Mobile Development: Definition, Alternatives, and Strategies

What is Mobile Development?

In the age of smartphones, people carry their portable devices with them everywhere, depending on and placing daily life information, such as appointments or shopping lists. Whether a phone or a tablet, you’ll always find a mobile app that will help someone manage their schedule, improve their productivity, or keep them entertained. All thanks to one of the software development divisions: mobile development. It allows you to create a specific application that meets your expectations. There are several types and platforms on which the applications run—determined by the needs of your target audience.

Mobile App Development Platforms

The two biggest mobile app platforms are Apple Inc.’s iOS and Google’s Android. iOS is Apple’s proprietary mobile operating system designed specifically for iPhones. However, Android works on mobile devices made by various OEMs, including Google.

While there are many similarities, different software development kits (SDKs) are used for different platforms. Apple uses iOS exclusively for its own devices, while Google has made Android available to other companies that meet specific requirements. Developers have created more than 1.5 million apps for both platforms to date.

Alternatives for Developing Mobile Apps

There are four different ways you can approach mobile app development:

1, Build native mobile applications

2,  Hybrid mobile applications

3, Create native cross-platform mobile apps

There are pros and cons to building an app, no ​​matter which approach you choose. By choosing an approach that suits your strategy, you can achieve the desired user experience, leverage IT resources, and build the native functionality required for your application.

Build an App Development Strategy

The first step in the mobile app development process is to create a strategy defining why. What is the purpose of your application? How will your mobile app solve an industry problem? And What is your business model? How much are you eager to invest in creating this application? What is your income model? How will you market your application, and to whom? Answering these questions will give you a clear idea of ​​how you can advance your mobile app development process.

You can start by defining the personality of the user. For example, suppose you plan to create an e-commerce application. In this case, you will express your user personality by understanding your age, mobile device usage patterns, preferences and explicitly answering why and how your mobile application users will be found. Based on this, you can create an MVP (Minimum Viable Product).

Market Research, Mobile App Development Tech Stack

1. Before we start, here are few questions to ask yourself:
2. Who is your target group?
3. How will your customers use the application?
4. Is there a better alternative?
5. What will your application do that the other application won’t?
6. Which business model do your customers follow?
7. What language, frameworks, and technologies will you be using?
8. How many uses do you pay for your type of mobile app?
9. What is your budget?
10. How long does it take to create your application?

Also Read: How fintech is making money more accessible

Mobile App Design Process

Designing is much more than learning to use design software. You can learn how to design your mobile app yourself or ask someone for help. But most of all, design is about understanding the product inside and out and its capabilities, features, and functionalities. The design must always keep the end-user in mind. The design process we follow at OpenXcell is as follows.

Create a user flow/diagram for each screen

Create wireframes

Select design swatches, palettes, and elements.

Create mockups

Create an animated prototype and ask testable questions

Add the finishing touches to the mockup based on user feedback