MOBILE APPLICATION DEVELOPMENT GUIDE

The role of the smartphone in modern society is growing day by day. As mobile applications become extremely digitally usable, the value of software developed for mobile devices is also growing.

Mobile applications are a type of software designed specifically for the hardware suite that you will find on smartphones. The same thing works for PC or Mac. Unlike applications that run on computers, mobile applications are often limited in terms of graphics, animation capabilities, and CPU. Therefore, it is important to use mobile application development technologies that optimize performance for a particular type of device. In this guide, we will see trends and determine the value of mobile applications for the end user.

WHY DEVELOP A MOBILE APP

According to BuildFire statistics, mobile app development companies are expected to create apps that will download 258.2 million by 2022. The downloads, compared to 205.4 in 2018, are specifically related to mobile software.

Think Instagram or Uber. These are mobile applications that you will only use on your smartphone, because Instagram has limited functionality if you use it on a computer, and the Uber application was designed to serve users who are on the move. The idea of ​​many entertainment platforms, such as TikTok, is based on capturing photos and videos from your smartphone’s camera for easy sharing. Whether limited or not, mobile apps are here to stay.

TYPES OF MOBILE APPLICATIONS

Mobile applications differ depending on the operating system in which they run, most of which are Android and iOS. This means that if you want to develop an application that will work for both of you, you will have to use different software development kits.

Three main types of mobile applications that you can develop for iOS and Android:

• Native applications: An application for a specific operating system is called native. Based on the device’s own user interface, a dedicated set of tools, it is believed that such applications demonstrate better performance with the devices served. In addition, native programs are easier to integrate with the entire ecosystem, such as Google Play Music or Android Pay. Examples of native apps are Instagram, Skype, and Facebook Ads Manager.

• Hybrid applications: The Facebook application was created in React Native, a JavaScript-based development environment that allows you to create applications using a block library that can be serviced for both iOS and Android. This is a good example of how hybrid apps are a combination of native and web elements. A hybrid approach is useful if you have limited resources and are focused on developing a cross-platform application. Hybrid applications, on the other hand, show lower performance than native applications and are more vulnerable from a security point of view.

• Web applications: Applications written primarily in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript that run in your browser are called web applications. For large screens, such applications may seem a little foreign to the smartphone, especially if it should represent a large amount of data. Therefore, it is recommended to use this approach with applications that are not entirely lightweight and take up too much space on mobile devices, if they are developed initially.

In short, if you need platform-independent applications or a "heavy" counterpart to a PC or macOS application, hybrid and web approaches are right for you. In case productivity and safety are a priority, choose native development.

MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT PROCESS

Creating a mobile application is a process that requires the consolidated efforts of the business and those who carry out this work - usually a team of developers, specialists in UX / UI, QAs and PM. The strategy will be slightly different, depending on whether you are working with an outsourcer or developing an application yourself. Let's look at a structure that entails both:

1. Think of an idea: The idea is the driving force behind any product that you launch. A common mistake is to try to come up with functions - only to find out that they are not intended for the target audience in the end. Instead of delving deeper into functionality, focus on answering one fundamental question: what do you want the user to do with the application? Once you get the answer, start researching to find out if it matches your demographic audience, behavior, interests, and goals. Finally, return to your original idea and refine it.

2. User experience design: This is largely due to the information architecture - the way data is entered into the application. To ensure that it is tailored to customer needs, analyze common user actions and identify the appropriate user flows.

3. Wireframing: The custom threads you come up with are implemented at this point. The process of creating a wireframe resembles an outline - if you have ever worked with Sketch or Figma, you should know how it works. The goal is to create screens that are aligned with specific sets of information in your application. The process includes two parts: imagination and verification. Please note that for a quality frame creation you need several options for the same screen. Thus, you can check them with your audience at the validation stage and choose the best solutions. To learn more about UX building, check out the detailed guide here.

4. Launch MVP, POC, or prototype: Wireframing lets you see how individual screens work. However, this is not enough to analyze the performance of your mobile application. Build an early version of your product to test the app with real people. You can have three options: 1) Launch MVP (minimally viable product) if you want to test it with the target audience so that it really gets into the real world; 2) Create a prototype for internal testing of the company or with a focus group; 3) Run POC (proof of concept) if you are focused on testing the technical capabilities of your product.

5. Look for artists: You want your mobile app to be professional, so you need a professional team to implement it. If you are just starting out and you do not have enough internal resources, a dedicated team of outsourcers can be a great solution. Here are a few recommendations that we have in this regard:

• Design visualization is always the first step: You have already spent a lot of time building your user experience. Correctly reflect this in the application - this is the key. Ideally, you should have a UX specialist who has worked with you in a wireframe collaboration, working with hired designers.

• Come up with external and internal plans together: Depending on your strategy, choose between your own development, hybrid and cross-platform. On the other hand, make sure that the team has the ability to create an optimal hosting environment. The stability of your application depends largely on the server, so you need a reliable solution here.

• Make sure that you check the portfolio of the outsourcing company before hiring: If you have an application that you like and resonate with your product, your project will most likely end in success.

6. Launch your application: You can focus on specific places or audience groups to test the product first and then expand gradually. So Uber California Water Test began to get started. If your audience is not too big, release the product at a time. The key is to have metrics that help you track impact from the start.

7. Submit an application: To profit from the mobile application, create a developer account and register in the application stores. This will help you put the product in front of the target audience, without spending your budget on marketing.

8. PORTING APPLICATIONS: HOW APPLE CREATES IOS APP WITH MACOS

9. The mobile application market is expanding rapidly, creating the need for simple methods for developing and marketing applications. For this reason, Facebook developed React Native, and Microsoft continues to improve its cross-platform development platform called Xamarin.

10. Apple went even further: In June 2019, the company announced that it was going to release the function of transferring iOS applications to Mac on the new MacOS 10.15 Catalina. The project was known for some time under the name Catalyst. In essence, this allows you to simplify the iOS code base and port it to Mac. Therefore, you will need much less resources and time if you are developing an application for both systems.

To learn more about new features for iOS developers, check out the Apple Catalina review.

11. GET A SOLUTION FOR MOBILE APPLICATIONS

12. Regardless of whether you use a hybrid approach or native development, your application will never be exposed to the sun unless it is implemented by professional developers and UX specialists. If you are looking for a non-standard team, refer to the expertise of Htmlpro, an outsourcing company specializing in creating specialized teams.