Most modern people would find it difficult to imagine their day using the smartphone «just for calls». Most mobile devices jumped far beyond the primary goal behind them — making phone calls and sending simple instant messages. Today even quite a simple mobile presents a platform to house various applications for everyday use that turns thousands of people into grateful users of more and more apps. Simple or complex, informative or entertaining, minimalist or packed with bright and catchy details, practical or joyful, meeting the user needing them, they make life better. The variety of apps available today enables users to do the great variety of things using their mobile phone only. Setting an alarm for tomorrow, calculating expenses for the next week or sending mum a selfie via the messenger app, vast majority of users don’t even imagine how many professionals stand behind these simple everyday operations.
Earlier in our articles in Tubik Blog and here on Medium we have already unveiled the typical steps of creating interface design for mobile applications. Today let’s go further and set the full path of creation for a mobile app, from setting the idea to its release in App Store.
As well as in any creative process, making a mobile application out of the thin air is a complex and sophisticated process which has its individual peculiarities and features in every particular case. Still, on the basis of Tubik Studio extensive experience of creating diverse applications, it’s possible to define several typical creative stages for this process, such as the following:
- Setting the task and initial scope of works
- Estimation
- User/market research
- UX wireframing
- Prototyping
- UI design
- Animation
- Software architecture planning
- iOS development
- Testing
- Release
- Updates
H2 Setting the task and initial scope of works
As we have already mentioned in the article considering logo design stages, the point of setting the task is the foundation of all the design and then development process. At this point the team of designers and developers should obtain maximum information from the client to mark the right way to the goal. The one who walks without a destination in mind, will possibly come nowhere. In product design it works the same way: to get the result, you should clearly set the goals from the very start of the path. It doesn’t mean that the goals should stay totally the same at the end of the journey: the proper level of flexibility has to be set as the objectives can modify more or less in the creative process, research and testing. Still, if the general goals are not set at the start, the creative process can get easily transformed in a mess.
H3 Setting the task and initial scope of works the task and initial scope of works the task and initial scope of works
H4 Setting the task and initial scope of works the task and initial scope of works the task and initial scope of works
H5 Setting the task and initial scope of works the task and initial scope of works the task and initial scope of works
The more information you get from the client, the better it is for setting the right direction. Design briefs, calls and Skype-conferences, chat in Slack, brainstorming sessions, mood-boards can all form the good starting line for productive work. In our case, this point of journey is started by sales managers and business analysts who take over the first line of communication with clients and are experienced on setting the bridge between the customer and creative team.
Design should not just speak to our eyes. It should speak to our heads, our mounths, our stomachs, and our hearts.
Basiyo The Jokefather
Process of the app release in the App Store takes a few steps, including configuring the code, creating a profile, creating a listing, and then submitting it through Xcode for certification. It might involve a few fixes and re-submissions, so knowing the procedure and polishing the details from the first version can save time.
As you can see, the way, which a mobile application goes through, is quite complex and includes variety of steps ensuring its functionality, beauty and quality of performance. Don’t miss our next articles that will provide deeper insights into each of the stages as well as tools and tips for better design and development process.