Mobile apps are everywhere, and they can make our lives easier, more productive, and more fun. But how can you create a mobile app that solves real-world problems? In this article, you will learn the basic steps and skills you need to turn your idea into a reality.
The first step is to identify a problem that you want to solve with your app. This could be something that affects you personally, or something that affects a wider audience. For example, you could create an app that helps you track your fitness goals, or an app that connects people who need help with volunteers. The key is to find a problem that is relevant, meaningful, and feasible.
First find a problem that you want to solve. It could be a problem that you personally face or a problem that your friends/family/colleagues face or maybe a problem which a huge part of society faces or it could be a problem that the whole world is facing. Then try to build an app that solves that problem.
This is one of the most tricky part in application development. Anyone can code a business logic but not everyone has a direction or goal in mind. This does take a lot of understanding of normal day to day things which take place around you. You first notice something which is not efficient or is outdated or in some cases, totally out of order. After having this initial thought about what this thing is, you think about the potential solutions which would make this thing or process better or efficient. This can be a small thing or a big one, as long as it is solving a problem, it is a good idea to invest in the solution. Also see if someone else already tried to address this problem and understand why it succeed or failed for learning.
To create a mobile app solving real-world problems: Identify a Problem: Choose a relevant and meaningful problem, like tracking fitness goals or connecting volunteers with those in need. Market Research: Conduct thorough research to understand the target audience, analyze competitors, and identify gaps in existing solutions. Define Clear Objectives: Clearly define the app's objectives, specifying how it will address issues and improve users' lives. User-Centric Design: Prioritize user experience with prototypes and user feedback to create an intuitive and well-designed app. Iterative Development: Adopt an iterative development approach, allowing for continuous improvement and adaptation to user needs
Creation and innovation comes when there is a problem to be solved. From hair pins to flights everything was found to solve a particular problem. Indentification of the problem is the primary task. This should include all the parameters in and around the problem like who is facing it, how much impact it is creating in day today life and so on. A clean research on the problem is better for further development.
Recognize a problem, whether individual or communal, and craft an app to address it. Specify the app's solution to the problem and determine if it functions as a business endeavor or simply a tool. Think about obstacles encountered by yourself, acquaintances, or the broader community. Devise an app customized to effectively tackle this challenge.
The next step is to research the market and see if there are any existing apps that solve the same or similar problems. You can use online tools like App Annie, Sensor Tower, or Google Play Store to find out what apps are popular, what features they offer, and what feedback they receive. This will help you understand your potential users, competitors, and opportunities. You can also conduct surveys, interviews, or focus groups to gather more insights from your target audience.
Research and see if the app that you want to create is already been created by other companies or not. If it has not been created by any other company, then conduct surveys and find out if people are even interested in this product or not. If they are, you are good to go, if not, then you need to reconsider your idea. If there are already apps existing which are similar to the one that you want to build, research their features and the feedback which they have got. Try to bring new features which solve the problems mentioned in the feedbacks of those apps.
Consider how you would like to design it,it’s difficult to come up with an idea that no one has thought about,but if you can design something that does that same thing and does it better,your product would garner a large interest.
Having an idea and a potential solution for a problem is the first step. After this, you must invest some time in studying if the solutions which you have in mind are already implemented or not. If yes, then does it solve the problem as effectively as you think? If yes, what value will your solution bring to it, it at all? This will make it easier for you to either scrap your potential solution or think about making it even more effective. There is always a possibility that the existing solution lacks few things in it or is not kept up to date. Also, studying the market will give you insights on the impact area and how you can reach out to more heads. I see existing products as a case study will enables me to learn on a fly about the demand
Market research is essential to understanding the users and the potential with the app as it grows. Market research allows for a further understanding of the problem you see to solve.
