Bricks Without Straw, developed the LegislateWV application for Apple iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad in 2010.LegislateWV allows users to search for information on legislators, pending or current legislation and maps of the State Capitol--with just a few swipes on a touch screen all while on-the-go.
“The state Capitol building can be a confusing place, even if you work there every day,” he notes. "I was trying to find info on the web to contact one of our senators. As nice as the Legislature's website is on the computer, navigating it on the iPhone was a chore. I also needed access to a map of the complex.”
Summers-Brown began sketching an interface design and worked with Bricks Without Straw lead designer Erica Fisher to transform sketches on a legal pad into an iPhone app graphics for LegislateWV.
“I wanted it to be quick, utilize what the iPhone software was best at--let the user find the information they need with just a couple swipes on the iPhone,” he says.
“Say you’re walking through the Capitol but you can’t remember the room location of Senator McCabe. Or, you don’t know what Delegate Wells looks like. With this application, you type in the legislator’s name and all pertinent information, to include their photo, pops up.”
“You can also access the bill tracking and bill status sections of the WV Legislature website without having to leave the application,” he adds.
Bricks Without Straw received approval from Apple in 2010 for the application. In January 2011, the company completed its upgrade to the app, making it faster and more user-friendly.
It’s now offered free through Apple’s iTunes App store, and downloads have reached the thousands. The LegislateWV app has been downloaded in more than 23 countries.
“West Virginia provides reliable and cheap energy for not only America, but exports coal all over the world,” Summers-Brown says. “With the built-in bill tracking feature, anyone with an iPhone or iPad easily can check on bills that are on the floor and monitor the changing political climate here in the state and the US.”
For additional information, visit www.legislatewv.com.
Sidebar: Testimonial
I particularly like the issues by topic. With the explained lists of topics it is easy to research what users want to keep up with." - Jan Vineyard, OMEGA WV