It’s 2022, and your business has decided to develop a mobile app. Congratulations! As you start the process, you quickly realize that there are many stages of development. Which one do you start with? What comes next? How long does each app development stage take? What’s a viable product? And many more questions you will need to get answers to before you get started.
In this post, we are going to try and help you answer the ones we think are the most relevant to get you started and explain the basics of a mobile application development process.
What are the stages of the app development process?
In the early days of mobile app development, most apps were built for specific platforms such as Android or iOS. But as the industry has matured, app developers have begun to create cross-platform apps that can be used on multiple devices. This has made the process of creating a mobile app more complex, but it has also opened up new opportunities for businesses and consumers.
Let’s take a look at how cross-platform apps are created and how they differ from traditional apps.
STAGE 1. Product Discovery – what you want to create, for who, and why
Product discovery is the process of understanding your customer’s needs and developing a solution to meet those needs. This is where most startups fail because they don’t know how to identify their target market. They are too focused on creating a great idea rather than focusing on finding out who wants it.
Startups often try to solve problems that aren’t real problems. Instead of building products that people actually want, they build things that sound good. In reality, there isn’t enough evidence to prove whether or not the problem exists.
The best way to find out what people really want is to talk to them. But, first, you must understand who your customer is and what he/she wants your finished product to solve. Once you do, you’ll be able to develop a better product that solves actual problems your ideal customer currently has.
STAGE 2. UX / UI app design –This is how your app will work and look
User Experience (UX) and User Interface (UI) are often confused terms. However, they are very important aspects of the design process for an effective mobile application. In fact, many app developers think that one is enough, but I’m afraid that is a mistake. There must be a balance between the two. You cannot just focus on either one without considering the other. A good designer knows what to consider and what to ignore.
Creating a beautiful and functional mobile application requires extensive knowledge of user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design. A well-designed app will be easy to use and look good on any device. Good UX/UI design is essential for creating a positive user experience and preventing app users from becoming frustrated with your app.
Designing an effective user interface can be challenging, but it’s important to take the time to get it right. The layout of your app’s buttons, menus, and other features should be easy for users to understand and use. The colours and fonts you choose should also be visually appealing and easy to read.
There are a few common mistakes that can be made when designing an app. One is not paying enough attention to the user’s needs, which can result in an interface that is difficult to use. Another mistake is not testing the app enough before releasing it, which can cause usability issues. And finally, not paying attention to visual details can result in an unappealing app.
It’s also important to test your app’s design with users before releasing it to the public. By getting feedback from real users, you can identify any problems with your design and make changes that improve the overall user experience. A well-designed mobile app is more likely to be successful than one that looks great but is difficult to use.
STAGE 3. Project kick-off & setup – Team setup and the start of app development
The app development kick-off meeting is an important step toward the successful launch of your application. During this meeting, you will talk about your mobile application’s goals, scope, features, and functionality. You will also define the development milestones and the release plan. This way, you are able to make sure that everything goes according to schedule and you don’t miss any deadlines.
Project kick-off meetings are usually held every couple of weeks. They are scheduled based on the current state of the mobile app project. If there are no major issues, you might skip one meeting every few weeks. Otherwise, you might hold several sessions within a short period of time.
During the app development kick-off meeting, you will also organize the team members and assign responsibilities. You will decide how long it takes to complete certain tasks and when to do a review process. For example, some tasks might require less effort while others might take longer. In addition, you will define the roles and responsibilities of each person involved in the project.
You will also determine whether you want to use agile or scrum methodology. Agile methodologies allow teams to work together closely and quickly. On the other hand, scrum helps teams focus on delivering value and quality assurance.
STAGE 4. App development with Quality Assurance
During this stage of the process, the team is planning the architecture and the technologies that are going to be used to develop the application. When it comes to mobile app development, there are three main components that need to be considered: the back-end or server, the API and the front-end interface.
- Back-end or server: The back-end of an app is responsible for all the business logic and server-side code. It handles things like user authentication, data storage, and API calls. It’s usually built using programming language like Node.js, PHP, Ruby on Rails, or Java.
- API: An API (application programming interface) is a set of rules that dictate how different parts of an app can communicate with each other. For example, an API might specify how a user’s data should be formatted when it’s sent to the back-end, or how the back-end should respond when it receives a request from the front-end.
- Front-end interface: The front-end of an app is responsible for all the graphical elements and user interactions. It’s usually written in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript using a framework like Flutter or React Native.
During this stage you can also decide what your QA process is going to be like, and what tools are going to be used to speed up testing and avoid a lengthy debugging process.
STAGE 5. Preparation and publishing of the app on Google Play Store and Apple Store
Before uploading an app on the market, we make sure that we have checked it thoroughly. There could be some problems with the app itself, such as missing permissions, duplicates, incorrect descriptions, etc. Once everything looks fine, we go ahead and publish your application in app stores.
The next step is to upload the APK file to a mobile platform like Google Play Store and AppStore. You can do this manually or use third-party development tools like Apkmirror, Apps2SD, or Installer Pro. Once the files are uploaded, test the app again to avoid any issues during the launch phase.
If everything goes well, you can now proceed to the post-development phase.
STAGE 6. Post-development phase – app maintenance & further development
The post-development phase includes many activities such as testing, bug fixing, performance improvements, reviewing crash reports etc. This stage is very crucial because it helps you to identify bugs and errors in your application. You must ensure that there are no critical issues in your app during this period.
During the post-development phase, you can use different types of mobile analytics platforms like Crashlytics, Testflight, etc., to monitor the performance of your app. These tools help you to detect crashes, memory leaks, network problems, etc.
You can also make changes to your codebase while maintaining the stability of your app. For example, you can add features to your app without affecting the existing functionality.
In addition to this, you can also improve the overall performance of your mobile app project. You can do this by implementing some caching techniques and optimizing the database queries.
During this stage is also important to get user feedback to find out what other features and improvements can be added to improve the usability and value of the app.
Choosing the right partner for your project
Now that you have a good understanding of what mobile app development entails, it’s time to start thinking about who will design and develop your app. This is an important decision, as choosing the right mobile development team can make the difference between success and failure. There are a few things to consider when selecting a company to work with.
- First, you need to make sure that they have experience in the application design process and developing mobile apps.
- Second, you need to ensure that they have a good understanding of your vision for the app.
- Finally, you need to make sure that they are willing to work closely with you throughout the development process. Taking the time to find the right partner is essential to the success of your mobile app development project.
Conclusion
Developing a successful mobile app isn’t as easy as it looks. Several steps and individuals are required to create a good mobile application. If you don’t pay attention to each step, you may end up wasting time and money. So, before you begin, make sure you know exactly what needs to be done, how long it will take, and who you’ll want to work with since you’ll be working closely together.
