When Storehouse first launched, it was hard not to fall in love with the ease with which anyone could create visually stunning multimedia layouts. Version 1.0, however, was a perfect example of how the way people end up using an app can create completely unexpected climates and patterns of use. Storehouse 2.0 does away with a large part of the social media aspect of the app while keeping the great story creation tools and simplifying (and concentrating) how users share content.
Positioned somewhere between a way to easily arrange a beautiful presentation for your media and a new social media platform, once the novelty of the former wore off, the latter slowly made Storehouse intimidating for many of its users. Professional creatives kept constant tabs on how many “likes” or views their latest stories received while everyday users were pushed away by the feeling that they lacked the skills necessary to compete with the level of work constantly appearing on their feeds.
"Spaces" are organized in a beautiful new format that each take a panoramic width across the screen. Create a Space for a topic/type of image or a specific group of people -- you make the rules.
With Storehouse 2.0, users no longer follow other users on a mass scale. Instead, everything lives and breathes within “Spaces” (and yes, we can all breathe now with this newfound space). Spaces are user-created. The owner of each space invites users to join as viewers or collaborators with options to keep members private or public. Each space, usually with a specific subject or audience in mind, can be curated by the owner alone or by all of the contributors/collaborators as a group effort (for example, I was just invited to a Space with 16 complete strangers that is simply called, “Dogs I Meet on the Street.” How perfect?!).
Think of a Space as a portal for a certain type of story. Users can create Spaces for certain family or friend circles, for professional or personal work, or for coming together with various and specific groups of friends and strangers over a common interest. As the owner (i.e. creator) of a Space, you choose the title and make the rules (if there are any) that act as guidelines for people to follow. The only real rule is that there are no rules. You’re in charge. You could post an entire story on cats in the “Dogs I Meet on the Street” Space…but don’t expect to be in the group tomorrow.
Storehouse now launches into your own set of stories every time. The entire app is much more about your content (as opposed to others' content) than it was previously.
While users of the “old” Storehouse might be hesitant to embrace what really is completely new, Storehouse 2.0 creates an environment and platform within which truly anyone can participate. As a professional photographer, I have thousands of family photos that I hesitate to share (because I know my dad will subsequently share that unfinished image of mine on Facebook and tag the crap out of me throughout it for all of my clients to see…). I can now create a Space called “Ottke and Family” that affords me a private area not only within which I can share images, but also within which I can create beautifully designed layouts, add text, and include rich photo and video content, just as I did previously with the “old” Storehouse. I can invite my entire family to join (or just my Dad’s side, for example) — and we can even all contribute with this cousin’s or that cousin’s updates so we never miss a beat. And of course, anyone can share the link to a story on their social media platform of choice so others can enjoy this content.
Storehouse 2.0 was also created with the understanding that over 90 percent of Storehouse traffic now comes from the iPhone. As a platform that was originally made for the iPad, this refocused effort gave birth to new design and layout features made for the iPhone’s smaller screen — and users can now shake to shuffle through a variety of smarter layout options for their content.
Storehouse 2.0 still looks and functions extremely well on the iPad -- the birthplace of Storehouse. Once Storehouse imports the images you select, you have control over how to resize, adjust, delete, or shift around any photos in your layout while maintaining the ability to add text throughout a story.
Every decision is intentional. You can comment and like a story so everyone can have a conversation about it, but you can’t send a direct message to someone. You can create and join Spaces that fit your interests, include your friends, and/or that others invite you to, but you can’t follow someone’s every post, regardless of how they want their posts viewed. None of this stops me from the habit of wanting to privately message someone from time to time; but that’s just the point: Storehouse is not meant as a social media platform. It’s not meant as your next go-to email-replacing messaging service. It’s there to simply be the best way to put your content — amateur or otherwise — into a layout that is intelligently designed in a user-can’t-fail (almost) gorgeous format for consumption.
Most importantly, perhaps, is that stories still look absolutely gorgeous on mobile. They're improved with more intelligent layouts that automatically move and rearrange themselves if you shake the device.
For me, as a photographer, Storehouse 2.0 makes perfect sense as a companion that doesn’t try to replace any of the other great services that I love and will never leave. And as a typical user, I now have a great way to separate my personal, business, and family content from one another without having to “share all.”
Storehouse 2.0 is available for free in place of the original app on the App Store today. Start creating and inviting your friends to collaborate in your own Spaces.
Seems to be an interesting app. Will there be an Android version of the app ?
The 'space' thing reminds me of Pinterest's boards...
I'm not sure when it will happen, but a job posting by Storehouse for an Android developer would indicate that an Android version is indeed on its way...
Hey Moucheg! Sign up here to be notified when the Android version launches:
https://www.storehouse.co/android
Thanks
Thanks from me as well. This seems like a great app and I've been bummed that it's not available on Android.
nice post - does it interact with other social media platforms or is it stand alone?
It's very much its own "thing." But the idea is that you create a Space in Storehouse and link to it or to a specific story you've made on social media (which then takes you to Storehouse where you can view the full story).
like your personal social media "storefront" kinda cool like a mini-website slash integrated blog type deal - in other thoughts when do we start making our mega-social media integration app that makes billions?
Ha. Sort of... And as for our mega-social media integration app...hmmm... Not sure about that...you want to take on Facebook? :-)
As a photographer (not professional or the best), it's heartbreaking for me to learn that my most beloved photo app completely ruined itself, willingly.
I'm not gonna write a novel here, but will say that with 2.0, this app rendered itself useless for me. I would give my business cards, which all have my Storehouse profile URL, to my family, friends, colleagues, even strangers, so that they could have a look at my galleries, stories, etc. But now all that is gone.
According to the owner of the app, the new version of Storehouse is more "friendly" with non-professional photographers who are shy, insecure, unconfident, with low self-esteem, thinking their photos suck too much to be public. The walled garden of an app that it has become won't make non-professional photographers feel intimidated by professionals anymore.
Besides this weird and ridiculous mentality that botched the app, the new Storehouse has also become bland and soulless by dumping all of its eye-pleasing animations. Animations were one of its charms.
I have nothing more to say.
Bye, Storehouse.
:(