Mobile app development is a simple and standard procedure. It involves design, strategy, and deployment, just as every other software development project. However, if you’ve not been involved in the development of software before you may be a bit overwhelmed at times.
What’s the reason the design takes multiple steps? Why is it necessary to constantly test? What are these variations? Understanding the intricacies of the development process for mobile apps beginning from the beginning will help you avoid a lot of questions and will make your experience more enjoyable.
In this post, we’ll guide you through the process of developing an app from the initial idea to launch, and even beyond.
You will be taught about:
- The key stages of mobile app creation are from care inception until post-launch tracking.
- The various stakeholders in every step.
- The deliverable size dare delivered at different levels of the project.
- The specifics of mobile app design and the reason it takes multiple steps to create an app that is centered around the user.
There are various stages in app development that include design strategy, and deployment. We break down the process of creating an app into seven steps and explain the steps in depth. This will help you know how your app develops from a concept to an actual application that is available in app stores.
Step 1. Idea
Every mobile project begins differently. A lot of our customers come to us in the form of an idea. Others have already written down specifications or a list of features they’d like to have in their application. There are times when a client has to develop an app that is similar to an existing system. For instance, when the company is using a web-based platform and requires an application to provide a seamless experience across all devices for staff or customers. It’s not uncommon to receive a request for an app similar to Uber Eats’ or something similar.
No matter what the situation, our aim from the beginning is to find out the most possible about the design of your application. Who will it be used by? What platforms or platforms do we design for? Are there any similar systems available that are similar to ours? What are the objectives of the business of this initiative? Are you planning a marketing strategy in your mind?
To answer the above concerns, we begin the process of developing an app by conducting client meetings and workshops to gain an idea of the project’s objectives, context, and timeline. It is ideal to involve various stakeholders like a product manager and designers, as well as your marketing team, domain experts as well as other experts. This allows us to take on every aspect of the project as we can as well as listen to your requirements and then dive into your business and market.
After we’ve gathered the required specifications as well as all of the necessary information then we can move on to the most vital aspects of the creation of an application — research and analytics.
Step 2. Find out more
This is an important aspect of the development of any new product. The more you conduct your study, the more precise the product’s strategy will be. This helps cut down on mobile app development costs as well as saves much time during the entire development process.
In general, we conduct our research in various directions:
Audience
We discover what we can about the users who will be using the app, including their needs, expectations, and goals, their habits particulars about their behavior, technical capabilities, and references for devices. This data is vital for creating user personas during the design stage.
Competition
It is always beneficial to know what other businesses are offering within your industry. We study the competition to determine how other businesses tackle similar problems, what technology they employ, and what features they offer. We learn the strengths of their strategies and how they could do better. This analysis will help you discover the market and uncover opportunities to increase your competitive edge.
Industry
Each area has its own rules technology, rules in monetization, and how things function. We research the specifics of each industry and incorporate experts from across industries when it’s sensible. The outcomes of this study will have an enormous influence on technological and design choices.
Technology and business
We will learn about your company as well as the technology infrastructure and operation that will be used in the development of your mobile application. Therefore, we’ll be able to choose the best tech stack for you and develop mobile applications that reflect the brand’s image and will be compatible with your other offerings.
Based on the data we collect during interviews and through our studies, we can prioritize needs, choose the appropriate technology and develop a roadmap for product development.
After the initial two steps in creating an app, you can have an accurate understanding of when and how the project will be developed. You’ll know what it will take to create the first version that is ready for market as well as the platform it will run on and the technology that will be employed.
Are you contemplating an innovative mobile app but are left with lots of gaps in your ideas? You can begin the process of creating an app by starting a Discovery project. This comprehensive research and analytics project is designed to aid you in developing your concept, researching potential market opportunities, and designing the right strategy using data to implement your idea. Discover the importance of Discovery in the development of software.
Step 3. UX design
Designing the user experience possible is the most exciting aspect of the mobile application development process because it offers an early impression of the way your app could look and perform. In this stage, we decide the way users will interact with the app and interact with the application.
UX design is a multi-step procedure. We’ll give you the basics for you, but if you’d like to know more about it read our post about the process of designing and methods.
A case study of how you create an app for travel recommendations
Personas
Do you recall the initial steps in making an app, where we looked at the audience that would be targeted? This information is needed for creating personas. Persona is a picture that represents a user group that has similar objectives, intentions, behavior technology skills, etc. With personas, we can create experiences that cater to the different needs of intended audiences.
User scenarios
User scenarios outline how each user is going to experience the application. If we mix various situations, these will form scenario maps that show the ways that each person can and will benefit from your app.
