This Intro to Creating Engaging Mobile Apps is the first of a series examining mobile apps, presenting basic marketplace information, and some characteristics and phases of successful app creation. According to Gartner, by the end of this year, 310 billion apps will have been downloaded, accumulating $74 billion in revenue.  Competition between apps is fierce, with no guarantees.  Research firm Adeven reports that two-thirds of apps in the Apple store are not downloaded once. This is sobering news.  For the beginner building their first app, the challenges are overwhelming.  What does app success look like? What must be done? In this article, we point out the fundamental elements necessary to create an engaging mobile app, one that keeps its users, offering something inherently valuable,...