This article will help you get a general idea of the application creation process.
There are 7 stages of application development:
- Product analytics.
- Specification and wireframes.
- Assessment and planning.
- Design.
- Programming.
- Testing.
- Application launch.
Let’s take a look at each stage: its tasks, results, deadlines and costs.
1. Product analytics
Typically, there is an introduction or “vision” of the product at the beginning. However, there is no formalization sufficient to start development.
The task of the stage is to determine and formalize:
- CA;
- Product objective, KPI;
- The value of the product for the target audience, USP;
- Product hypotheses: top-level description of the functionality.
First, they set the task of the product: for example, to sell a subscription or a related product. Next, analyze the market and competitors, including indirect ones. Formulate the answer to the question “Why will this product be used?”. Finally, they describe the vision of the product, the principles and mechanics of its work. An MVP (minimum viable product) is being formed.
The timing and cost of analytics depends on the product and market. As a rule, from 100 man hours, or from 1 month.
2. Specification and Wireframes
The task of the stage is to prepare the technical requirements for the mobile application necessary for developers. To do this, the specification and wireframes of the application are developed.
Specification is a document that contains a description of a mobile application that is necessary for a developer. Namely:
- System logic, custom mechanics;
- Requirements for safety, reliability, documentation;
- User interface requirements;
- Materials for filling the service.
Sometimes the terms of reference for the development of the application are used. However, unlike it, the specification does not describe how to implement it. The developer himself selects the optimal solutions. This approach reduces the implementation time without changing the appearance, functionality, performance, reliability, scalability of the final system.
A wireframe is a black and white layout of a website page. It displays the layout of elements: buttons, images, texts. Based on the set of wireframes, the scheme of user interaction with the future application becomes clear.
Ultimately, an exhaustive and unambiguous formalization of what the application consists of is obtained. The specification helps to accurately estimate: how much it costs and how long it takes to develop a mobile application. Also avoid overspending.
The timing and cost of the stage depend on the volume of requirements received as a result of product analytics. As a rule, from 100 man hours, or from 1 month.
3. Assessment and planning
Based on the specification, a project estimate, or estimate, is compiled. The document describes the application development plan in the following section:
- Scope of work – a brief description of the structure of the mobile application;
- Labor costs in hours by specialists;
- Cost of work;
- Implementation timeline;
- Risks with the probability of their occurrence and measures to prevent them.
As a rule, it takes 3 days.
4. Design
The task of the stage is to create an application design that works most effectively for the product’s task (point 1). Namely, it is being developed:
- Design concept,
- A set of interface components (UI kit),
- design layouts,
- interactive prototypes.
First, a design concept is created . It reflects the style and general mood.
Next, they develop a UI kit: buttons, fields, forms. Reusing ready-made elements allows you to speed up the creation of a design. Then they work through all the screens of the application, including various states: for example, in the presence or absence of data. The final step is adding interface animation to interact with users and bring the application to life.
In terms of time and cost : as a rule, it takes from 80 man hours (from 2 weeks).
5. Programming
The task of the stage is to realize the product.
It is important to take into account future needs. For example, lay the system architecture for further product scaling or high load.
Terms and cost , if the application is programmed from scratch – usually from 160 man hours (from 1 month).
6. Testing
The task of the stage is to ensure the quality of the product: fault tolerance, reliability, security.
Since there are a huge number of devices, operating systems and screens, as well as various configurations of installed software (applications) and device performance, it is impossible to prevent errors in advance. Therefore, a tester is usually included in the process of creating an application, who works out various scenarios for the application and releases it only when it does not contain significant defects from the point of view of the specification.
Testing involves checking the quality of the system by a specialist who did not participate in the direct development of the software, which increases the likelihood of detecting defects during the development process. And the cost of an hour of such a specialist is much lower than the cost of an hour of a developer. Thus, testing reduces the cost and speeds up the process, improving the quality of the final product.
The result of the stage can be a report detailing the detected bugs, their criticality and subsequent fixes.
Regarding the timing and cost , it usually takes at least 40 man hours (1 week).
7. Application launch
The project build is uploaded to the app store. AppStore and Google Play for iOS and Android platforms , respectively.
Before the application becomes available to users, it is moderated. The duration of the review depends on many factors: the category of the application, its history, the developer, and the load of the moderation team.
The project is deployed on a “combat” server. To ensure the smooth operation of the application, set up a monitoring system.
Application Development Steps – Summary
In total, all stages take from 4 months, cost about 1 million rubles and more.
Each stage of mobile application development is important.
To get such a wide expertise, you need a team of narrow specialists: product analysts, designers, programmers, QA specialists.