Information Architecture
Information architecture (IA) illustrates the basic layout and structure of the interface. It will give you an idea of what’s going to be displayed on various screens, how they’re connected, and how users will navigate through your app.
Sketches
Sketching on paper and whiteboards is a highly imaginative and collaborative method of the development of mobile applications. This stage aims to test different designs for each interaction and screen. All team members including not just project managers and designers, as well as programmers, BA as well as QA, can participate and provide input. It’s usually a chaotic process, with millions of ideas and numerous variations. This is the reason why the use of markers and stickers simplifies the process.
Wireframes
The black-and-white wireframes contain every aspect of each screen in your application, except the color, real imagery, and information. As of this point, it is possible to perform some preliminary testing and browse through the black and white screens using tools that are prototypes like Marvel.
Step 4. UI design
In the UI design phase, We transform black-and-white wireframes into vibrant and vivid mockups. This is among the most enjoyable stages of creating an application. The next step is to know how your mobile app development will appear when a user launches it on their mobile phone.
If, however, you’ve got a brand guide, a style guide, or any other materials for branding, the principal purpose of a UI designer is to translate the unique design of your brand into your brand-new application.
At the end of this phase, you’ll be able to create a vivid high-fidelity prototype of your design using Figma or another design tool.
Step 5: Testing and development
The next stage of the development process of an app begins with the transfer of the completed as well as approved UI concept to the team working on development. It is essential that the transition goes smoothly and that developers and designers can communicate and clarify specifics before coding. In the end, the aim of the team working on the development is not just to develop an effective application, but to ensure that it is pixel-perfect and enjoyable.
The development phase is the longest of all other phases of mobile app development. It is, however, the most rewarding phase that happens during the development process. It is because you will get to test your program. Also, you will be able to observe closely the progress of your application and test new versions from time to time.
Agile development
Agile development is a tried and tested approach to software development. Before we begin programming we divide the entire process of development into a sequence of cycles, each of which involves testing, development, and review. In each cycle, we design several elements, evaluate the design as well as fix any issues, and do reviews. If we discover there is a problem or the requirements are changing, we can swiftly adjust the development plan without creating major delays or costly adjustments.
In addition to being flexible, This method provides amazing transparency, both for you as well as for the team working on the application. You can see how the app develops, iteration after iteration. You can also jump into the process with suggestions and comments anytime.
Frontend development
When we speak of frontends in the development process, we are talking about creating an application client that can be downloaded and installed on the phones of the users. That is we create our UI style to life. then make it functional.
Backend development
Another crucial aspect of backend development is providing secure data security, such as the safety of data for users (particularly crucial in healthcare mobile apps features) and secure techniques for authentication, encryption technology as well as others. In 2022, unsound security measures for data could cost a business thousands of dollars.
Testing
The quality assurance process is an essential part of each mobile app development process. There are many types of tests used in this stage. Both functional and performance tests ensure that everything is working exactly as it should. This ensures that the application is speedy and able to take on the workload. Also, we test the application on various devices and simulators of devices to test how the application renders on various sizes of screens.
Step 6. Launch and deployment
As we get closer to the last mobile app development stages -that is, deployment and launch ensure the launcher of the app is secure and efficient. If we are able we test and review not just with our stakeholders, but also with users who could provide us with early feedback.
A case study of how you build an app for learning languages
Step 7. Monitoring and optimizing
It is crucial to keep track of your app’s performance following launch Read user reviews and, sometimes, even talk to the app’s users to find out what issues they have in the app’s user-friendliness. Nothing is more valuable than real feedback from users.
How long will it take to create an application?
It could take only a few months to create and build an easy-to-use app with basic features. This is usually the case with PoC as well as commercially-compatible MVP projects. Applications with a lot of features that integrate with several third-party services (think of Airbnb or Deliveroo) On the other hand, can take between 6 months to a full year to create and launch into the market.
A variety of factors influence the length and quantity of development steps application:
The tech stack and the approach. Typically, creating mobile apps that run on Android or iOS with native toolsets will take longer compared to using cross-platform development tools (React Native, Flutter). However, cross-platform development isn’t always the best option, particularly for applications that are heavy-loading.
Functionality. The amount and degree of complexity of features is the most important aspect that will affect the roadmap of the project.
If you’re trying to develop an estimate of the time needed for your app and aren’t sure how to develop your mobile app, our experts can assist. Contact us and let us know about your idea. We’ll give you a rough cost and time estimation and help you verify your concept.
