures the secure and flexible loading of environment variables.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">technical tricks and special features</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A significant technical aspect of the app is the intelligent cache management in the frontend. Instead of querying the database for every action, the app uses a local Map as a temporary storage. The cache key is generated dynamically from the household ID and the specific date. Upon updates, this cache is selectively cleared, and the user interface is forced to reload via an observer, which physically prevents asynchronous rendering errors. Another extremely important building block is the date-fns library. Since working with native JavaScript date objects is often prone to errors, date-fns ensures the absolutely precise calculation of calendar weeks, start days, and date formatting. To always provide users with visual feedback during loading processes or API calls, strategically placed loading spinners were integrated into the UI, significantly improving the user experience. Also, the shuffle algorithm shines with a clever reverse loop. To guarantee that a whole week is completely filled even if the household has only stored a few dishes, the algorithm iterates over the still-empty days instead of the available dishes, intelligently drawing meals multiple times if necessary. The asynchronous configuration loading in the backend is also an important detail, ensuring that database and JWT modules are strictly initialized only after the configuration file has been fully loaded.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">key components</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">The architecture is built upon several central components. The WeeklyPlannerPage is the visual hub of the frontend, where the calendar is rendered, drag-and-drop actions are controlled, and overlay menus are invoked. The DishSelectionPage serves as a dedicated view to specifically search for and assign a meal for a selected day from the list of all household dishes. In the background, the Services act as the communication engine of the app. It manages the data cache, formats the date strings, and handles all HTTP requests with the backend. On the server side, the AuthService and the corresponding JWT strategies encapsulate the entire logic for login, token generation, and the validation of incoming requests, ensuring that only authorized individuals gain access to their specific household data.</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">conclusion and future expansions</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">With Dishy, a highly performant, practical, and scalable application has been created that elegantly solves a daily planning problem. Through the strict architectural separation of frontend and backend, as well as the use of proven design patterns, the app forms a very solid foundation. For the future, concrete expansions are already planned to make the app even more useful. This includes the implementation of error handling to better guide users during network fluctuations or input errors. In addition, more interactive features for group use are to be added to strengthen shared household management. A specifically planned feature is the ability to optionally assign dishes to specific people in the household. Thus, the calendar will not only show what is being cooked on a certain day but also directly indicate who is responsible for the preparation.</p>



<div style="height:100px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<figure class="wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex">
<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" data-id="15438" src="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/myHouseholds-5.png" alt="" class="wp-image-15438"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" data-id="15440" src="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/createHousehold-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-15440"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" data-id="15442" src="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/householdhome-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-15442"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" data-id="15441" src="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/planner-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-15441"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" data-id="15439" src="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/createdish-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-15439"/></figure>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" data-id="15443" src="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/profile-3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-15443"/></figure>
</figure>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/dishy/">1 Semester Project | dishy</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
		<item>
		<title>What the hell ist capacitor?</title>
		<link>https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/what-the-hell-ist-capacitor/</link>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Kevin Kraushofer]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 14:33:40 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Allgemein]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/?p=15256</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Hello dear blog readers! This post is for all mobile developers who, just like me at the beginning, are asking themselves &#8220;What the hell is Capacitor&#8221; actually? We all know and love Ionic. But hand on heart: Often terms pop up that cause confusion at first. For me, Capacitor was exactly such a candidate. That’s <a class="read-more" href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/what-the-hell-ist-capacitor/">[...]</a></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/what-the-hell-ist-capacitor/">What the hell ist capacitor?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Hello dear blog readers! This post is for all mobile developers who, just like me at the beginning, are asking themselves &#8220;What the hell is Capacitor&#8221; actually? We all know and love Ionic. But hand on heart: Often terms pop up that cause confusion at first. For me, Capacitor was exactly such a candidate. That’s why I’m dedicating this article entirely to this topic today. We’ll look together at what Capacitor actually is. I’ll also explain to you how it works and what it can do.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Basic knowledge about Capacitor</h3>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Let’s start with the basics. Capacitor is a “Cross-Platform Native Runtime.” It was developed in 2018 by the Ionic Team to replace Cordova (the standard tool of the past). To put it simply: It is a runtime environment that works on different platforms. It works quite easily too. It takes your modern web app (HTML, CSS, JS) and packages it so that it can run on iOS, Android, and as a PWA (Progressive Web App). And the best part? Although it is web technology, you are allowed to access native functions like the camera or GPS.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">But how does that work if it’s not a native environment? Normally, a website runs in the browser in a sandbox. It is isolated and cannot access everything for security reasons. With Capacitor, however, your website doesn’t run in the normal browser window, but in a WebView. And this WebView is part of a real native app. Since this shell is a real app, it can access the camera or the GPS.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Example</h3>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To understand the workflow of capacitor her is a small example:</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Imagine you are building a blog app where you can create posts. You want the user to be able to upload a photo directly with their camera under a post. With Capacitor the way would be simple. You simply write something in JavaScript like Camera.getPhoto(). Capacitor, acting as a bridge, intercepts the command and notices: &#8220;Aha, the user wants to operate the camera.&#8221; Thereupon, Capacitor sends a message to the native part of the app (native shell). Now it checks which phone the user is using. If the user has an iPhone, for example, the command is translated for Swift. The same applies to Android, only it gets translated for Java/Kotlin. Then the smartphone can execute the native code and enable access to the camera. The photo is taken and then sent back to the JavaScript via Capacitor. And that’s how you have your photo in the blog post.</p>