Your real-time market research will help you on a larger scale, take your time to visit businesses and audiences that you are going to address and gather a large set of problems that everyone faces with the software or application they are using. Now that problem is the strong feature in your idea to solve and add multiple features as well. If you don't have a budget at the moment then divide your idea, i would recommend up to 4 updates in the future and plan it to be a scalable solution. After you are done with that then you can go to the next step. Online tools will only help you to understand the trends, the keywords, and other stuff such as market cap, business revenue, your competitor's analysis, and market growth in the future.
The third step is to design the solution that your app will provide. This involves creating a prototype or a mockup of your app, which is a visual representation of how your app will look and function. You can use tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD to create your prototype, or you can draw it on paper. The prototype should show the main screens, features, and interactions of your app, and how they solve the problem.
In SDLC, this is one of the most critical stages after Feasibility. Defining the flow and structure of the application is very crucial. This here makes or breaks the product and some teams doesn't understand this. You can use Invision or Figma for navigation and flow (prototypes) but make sure that the user experience is top notch. If you are solving a problem with this software, make sure you are not adding another problem alongside. Having wireframes and blueprints helps not only the clients or stakeholders to understand the flow but it also enables you to pin point some flaws early on which would be very expensive during the development phase. It is advised to give this part a good time in the oven so that the next phases are smooth.
The first step is to sketch your idea on paper, you can write it as bullet points and can sketch it. Use Figma to design, and undergo the top UI interactive design research for your application. Keep in mind that if you are doing all of this, then you might be technical and can navigate easily through a difficult application as well, but when it comes to people they need it to be easily accessible, readable, and to the point.
For the solution design, we architect a prototype using tools like Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD, focusing on user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design. The prototype will encapsulate user flow, key features, and the interaction model, ensuring it aligns with solving the identified problem. This phase is iterative, involving user testing and feedback incorporation to refine the interface until it meets both user needs and technical feasibility within the app's intended functionality
Design your app with a user-centric approach. Focus on creating a seamless and intuitive user experience (UX) that addresses the needs of your target audience. Consider factors such as ease of use, navigation, aesthetics, and accessibility.
The fourth step is to develop the app, which means writing the code that will make your app work. You will need to choose a platform (iOS, Android, or cross-platform), a programming language (Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, etc.), and a development environment (Xcode, Android Studio, Visual Studio Code, etc.) to create your app. You will also need to use APIs, libraries, and frameworks to add functionality and features to your app. You can follow online tutorials, courses, or books to learn how to code your app, or you can hire a developer to help you.
Development phase is the most fun phase in the whole development lifecycle as you can visually see the idea coming to life during this phase. Depending on the product, the market and the budget, you will have certain choices around whether to use Native or Cross-platform. After this, you would also want to have to define an architecture to be followed for this project. Once the base is set, you need to make sure that Data Management is on point. If you think, offline data is needed for this, you can structure a local database and accordingly have caching in place for API calls so that you are not calling server each time. (Just things to make everything a smooth UX). Think and plan about edge cases in addition to positive and negative flows
In development you have to delivery the solution the most fastest way. So is good if you focus in the business logic for now. Start with a very simple version then with time, develop a more complex business logic. That will help you to improve solutions, develop the architecture with precaution and choose a better implementations for your app.
Determine which programming language you will be using and plan in short and long term in order to best understand if the language is suitable for your app.
--The only thing I would say is that choose the right team and place them accordingly, making sure that your team understands the goal and idea. --Let them decide as well, and allow them to add in and listen to them. --Convey your purpose behind the development effectively. --Make sure that each code they write can be easily accessible to all the team members. (Github is a good tool for that) --There are multiple tools that you can use for team collaboration such as Trello. --Always build a prototype to test your idea, and features and gather smart minds that can relate to your idea. -- React Native and Flutter are good if you want to develop a cross-platform solution. -- Use APIs to handle and manage your data.
