C reating Highcovery has been a very personal experience since its inception in early 2019, and it continues to be an ongoing journey. My aim is to connect and foster a new kind of cannabis community that assists people in learning more about various cannabis products and stores. This method of discovering reliable and trustworthy places has become increasingly important over the past few years, as COVID-19 has significantly altered society and in many cases increased the need for stress relief.
First steps: Prototyping Highcovery
In May of 2019, I finalized the first app prototype. Although it wasn’t aesthetically pleasing, it clearly demonstrated my intentions.
Given that I’m not a designer, I had to rely on feedback from friends and family.
The logo, which emerged from this process, helped me define the look and feel of the app moving forward.
The changes in society and technology brought about by COVID-19 helped me further refine the direction Highcovery was taking: supporting people who couldn’t or didn’t want to go out, in researching the best places to buy cannabis.
In short, the app needs to be both fresh and familiar. It should aim to transform the existing market while simultaneously creating a new one. This is, of course, a lofty dream, but having such a goal helps us to aim higher and find success.
Lofty Goals: Risk assessment and conceptual questions
A year of refinement and redefinition brought me closer to a foundational design for the app.
Following this, progress accelerated, and on March 30th, 2020, I registered the domain highcovery.com.
I was thrilled and ready to shift into full production when my ambitions encountered a setback.
I faced numerous challenges during the app’s development and decided to take a break.
Several questions needed answers before proceeding: What would the exact concept be?
How would I monetize it? Why should I invest in something that could potentially
fail? The risks and stakes were high, but I chose to persevere.
The road ahead: Beyond the Prototype
The pause helped in assessing my concerns and answering many of the questions I had been asking myself. Many people inquired about the app and where to download it. It became clear to me that there was a need for an app designed for everyone, for people like you and me, because the discussion about Cannabis had evolved.
There was still much work to be done: the app required a visual overhaul. A stunning and simple design was needed to make accessing information as easy and convenient as possible. Obtaining approval to release the app on the App Store and Play Store, and completing the first public release took another year. On November 25th, 2021, Version 1.1.0 of Highcovery was finally submitted to the App Store.