Mobile Development Process Explained

Things to Consider Before Building an App

• The estimated time of app development depends on its type (a multifaceted app requires more time than a simple one)
• The cost depends on complexity, varying greatly in different countries (consider East European outsource destinations such as Ukraine)

Stages of Mobile App Development

As a rule, many of them are overlapped. However, typically any app goes through these five stages: 1. Planning Any software starts with an idea that builds a solid foundation and directs all future development activities. Let us assume that many smartphone owners at least once in their life had an idea of a mobile app that would do some useful stuff for them. Although none of them did not go further with it, you should do it! At this stage, you mush have your idea refined and defined. Determine the features and functionality of your app. Here are some questions to help you with this:

• What’s your future app’s value? What’s new can it bring to your auditory?
• What technologies does it involve? (GPS, camera, etc.)
• How will it integrate or extend an existing mobile infrastructure?
• Are there similar apps out there? Is so, does you app have any competitive advantage?

2. Designing This step includes creating the UX and UI design of your app. This is usually done using paper and pen or via wireframes and mockups. If you decide to build a wireframe (strongly recommended), it will make it much easier to build the UX, and then the UI, without having to worry that your app might not feel “at home” on some platforms or devices. While the UX typically comes as black-and-white graphics, the UI will show you your future app in colors. Tip: top UI/UX designers from all over the globe can be found on Behance or Dribbble.

3. Coding This is the actual creation of your app and the most intensive stage that usually starts very early. Once you have completed the previous two steps, it is time to build a working model of your app.

4. Testing After the application is built, a QA department will test it from performance, usability and functional standpoints to see if any breaks occur. All the bugs in your application should be found and fixed beforehand. Tip: It’s never too early to start testing an application The earlier you begin this process, the less costly it will be to have all issues solved. That is why it is recommended to do it gradually throughout the whole process. There is no need to hire someone for minor testing. You can easily do it yourself. Some of testing options include:

• ubertesters.com. It is a cross-platform package of programs for beta testing.
• hockeyapp.com. This is a great testing option for both iOS and Android-based apps
• vessel.io. It monitors usage and performs A/B testing

5. Deployment Once the testing stage is completed, it is finally time to get your app out into the wild. There are several different deployment options, depending on your requirements and needs:

• App Store. A global and most popular distribution service for applications.
• Ad-Hoc Deployment. The number of provisioned devices to deploy is limited.
• In-House Deployment. This option is meant for internal use.

In any case, building a mobile application becomes easy when you have an idea, clear understanding of what you need, strong motivation, and a professional team ready to bring all this into life. We hope this information will help you build an application of your dream. Do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions.