Gone are the days when mobile phones were used to make calls or for morning wake-up alarms. Today, mobile usage has changed completely with the launch and growing popularity of mobile applications. These apps in our phones have surrounded us and there is no way we can look away from the convenience that they offer us. In this article, we will discuss the mobile app development process steps
As the number of app downloads, mobile users, and mobile devices worldwide is projected to substantially increase in 2022, it’s clear how integral mobile devices are to our lives. According to FinancesOnline, experts have predicted a 25% increase in global mobile app downloads between 2018 and 2022.
In our daily lives, we rely on and admire so many apps, but the process of making those apps is not that simple. It takes loads of hard work and effort from developers, designers, testers, etc to create a single mobile application.
Mobile App Development Process Steps
If you already have a mobile app idea, take this blog as a guide for the next steps in your journey. An effective app development process consists of five phases which are discussed below.
1. Strategy
The very first stage while developing a mobile app is to build its strategy which is a complete guide map of the whole process of development. And sometimes even beyond that.
The strategy depends on and varies from one business to another. This stage is basically the research work you do before starting an app development process. This research is based on the basis of the following parameters:
- Who are the end-users of the app?
- Who are the competitors of the app in the market?
- On which platform will the app be launched?
Here you decide the scope of work of your product. From choosing the technology stack to planning the pre or post-launch activities. Every step is determined while you build your development strategy.
It is recommended to initiate the app-building process with a working or a market-fit clickable prototype. If you will dive deep into this there is scope for a lot of confusion considering the fact that there are two types of prototypes. And you may feel stuck choosing the right type of prototype development process for your app.
The strategy involves the following:
In order to avoid complexities during the process, it is important to have a clear picture in mind for the app. Once you have penned down the strategy, you are good to go ahead to the next step.
1. Requirement Determination
A lot of planning goes on while making an app. The detailing of the process starts with the analysis and planning. A mobile app development agency needs to do the planning and analysis keeping in mind each and every detail of it. This is the stage before you list down all the requirements for the app.
It involves studying the requirements of the client and gathering the details. It may include the experience from the previous app and what new can be added to make it a success. The analysis is important in the app development process because it further acts as a database while making the app.
2. Analysis and Planning
After listing down the requirements of the app one needs to prepare the roadmap for the app. A part of the planning process includes identifying the skill set for making the app. If the app is being made will be both for iOS and Android platforms then the app development team should have both Android and iOS developers.
One essential aspect of the planning phase includes deciding on a name for the app. You need to make sure that the name which will be domain name for your app should be unique and distinct from others. The mobile app development agency needs to analyze and find out that the name they select for your app shouldn’t be pre-existing.
2. UI/ UX Design
The next step in the mobile app creation process is the design of the app. Mobile app design encompasses both the user interface (UI) and user experience (UX). The purpose of any design should be to deliver the end-users an effortless and seamless experience.
The design of any product is made keeping in mind the user’s behavior. In fact, it is very rare that a product is not designed based on the reflection of our behavior with the service.
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Design Aspects to Consider for Building a Mobile App
It is very important to make the user experience intuitive, interactive, and user-friendly for the success of an app. A good UI design will help in making the user experience good and will keep the users engaged.
1. Wireframe
Usually, the designer starts with a rough sketch of the app. To present it digitally is wireframing or we can say wireframes are the digital presentation of the sketch. Wireframes are basically made to give the visual structure to the app design.
Creating a wireframe for the design is the go-to process for designing the app layout and using the wireframe while developing the app. A wireframe should be device-specific so whether it is used for Android or IOS it should give a device-specific experience to the users.
2. Style Guide
Every company has its own style guide and app design standards that it follows. These are basically the rules and regulations which are documented. It is the digital rule book that specifies every aspect of the feel and looks of the app. The style guide includes:
- Font
- Color Scheme
- Logo
Any mobile app agency be it an android application development company or an iOS application development company makes the mobile app keeping the style guide in mind and using this style guide in the app development process. An important aspect of using a style guide is that it gives consistency to your design.
