This is always a great challenge to start something new and app creation process is not exclusion. As soon as you realize the necessity of making your idea real the first thing you need to understand is that in the very time you are thinking about something, almost 100 people worldwide are thinking about the same, and almost 10 people have already started to do something in this direction. So, the first and one of the most important postulates of any startup is the time. Remember you almost don’t have it… That’s why it is so important to organize your thoughts in the detailed list and start working on its realization.
This list will help you to make the right steps to turn your initial idea into reality and create your app.
1. Research and analysis
First of all, think about the future app target audience. Who are these people? Where are they from? What problems will your app solve for them or how it will simplify their lives? Investigate the app market, identify already existing apps, set your own «unique proposition» and advantages over the competitors.
2. Brief creation
Now it is high time to write all your thoughts in a clear and logical order. On this stage, you need to summarize all app core requirements, functions, create hand-drawn mock-up of your visions and start thinking how to find a good UX designer or UX team to create the wireframes and user-flow for the app.
3. Wireframes and user-flow creation
The wireframe is a skeleton of future app design while user flow shows user interface interaction scenarios and user experience. This is a critical project stage because a clear user- flow and quality and smooth user experience are one of the core components of future project success.
Here are some most popular tools for UX creation:
axure.com
balsamiq.com
mockflow.com
proto.io
adobe.com
visio.microsoft.com
v1.designcode.io
invisionapp.com
pidoco.com
4. Android vs. IOS
More than 80% of the world market occupied by these 2 platforms. However, how to choose between them. Here, first of all, we need to understand our target audience. Despite the fact that IOS users are less than Android, the IOS audience pays more willingly. That’s why if your orientation is a premium segment you should choose IOS platform for mobile app creation.
Android occupies about 70% of the market and the audience coverage is considerably more here. This platform is extremely popular however it has some problems. Among the problems, you may face during Android design creation is the necessity of design creation for a huge amount of devices and as a result, this may take longer time and more money for testing and fixing the app.
If you are planning to make a mobile app the better decision would be to create it for only one platform, as a beginning, then test it and only if your mobile app is successful, create it for the second mobile platform.
5. UI design
Based on the created wireframes and user flow the UI design for a mobile app may be created.
On this stage, the general style, look, and app feel should be created. The future app UI design will depend on the app theme, target audience and a lot of other factors. On this stage, the UI designer or UI team will create a project mood board and final app design based on prior documentation and requirements.
6. Interactive app prototype
Interactive prototype brings UI design to life. On this phase, you may see interactive app prototype, test it, change if required. The clear understanding of future app UI (user interface), its roadmap, and interaction already available on this stage. You may click throw your app.
7. Back End development
On this phase, the developers set up servers, databases, APIs, and storage solutions.
The next step is to set up a developer account in the app marketplace you are creating the design for. Account approval may take a few days. Don’t forget to test your app.
Each project is unique and has its own problems to solve, however, if the process well organized, it will definitely reach its purpose and achieve great success in the market.