Apps are changing the business landscape, generating more opportunities than ever before. No two apps are exactly alike, and each development has a specific process in place for creating the best possible product. 

The app development process includes several key concepts: ideas, strategy, development, road map, and UX.

All apps begin with an idea that you think will solve a problem for its users. Once you discuss this idea with colleagues or a development agency, it’s important to define how this new app will meet your business goals.

Key Points of Product Strategy

Strategy is what takes you from point A to point B and beyond. App developers will work with you to find ways to carry out your specific design and functionality requests, while creating a game plan for how the app will be delivered on time. 

If similar apps already exist, you need to know who is using them, what features users like or dislike, and how these apps have evolved. This provides valuable insight for your product road map. 

If you can glean any information about how these existing app owners grew their user base, that competitive research would greatly help you target and attract your audience. 

When working with your development team, be clear about your business goals. Knowing exactly what the app is expected to do is a crucial part of designing a successful product.

Key Points of Product Operations

Apps should be aesthetically pleasing and easy to use. The ultimate goal is to create a product that draws more customers to your business. The first question to answer is, “Why are you building the app?”

Focusing on this question enables changes to be made on the fly as you go. Begin with a strong vision you will maintain throughout the project but be willing to make adaptations along the way.

Your product will evolve as you gather customer feedback, recap, and start building around that information as you go.

Key Points of Design Strategy

Another step in the app development process flow is design strategy. When planning any project, you need to decide how the app should function and what types of data it should contain to achieve these goals. Begin by making a list of features the app must include. This list will serve as your starting point during the building process.

The features will then be organized logically inside the app so that they align with functionality. Each screen can then be planned, and changes made as necessary. These processes typically take place on paper or whiteboards because it’s much easier to erase and rewrite than to rewrite actual code in the app itself.

Next, consider workflows. These are the paths users take within the app. Think about everything you want them to accomplish and determine the number of clicks necessary to make them happen. These actions should be intuitive without requiring several clicks for each one. You can make modifications as you go along to further improve the app’s functionality.

The Takeaways of Great Quality Assurance and Testing

The quality and testing phase of the app development process is typically performed by non-developers. This strategy ensures more realistic testing from people who aren’t familiar with the app already, which would defeat the purpose. 

Functional testing is performed by a group of people who make up your target audience. This ensures the app’s features work as described, while usability testing ensures it is user-friendly and intuitive.

Performance testing checks the apps’ features. An app that takes too long to load, for instance, will not be a favorite among your customers. If the app can’t deliver what a person expects, you’re bound to lose them as a long term user. 

Fit and finish testing allows designers to review their features and ensure they were all implemented correctly. The app should be regularly tested to verify the features are still working as advertised. 

Jackrabbit Project Abilities

Face Lab is an Android app idea by Jackrabbit that would give business owners real-time analytics about their customers’ age range, gender, and emotional state. Jackrabbit would use Microsoft’s cognitive services API to detect a wide range of emotions, including happiness, sadness, surprise, neutrality, fear & disgust.

Retailers could use it along with their point-of-sale system and their customers’ purchase history to determine what they want and when. These companies then could try to improve the in-store shopping experience for their customers.

Benefits of Understanding the App Development Process

Understanding the app development process will create a stronger partnership between you and the app development team you work with. This will result in a highly functional product that will reach a greater number of customers. It also reduces miscommunication or irrational expectations. In the end the process if far more enjoyable and less stressful when customers have a easy to consume road map for how their app will get to the market. 

Jackrabbit Mobile’s Experience

Jackrabbit creates apps that deliver value through product design that focuses on business goals and top-tier expertise in software development. Their clients include healthcare organizations, educational institutions, and government. Want to discuss your next app idea with the right expert? Contact us here or give us a call at (512) 253-8083.