3. Mockups
Mockups are the final renderings of your app design. They are usually prepared by applying the style guide to the wireframes. Usually, the designer creates the mockups when the design of the app starts getting finalized.
In simple words, we can say they are basically the black and white design for the final product in color. It gives the client an idea of how well the app looks when it will be designed.
Example: Adobe Photoshop is the most popular tool for creating high-quality mockups.
3. App Development
After all, the planning, analysis, and designing are finalized the role of developers comes into play. A lot of coding goes into making an app which is all included in the backend process of the app.
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A typical mobile app development process consists of three aspects:
1. Backend/ Server Technology
When we talk about backend/ server technology, in day-to-day software projects, backend technology is paramount in development. If a developer chooses the backend technology right, it can guarantee scalability, and functionality speed and instantly respond to customers’ needs.
Some of the backend technologies used in famous mobile apps are:
- Java Script – Netflix, Candy Crush, and Facebook
- Python – Instagram, Google, and Spotify
- Ruby, PHP, and Java are some of the other examples of backend technologies
2. API
API shortened for (Application Programming Interface) is a software intermediary that allows two applications to talk to each other. Every time you use an application like Facebook, send an instant message or check the weather on the phone you are using API.
In short, when you interact with the website to access its database, The API is the interface that helps to provide you with the information back.
3. Mobile App Front End
The front end of the mobile app is basically what the users experience. To explain it in simple words it is basically everything that the user sees on the screen in the mobile application including the design of the application.
The mobile application development process includes cooperation between the front-end and the back-end developers in order to finish a complete application.
4. Testing
Before making an app live it is important to test the app based on certain parameters. Testing is an important part of the mobile app development process steps. Once the app is built the QA team test the app recording the test result and then the errors are resolved by the developers to make the app a success. To test the apps various test cases are prepared and then tested by QA testers. It is possible that even if the two testers put the same value the result may differ.
1. UX Testing
This is related to the user experience as the end-user of the application are its users. The design should be consistent with regard to fonts, color schemes, logo design, etc. It is important that the application must look aesthetically pleasing to the user and must also be user-friendly
2. Functional Testing
No matter how aesthetically pleasing your application look but if any bug or error is found while using the application then obviously there is no dearth of applications on the play store. The user may shift to some other application. Therefore it is important that the application is high functioning.
A dummy application is tested on different users as the users of the application may vary demographically and psychologically. Therefore pre-testing is done before making an application fully functional
3. Performance Testing
The performance of an application is evaluated based on some quantitative criteria. To mention some of these include
- The loading time of the application screen
- Network bandwidth
- Size of the application
- The response rate to the users
It becomes important to evaluate the performance of the application in terms of whether it can handle the load and perform well.
4. Security Testing
In the mobile app development process steps, a lot of coding goes on while making a mobile application. The codes need to be further very tightly secured and thus are of utmost importance. The QA and development team need to take some measures to keep the app secured.
All the data entries and login credentials need to be tracked on the device and the backend, tracked on user sessions, etc.
5. Deployment and Support
The final and important step in the mobile app development process steps includes the deployment of the app i.e. when an application is prepared it needs to be submitted to the play store. IOS apps are submitted to the Apple App Store and Android Apps to the Google Play store. People can install the applications on their phones from these platforms.
A developer must have an account for submitting the apps on the Play Store. They are submitted on the play store based on certain parameters which are:
- App Title
- Description
- Category
- App Store Screenshot
- Keywords
This process takes a few hours to update on the store and becomes available on the app store after it.
Once your app is live it will require maintenance support and updates in order to perform seamlessly.
Conclusion
Well-planned chalked-out steps for mobile application development can lead to the success of your business. The mobile application development stages are quite overwhelming and tedious too but it is also a rewarding process if you do it in the right manner.
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