Ijstart Setup

Android v.s. iOS:

We do mobile app development for iOS and Android operating systems, since Android controls about 88% (Q3, 2016) of the mobile device market worldwide, and Apple owns most of the remaining market share.

Native Mobile App Development:

We use Swift or Objective-C to write native iOS apps, and Java to write native Android apps.

Advantages of Native apps:

– fast & responsive

– easy to tap into wider functionality

– match UI/UX to platform conventions

Cross-platform Native Mobile App Development:

In order to build one mobile app that works on iOS as well as Android in native app style, we use Xamarin. Made by Microsoft, Xamarin is a platform that lets developers build one app that works on multiple platforms in C#. They also provide free tools to build, test, distribute, and learn from your apps.

Hybrid Mobile App Development:

If your goal is to put something usable into your users’ hands as quickly as possible and you are short on resources, but need to create a simple version of mobile app that still provides value, then hybrid mobile app development is the right technology for you. In the startup world, this is called an MVP, or minimum viable product.

A hybrid mobile app is installed like a native app, but it’s actually a web app on the inside.

Hybrid apps, like web apps, are built with Javascript, HTML, and CSS and run in something called Webview, a simplified browser within the mobile app.

Our Process for Mobile App Development

We follow a streamlined process for mobile app development, to ensure that the quality of final product exceeds your expectations and is delivered within the allocated budget and before the deadline.

Here are the 5 steps of our mobile app development process:

1. Define project details

There are some important project details that need to be defined in the beginning:

⦁ Who is the target audience?

Understanding the target audience is key for success. Do some research to figure out the ideal persona of the mobile app user.

⦁ How much is the budget?

Budget plays a significant role in deciding what mobile platform to use (native, hybrid, web, or cross-platform native), level of features and functionalities within the mobile app, and any monetization method

⦁ What’s the deadline?

Is there a strict deadline to abide by? If so, then it will have an impact on the decision for mobile platform, level of functionality, resources, 3rd party integrations with other applications, etc.

⦁ Requirements document

It is a detailed document, explaining how mobile app should work and the features and functionalities it contains.

2. Design a rough sketch

The 1st step in designing is drafting a rough sketch. Here, you are laying down the foundations of your main features and how the interface is going to work

Don’t worry if the sketches don’t look amazing. The purpose of this exercise is to help the team understand where the app is headed.

3. Storyboarding

The purpose of a storyboard is to visually show how each screen will flow from one to the next, and how your users will navigate through your app.

For example, see below an example of an on-boarding flow: users will navigate from splash screen, to sign-up screen to home screen etc.

4. Wireframing / Prototyping

Wireframing is the process of creating a mockup or prototype of your app. You can find a number of prototyping tools online. The most popular ones are ‘Sketch’, ‘Balsamiq’, ‘Proto’, Invisionapp’, which allows you to not only drag and drop all screens in a specific flow, but also add button and swipe functionality so that you can click through your app.

This prototype will not have any back-end development, so the purpose is to click on different buttons and explore screens and menu. It is important to review the prototype and provide feedback than to wait once the mobile app is developed, which will be costlier and more time-consuming.

5. Back-End Development

Now that the mobile app has been clearly designed, it’s time to get started on the backend development. Developer will not only do the coding, but also set up servers, databases, APIs, and storage solutions.

Then back-end code is integrated with front-end application, along with the database to store user information and product information.

6. Testing

Mobile app is tested thoroughly with multiple users to identify and remove any bugs or glitches.

On Android, it is easy to install your app file (apk file) on a device to test its functionality in a live environment. iOS is different—there you will require a platform like TestFlight to download and test your app (api file).

This step is the last step in the mobile app development process.

7. Launch

Now it is finally time to deploy the mobile app on Google playstore and Apple Appstore.

It is important to sign up for developer accounts at the app marketplaces you are developing for. Getting your account approved may take several days (depending on the platform) and shouldn’t be put off to the last minute.

When it comes to publishing a new app, Google and Apple have different policies. Google does a brief review and will pass the app in a few days. Apple does a detailed review before it approves the app to be published. There is no set timeframe for this, but you can expect at least a week to 10 days before they will get back.

To overcome this delay and to get feedback from early adopters, the mobile app can be submitted to PreApps, which is a popoular app marketplace.

It is important to make sure that for all mobile app marketplace, a short and long description of the mobile app is provided that is informative and compelling. Also, take high-quality screenshots that shows key features of the app.

Your mobile app is all set for users to download and start using it.

Mobile App Development

INTRODUCTION: