For many industries, mobile apps demand is on the rise. And, as mobile device usage continues to increase as technology moves forward, the demand for mobile apps development won’t be going away any time soon. But building an app from scratch is not an easy task, and It doesn’t matter what kind of app you’re thinking about developing; they all have something in common: in order to successfully develop a mobile app, you’re going to need a project plan.
Andres Rodriguez
Chief Marketing Officer
Sept 29, 2024
Mobile App Development and Project Planning
Mobile app development can be defined as the process of designing, developing, testing, and launching mobile applications destined for mobile devices, such as smartphones or tablets, written to perform a particular and specific purpose. They are typically developed on iOS, Android, and Windows platforms. Every mobile app starts with an idea and its goal can range from a vast array of options. Whether an app is meant for products, productivity, food services, entertainment, or security, there is one thing for certain; building an app requires a lot of structuring and planning. This can simply be attributed to the fact that there are many things to consider when working as an app developer: market research, technical specification, different screen sizes, hardware specifications, testing and deployment, and last-minute changes within each platform.
Key Elements for Mobile App Development Project Planning
Draft your idea. Rule number one; you need to sketch your idea for an app. So start by drafting a concept, how it works, and what it needs to accomplish by defining its main features. One thing to consider that is always a good idea to keep in mind is separating app features into two groups “must-haves” and “nice to haves”. The first are features that your app just simply can’t do without, and the second group contains features that would provide value to your app but are not crucial to have. Also, define the programming language early on.
Do the research. Your app’s success is determined by your underlining idea. And why is it so relevant to do some market research before executing? Simply because you need to know if your app is viable by understanding different factors such as whether your idea already exists and has been developed into a different app, or being aware of how many possible competitors are there. Also, you need to take a look at your possible users; what are they looking for? What issue do they need to solve?
Mockups and Graphic Design. Create a mockup for your app, which is a rough sketch of your app’s layout, what the user interfaces (UIs) will look like, and the flow of your app. This will help your idea look more real and it will give you insight as to what to improve down the road. After the mockup has been created -or approved- and your UI/UX problems have been spotted and fixed, it’s time to get into the graphic design for your app. This process will most likely include a graphics design specialist and a lot of back and forth until the idea is completed as expected.
Promoting. It’s always a good idea to create a landing page for your app. This will help to promote your idea so when the app is ready your public will know what’s coming, and they will be more inclined to understand your concept. Build your app. You’ve made it this far, it means you’re doing well. It is now time to build and develop your app, which will become a little easier now that the language has been defined, the mockups have been tested and your app design is ready and approved. When developing your app, divide the work into two categories; front-end, which is the part of the app that users can see and includes everything visual: navigation, flow, graphics, layout, animation, etc. And back-end, which is the part of the app that includes data storage, user management, and databases.
Creating a Timeline for Your Mobile App Development Plan
