Nowadays, there is an app for everything. Some can track our fitness activity and progress, while others enable us to edit photos and videos, while some can even track your sleeping cycle and stress levels. In a nutshell, it doesn’t matter what we need because there is an app for it.
Most of these are developed by companies that offer some services. It is the easiest to reach clients and build their business. If you run a startup, you also need to design one. Even though this may appear to be quite a challenge at first, but in reality, it isn’t, and here are some tips on how to do it successfully.
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1. Start with an idea
Source: hackernoon.com
Naturally, the first thing you need is a winning idea. In some cases, it doesn’t matter how creative you are or if you already have a vision of how everything will work. Coming up with the final design is a lengthy process that will include numerous drafts and even more changes along the way, so you have to be patient.
Think of the reasons people will want to use the app. How will they benefit from it? What features are essential? What problems do you want to solve? How can you offer your services and help provide users with the solutions they need?
These are all vital questions, and you have to answer them while working on the original idea. You should only focus on specific tasks to ensure the success of the app. Yes, it can be tempting to include several solutions, but keep in mind that not only will it make the app bulky, but you probably won’t be able to concentrate on each of them fully.
2. Conduct market research
Source: Bluehost
Now that you have a general idea of how everything will work, it is time to conduct research. You have to understand the users’ requirements to be able to meet them. When going through this process, you must focus on the core idea of your app. Otherwise, you will probably gather some data that won’t be viable and end up overwhelmed by it.
In addition, even if you have already planned out the whole layout, this is the perfect opportunity to make changes to improve it further. You will probably discover some new issues that you can solve by adjusting your original design.
3. Choose the development platform
Source: Applify
The most important thing you have to do is decide on the development platform you will use. If this is your first app, the chances are that you won’t be able to immediately focus on iOS, Android, Windows, etc., and create something that will work perfectly.
Why is this important? Well, your main goal is to design a popular app that millions of people will download and use. The only way to ensure this happens is not only to create something appealing and beneficial but also something that will function perfectly across every device.
If you want it to be responsive on numerous platforms, you can always go with cross-platform app development. However, unless you know exactly what you are doing, you will need help from an expert. On the other hand, if you already possess certain skills, you can click here to use software to complete this project on your own.
4. Consider the design
Source: stanwebdesign
As a business owner, your main goal when working on an app is to ensure that it has an appealing design. Yes, its features are significant, but so is the appearance. Depending on the type of startup, and the services you offer, the overall design may not be crucial, but remember that users have to be able to navigate it easily. Simply put, the app’s infrastructure deserves your full attention.
At the same time, you should go with a design that will enable you to update the app in the future easily. As you know, you will have to work on it constantly, meaning that user experience shouldn’t be your only concern. You also have to create something that you can manage, that is, it has to be in accordance with your coding skills.
5. Create a demo
Source: Webcom Systems
Designing an app for the first time requires a lot of time and effort. Most importantly, it takes numerous upgrades. Due to this reason, it is always a good idea to create a mock-up first. It will include all the core features and provide you with enough space for development.
It is always a great way to introduce your colleagues to it and get feedback. Then, they can contribute to it by suggesting new features and provide you with an entirely new perspective. When going through this process, it is imperative to collaborate with other people, and in the end, it will enable you to design a perfect app.
6. Don’t forget about its performance
Source: Medium
App’s performance is one of the crucial things you have to ensure. Some problems are bound to happen over time, but you have to be able to fix them as soon as possible. We have already explained that you need to have complete control of the design. It means that it should be easy to launch updates as well as bug fixes.
What’s more, performance is another thing that can greatly affect the user experience. The chances are that people will not bother with it if they can simply uninstall it and turn to your main competitor. Clearly, this is something you want to prevent from happening.
7. Testing
Source: Travel Tripper
This is the final step you have to make before you officially launch the app. Sometimes, unfortunately, it doesn’t matter how carefully you worked on it because it can turn out that you have missed something. The only way to discover this is to test the app. No, you should not ask your colleagues or friends to do this because they may be biased. Instead, make sure that testing is done by future users. It won’t take too long for them to point out some downside of the design or the overall performance. There is absolutely no doubt that this step is of great importance. It will provide you with a chance to eliminate any issues and enjoy the successful launch of your startup’s app.
