App Creation Explodes at Genesee Valley: Local high school student channels his own interests in programming to create and market an app

Candy Crush. Farm Heroes. Words with Friends. All of these applications have one thing in common: they started with an idea and transformed into a phenomenon amongst today’s iUsers. Local high school student Josh Deichmann became intrigued with technology early on, ultimately leading him to explore app development through an independent study project with Genesee Valley Central School District.

Deichmann, whose interest level stemmed from his initial exposure to such technologies and programs as Power Point, has been enamored by the world of technology. His family, which owns an organic milking farm run with the help of a robotic milking system, has also embraced the power of technology. With the innovation of farming happening in his own backyard, and his overall interest in programming, Deichmann set out with a goal: design a fully functional app and publish it to the app store upon creation.

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At the age of 14, Deichmann began his quest to fulfill his goal, working with the Genesee Valley School District to create an independent study learning experience centered upon iOS game design. With the support of GVCSD tech-guru Chris Gyr, Deichmann was off and running. He worked with Game Salad, a program entirely built around app creation, purchased graphics to use in his application, and developed a website to market his game. What evolved was Pocket Bomb, a gaming app that embeds multiple levels of interactive fun.

Currently, Deichmann is working to develop more applications through the Game Salad program, all while updating Pocket Bomb’s compatibility with new operating systems. The craze over Flappy Bird prompted Josh to make a similar application, and in just thirteen minutes, he had a comparable version. Since then, he is working to perfect the game, with added graphics and greater challenge, all inspired by what he sees day-in and day-out on the family farm. Happy Cow-coming soon! His knowledge around BASIC and HTML/CSS programming languages has only prompted him to learn more, and so, he is currently working to learn Objective-C. 

While we would love to assume that the world of app creation is a lucrative one, Deichmann is in it for the love of technology, the innovation, and simply put, for fun. For Deichmann the sky is the limit, and his interest has only sparked further app development. 

For more information about Deichmann’s endeavors and adventures in app creation, visit his website, http://voidedsky.com/. The sky is the limit, and Deichmann is certainly reaching for the stars. 

By: Lauren Stuff, CA BOCES Professional Development