A Step-by-Step Guide to Mobile App Development Process
Mobile, mobile, and more mobile! Smartphones have been a key part of the economy for the past decade and are expected to continue to play a major role in every business’s future. Mobile app development is in dire need of software processes that can handle different challenges when developing mobile apps, due to the high demand for smartphones and the huge use of these apps.
Everyone is working on mobile apps and developing mobile strategies. Mobile app technology is gaining a lot of attention from both the digital world and the business world. The potential for mobile app development to influence business processes and provide a vision of the future is one of the most exciting aspects.
Future of mobile application development:
5G Network
The impact of 5G wireless technology on the next generation is more than a topic for consumers. It’s also a topic of conversation within tech-driven businesses, developers, and others. 5G will be a bridge to future technology and help redefine the network by establishing a global standard for bandwidth and speed.
Wearables
Wearables such as smartwatches and smart jewelry, as well as display devices, are making big waves. The possibilities for wearables are endless and we will soon see them in many forms, including mind-reading glasses. In 2021.
Internet of Things (IoT)
Many businesses are shifting to IoT app development as IoT devices will soon be as common as smartphones in 2021.
Blockchain
Blockchain provides complete security for all sensitive information, whether it’s documents, transactions, or data exchanges. The revolution in Blockchain application development and implementation of its new trends such as anti-piracy. transparent betting. asset tokenization, transparent public elections, transparency.
Displays that Fold
The folding display feature is a mobile app development trend that will transform the smartphone industry by 2021. It will be more complex, but it will also provide many opportunities for mobile developers.
Mobile Wallets
This virtual wallet technology, available as an app or as a built-in function, allows for contactless in-store payment. AI-Powered wallets and cryptocurrency wallets. These are the top digital wallet trends that will dominate the market in 2021.
Live Streaming of Virtual Events
Virtual events streaming is one of the hottest trends in mobile app development. This is because the Covid-19 pandemic put an end to real events. This technology allows real events to grow beyond their boundaries and increases accessibility.
Google’s Flutter
Flutter is a great option for mobile app development. It offers hot reload, cross-platform development, a single codebase, a reduced debug time, fluid UI and a cut down on debug time. Flutter’s excellent UI, growing community, and library support make it a great choice for MVPs. Artoon is a top-rated mobile app development company in the USA that provides robust flutter app development services to create high-quality and engaging mobile apps.
Mobile App Development Process
Mobile application development involves the creation of mobile operating systems from scratch. This requires the right skills, knowledge, as well as a budget. There is a lot of competition in the mobile app industry. To create an engaging mobile app, it is important to work with a reputable mobile app development company.
You might be interested in developing a mobile application. Check out our detailed guide to the process.
Strategy
Before you decide to move forward, make sure that your idea is worthwhile. You should begin by analyzing your core competencies. Define the purpose and mission of your app idea. Make sure you answer the following questions.
- Why would you want a mobile application?
- Who are your target audiences?
- What are the most important characteristics?
- What are their competitors? Are they using a similar app to yours? If so, can your app solve the problem better than theirs?
- A strategic approach to the development of mobile apps can greatly increase efficiency and profitability, and help you stay focused on your vision.
Planning and Analysis
Your initial analysis should include behavior patterns, demographics, and the goals of your buyer persona. Keep the target user in your mind at all stages of the process. This is a crucial phase because it is where you set the foundation for the next steps. This stage is where the client and the development team work closely together to determine the functional requirements.
- Pre-planning has many benefits
- Early insights into the target audience, competitors, and market trends.
- Streamlining the process of app development.
- Cost projection for app development & marketing strategies.
UI/UX Design
The third stage is where you will start to conceptualize and visualize the functionality of your app and the user interface. The UX designer creates the interface between design elements and the UI developer designs the app’s look and feel. The goal is to create an app that’s intuitive, user-friendly, and interactive.
Information Architecture & Workflows is the first stage of app design. Here the UI/UX team gathers data from clients to help structure the content of the mobile app. The team creates a basic layout that ensures sufficient user experience. This reduces the risk of navigation and usability issues.
Wireframes: The majority of designers use wireframing to create information architecture. This allows them to present the layout of their app in a simplified visual manner. Not only are wireframes useful for designers, but also for developers and clients. This ensures that both the developers and clients have a complete understanding of the app’s design. Developers can also use wireframes to understand the layout of each screen’s elements.
Style Guide: Style guides are a design and developer tool that brings cohesion to product experience and user interface. A style guide includes key design elements such as a typography scheme, color palette, and buttons. You should consult the app design guidelines of Apple and Google as part of app design.
Mockups: A mockup shows how a mobile application will look. These mockups are useful as they allow you to present a nearly final design for the entire mobile app. A mockup is a great way to get feedback from users.
App Development
It is important to start working on the server side before you begin planning your app development. The development process of the mobile app involves three phases.
Back-End/Server Tech: The backend in mobile app development is responsible for data storage and security as well as business logic. It acts as a server for mobile applications, as it stores and sorts important data that the user does not see. A cloud server, custom server, and MBaaS are the most popular options for backend servers for mobile apps.
API: The Application Programming Interface (API) is a powerful tool that allows you to integrate different services into mobile apps. It bridges the gap between features and other services. APIs have the advantage that developers can focus on creating the core features of their apps and don’t need to create everything from scratch.
Front-End for Mobile Apps: Also known as ‘client-side programming’, the front end is all that the user interacts with and sees in a mobile app. The mobile app’s front end is about its visual aspects. Front-end developers employ tech-stack, which includes programming languages such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and frameworks like Bootstrap.
Test
The most crucial stage in mobile app development is testing. It allows you to assess the quality of your final product. No matter how good your app code is written, it must pass a set of well-defined tests. Mobile application testing is an important phase that resolves all issues and allows for easy app launch on production servers.
These are the main types of mobile app testing:
User Experience Testing is the process of testing various aspects of the user experience that the app design team has created. Your app’s visuals, workflow, and interactivity will be what your users experience firsthand. User testing should therefore be an integral part of an iterative app development process.
Performance Testing: This is a non-functional test that determines the system’s responsiveness and stability under different workloads. This process evaluates the system’s quality attributes, including speed, reliability, and scalability. There are four types of performance testing: load test, spike, stress, soak, and stress.
Security Testing: A potential vulnerability could lead to software hacking. Therefore, security should be a top priority during mobile app development. Security testing identifies potential vulnerabilities in the system and ensures that data and resources are safe from any risks or threats that could cause loss.
Cross-platform Testing: This type of testing ensures that your app is compatible with multiple devices and platforms. This allows you to identify issues such as usability issues, consistency, and user interface issues.
Support & Deployment
Your app is now ready for submission. Different app stores have different policies for launching apps. These include the Apple App Store for iOS and Google Play Android apps. You can monitor the app’s usage via mobile analytics platforms, and track KPIs to measure your app’s success. This is where you decide which features you want to upgrade and how to continue testing the app to ensure it works correctly.
Conclusion
If you are considering developing a mobile app, make sure that the platform you select is the most compatible with your idea. Mobile app development is a complex process that requires insight and practical knowledge about emerging technologies.
Artoon Solutions is the USA’s top mobile app developer, which uses innovative mobility methods and the most advanced technologies to create mobile apps for diverse platforms.
Our team is one of the most sought-after mobile app developers. We can deliver mobile solutions and apply platform-specific best practices for cross-platform and native app development.
We can help you, whether you are looking for a Mobile app development company that is full-stack or just expert guidance to help you with your current project. Get in touch with us!