As a full-stack developer, I would initiate the development phase by selecting a tech stack that aligns with the product goals. For a cross-platform application, I might opt for React Native or Flutter, which would allow shared codebase for both iOS and Android, with native modules for platform-specific functionalities. The choice of IDE would be based on the platform—Xcode for Swift development if the focus is on iOS, or Android Studio for Kotlin for an Android-centric approach. For cross-platform, Visual Studio Code is a popular choice due to its versatility and extensive plugin ecosystem. I would integrate RESTful APIs or GraphQL for efficient data handling and employ various libraries and frameworks to expedite development
The fifth step is to test the app, which means checking if your app works as intended, and if it meets the user needs and expectations. You can use tools like TestFlight, Firebase, or Appium to test your app on different devices, operating systems, and scenarios. You can also ask your friends, family, or beta testers to try your app and give you feedback. You should fix any bugs, errors, or issues that you find during the testing phase.
In ideal situation, most of the business logics should be set and tested by development team using TDD/BDD. But of course, QA team must do full flow testing and regression testing before moving to next stage. This makes sure that the product moving from Development to UAT and then from UAT to Production is stable and with no side effects or blockers. This is essential because if you enter the market with a product with a lot of defects, it will put poor initial impressions and you might not be able to retain the users even after resolving the issues with updates. So better be late in this case than providing poor product. Example: CyberPunk game flopped due to bugs in it even though the idea and graphics were great. Run you tests team!!
During the testing phase, automated tests are run using tools like XCTest or Espresso, while manual testing is facilitated by distributing the app to beta testers through TestFlight or Google Play Beta. Feedback is collected, bugs are identified, and iterative refinements are made to ensure the app meets quality standards and user expectations before launch.
Before sharing the app with users, your team should test it thoroughly. This includes checking if all the features work properly and if the app runs smoothly on different devices. Use the feedback you receive to make your app better. Fix any bugs or problems users report, and consider adding new features or improving existing ones based on their suggestions. Your app works well on a variety of devices, including smartphones and tablets, and on different operating systems like iOS and Android. App is secure and protects users' data. Test it to ensure it's not vulnerable to hacking or other security threats. Test your app to make sure it's easy for users to navigate and understand. Make necessary changes to improve the user experience.
Is good to ask your friends and family to try your application, but don't forget who persons problems you trying to solve. Because they feedback is the most valuable for you right now!
The final step is to launch the app, which means publishing your app on the app store and making it available to the public. You will need to create an app store account, upload your app icon, screenshots, and description, and submit your app for review. You will also need to market your app and promote it to your target audience. You can use social media, blogs, podcasts, or ads to spread the word about your app and attract users.
You are finally set to release your product to the real world and for the very first time, your application will be tested and abused by end users. It is safe to say that you will find some bugs and feedback from the actual users. To minimize this, we should always release product in iterations, example: first expose your product to say 100 users and ask them to test and provide feedback. This release is often called an Alpha release and once you have received feedback and if you are using some analytical tool then you can also review those and see if anything can be made better before release Beta and then eventually a proper full scale release. These steps might sound unimportant but without this, you might hurt the initial reputation.
Getting to this step of launching the app takes time and ideally should not be rushed. The launch of the app is a make-or-break moment for most applications.
After going in the market, you will see a lot of different types of use-cases which you might have missed completely. So, its a good place to make a plan to address those, review App Store feedbacks and analytics to see where you app is doing good and bad. If you sacrificed a feature or two before, try to add those in next updates. Try to have no technical debt, if you already have it then try to minimize it. See if you need to make anything more scalable as per the growth and requirement. See if your application is up to date with latest features of OS, if not, upgrade so that UX is smooth. Last but not the least, marketing is the key and you should invest in the same.
Collect Feedback and Improve: Before collecting feedback, ensure you, - Regularly gather feedback from users to understand what they like and dislike about the app. - Use this feedback to make necessary improvements and address any issues. - Continuously update the app with new features and fixes to ensure it meets users' needs and remains competitive.