<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>


<div class="wp-block-image">
<figure class="aligncenter size-full is-resized"><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" width="2176" height="1984" src="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gemini_Generated_Image_wvjsdrwvjsdrwvjs.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-15257" style="width:533px;height:auto" srcset="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gemini_Generated_Image_wvjsdrwvjsdrwvjs.jpg 2176w, https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gemini_Generated_Image_wvjsdrwvjsdrwvjs-1536x1400.jpg 1536w, https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gemini_Generated_Image_wvjsdrwvjsdrwvjs-2048x1867.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 2176px) 100vw, 2176px" /></figure>
</div>


<div style="height:20px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p class="has-text-align-center wp-block-paragraph">So in summary: Capacitor works as an intermediary between the web app and the smartphone’s operating system and ensures that both can talk to each other. Cool, right?</p>



<div style="height:30px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Capacitor Plugins</h3>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To make everything work, Capacitor offers a ton of plugins. These can be divided into:</p>



<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>Core plugins</li>



<li>Community plugins</li>



<li>Enterprise plugins</li>
</ul>



<div style="height:10px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Core plugins, as the name reveals, are plugins (26 in number) that were already integrated into Capacitor at the time of release. This “starter pack” covers the most important native functions. This includes Camera, Filesystem, Share, Google Maps, and many more.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Community plugins are represented in larger numbers, as these are also maintained by the community. This includes plugins we’ve heard of quite often, like SQLite or the HTTP community plugin.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Last but not least, the Enterprise Plugins, the business class. These are paid plugins from Ionic itself directly for companies. These plugins concentrate on security and authentication.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">And if a suitable plugin still doesn’t exist, you can use the Plugin API to write your own code in Swift or Kotlin/Java and make it available in the web app via a JavaScript hook.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Why Capacitor at all?</h3>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Many developers used alternatives like React Native and are coming back to the web. Why? Because web technologies have become so damn good by now. And by the way, every developer’s dream is to have a single codebase for all platforms. With Capacitor, you can use your favorite web framework and simply bring the code to the mobile phone. An additional (huge) advantage of Capacitor compared to classic native development is that you change code and see the result directly, without compiling for minutes.</p>



<div style="height:15px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">A (brief) look at the alternatives</h3>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">To round off the picture, we also have to briefly address the alternatives, and Cordova shouldn’t actually be missing here.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Cordova:</strong> The grandfather of hybrid apps. Capacitor was practically built to replace exactly this tool. Capacitor is the modern successor, so to speak.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>React Native:</strong> But React Native is also a strong alternative. React Native also uses JavaScript, but renders no WebView, but rather real native UI controls. It is more complex (and also slightly more performant) but deviates strongly from standard web development.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Flutter:</strong> Flutter uses the programming language Dart and its own rendering engine. It draws all UI components itself instead of using native controls or web technologies.</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><strong>Swift/Kotlin:</strong> That is the classic way. It is actually only worth it for teams that have absolutely no desire for web technologies and need direct access to every single system detail from Apple or Google. The big catch: You are on a one-way street. Swift code for iOS does not run on Android. So you have to practically develop and maintain the app twice.</p>



<div style="height:60px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img decoding="async" width="1540" height="800" src="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gemini_Generated_Image_2ax9dp2ax9dp2ax9-1-1540x800.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-15265" srcset="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gemini_Generated_Image_2ax9dp2ax9dp2ax9-1-1540x800.jpg 1540w, https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Gemini_Generated_Image_2ax9dp2ax9dp2ax9-1-770x400.jpg 770w" sizes="(max-width: 1540px) 100vw, 1540px" /></figure>



<div style="height:60px" aria-hidden="true" class="wp-block-spacer"></div>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In short we can say that Capacitor is truly a game changer in mobile development. It was the missing puzzle piece that web developers were waiting for. It tears down the wall between web and native and makes it possible to build a real app with the tools you already master. For the majority of all apps out there, it is also the perfect choice. But if you want to program the next high-end 3D game or want a very close connection to the platform tools from tech giants like Apple, then perhaps Capacitor is not the best choice. Best of all, you save yourself double the work, use a single codebase, and still have access to cool native features with Capacitor.</p>



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Pictures: all pictures are created with google gemini (NanabananaPro)</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Sources: </p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">capacitorjs.com/</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">ionic.io/blog/how-capacitor-works-2</p>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph">ionic.io/blog/capacitor-everything-youve-ever-wanted-to-know</p>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Other Projects</h2>



<p class="wp-block-paragraph"><a href="https://swiva.app">Swiva</a> is a mobile app for saving ideas, places, recipes and activities from TikTok, Instagram, Maps and the web, and actually turning them into plans.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at/allgemein/what-the-hell-ist-capacitor/">What the hell ist capacitor?</a> appeared first on <a href="https://mobile.fhstp.ac.at">Mobile USTP MKL</a>.</p>
]]></content:encoded>
					
		
		
			</item>
	</channel>
</rss>
