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Mobile apps have woven themselves into daily life, with millions available on platforms like the Apple App Store and Google Play. Our usage habits reveal just how essential they’ve become.
In this post, we’ll walk through the stages involved in mobile application development services from Purrweb. However, these steps are universal and can guide you with other agencies too — the process remains consistent everywhere.
Discovery phase
The discovery phase tests your app concept before diving into development. This phase helps you avoid unnecessary spending early on, creating a solid foundation for investors and guiding your decisions on features and design.
User Research: Identifying your target audience’s preferences, habits, and problems lets you design an app that meets real needs. This research typically includes surveys, interviews, and analysis of similar apps.
Market Analysis: Reviewing competitors, observing trends, and studying your niche helps validate your idea. This analysis may reveal gaps in the market, providing opportunities for your app.
Concept Validation: Here, you build a minimum viable product (MVP) to showcase core functions and gather early feedback. Testing an MVP helps pinpoint which features resonate most.
Unit economy calculation: A detailed cost projection prevents unplanned expenses. This data also strengthens your case for funding, showing that your approach is realistic and budget-conscious.
Though it’s not an active development step, the discovery phase helps align your strategy, offering data-based insights before making large commitments. You can contact a mobile app development service company for a discovery phase.
Team brainstorming
This phase allows your team to discuss essential features and budget limits. Begin by setting a clear scope for the app, and then identify key features.
Feature Ideation: Brainstorming features as a team ensures everyone understands the app’s purpose and aligns around a shared vision.
Budget Planning: Your budget should match your goals. Discussing priorities early ensures the project stays financially viable, directing resources to high-value features.
Setting Milestones: Outlining milestones clarifies the timeline and checkpoints, letting you adjust before problems become costly.
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Partnering with a contractor
Choosing the right app development service partner is essential. Set clear expectations for timelines, roles, and deliverables.
Here’s what you should pay attention to:
Brief Document: A comprehensive brief explains the app’s purpose, target audience, objectives, key features, and tech preferences.
References: Sharing visual references and mood boards communicates your aesthetic preferences, aligning the contractor’s design approach with your vision.
Contracts and timeline agreements: Contracts cover essential elements like deliverables, deadlines, payment terms, and revisions. Clear agreements prevent misunderstandings, ensuring both parties stay aligned.
Design
Once you’ve defined the scope and secured a development partner, the design phase begins. This phase transforms your concept into a visual format, setting the stage for the actual build.
The design stage consists of several substeps:
Wireframes: The design team starts with wireframes, which are basic layouts of each screen. Wireframes focus on functionality without getting into color or style, giving an overview of the app’s structure.
Design Concept: A few complete screens are then designed with colors, fonts, and style elements. These screens serve as the app’s visual guide and are often shared with stakeholders or investors for feedback.
Final Screens and UI Kit: After feedback, designers create final screens and a UI kit, which includes all the elements developers need to bring the design to life.
Development
Development is where the design turns into a working product.
Regular check-ins with the app development service team allow you to catch potential issues early and ensure the project remains aligned with the original vision. Providing feedback on each feature as it’s built is equally important. This ensures the app’s design and functionality meet expectations.
Testing
Testing overlaps with development and extends beyond it. This phase is crucial to catch bugs and ensure the app works as intended.
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Release
During the release phase, the app undergoes a review by the app stores. It’s essential to familiarize yourself with the store requirements in advance and ensure everything meets their standards. Occasionally, adjustments may still be necessary.
Professional app development service contractors aim to minimize the need for revisions, often reducing them to zero.
Support and maintenance
After launch, consistent support keeps your app up-to-date, secure, and competitive. This phase is crucial for user retention and ensuring long-term success.
Bug fixes: Even after testing, bugs may appear. Quick fixes improve the user experience and prevent negative reviews.
Feature updates: As your user base grows, consider adding new features based on feedback or market trends. Feature updates keep your app relevant and competitive.
Wrapping up
We hope that this explanation of the app development service process will help you make your app concept a reality. You'll be more prepared to handle each phase with this roadmap, guaranteeing a seamless transition to well-designed, user-friendly software.
