Following on from Part 1: The concept– now you have your idea, how do you make it a reality? I’ve taken the approach that if you don’t have coding experience, you will need to employ someone to design and develop your app for you; however the points below are relevant to use as a checklist even if you are doing your own coding/design.
For this stage I’ve interviewed Kyle Gillis, Digital Director at Fatfish. Fatfish are a full service digital and design studio, with many successful apps and campaigns to their name.
So, you’re looking for a developer. Maybe you’ve found one and are about to sit down with them for the first time. What do you need to know? What questions should you ask? How do you go about translating your idea into a process for them to follow?
Kyle’s approach is based heavily in forward-planning. A finished app can take anywhere from 2 weeks to 6+ months to develop and it’s crucial to identify the possible roadblocks in order to look at an appropriate timeline. The planning is done before any coding or design is even looked at.
Planning and screenshots from Draw It, Cut It, Stick It
What should you plan for? Ask yourself:
- Do you know your app inside out?
- Can you anticipate what areas may be difficult- are there parts of your app that involve permission or information from a third party?
- Is your app going across multiple platforms?
- Have you thought about transitions between pages/screens?
- Do you have a storyboard to visualise the content? (Not design at this stage, but what connects where in your app)
- Is all the content ready to go? (Edited, proofed, etc?)
- Do you have a certain date you need to launch by?
All of this information, or as much as you have, needs to be relayed to the developer. You might not be able to pinpoint areas that will be difficult to code (that’s what you have a developer for), but you can at least know your app, picture it, and be clear on what it is supposed to do. As Kyle notes; once the app is complete, it also needs to be approved by the platform you are uploading it to- sometimes it is difficult to gauge how long platforms such as apple are going to take to do this- so plan for the worst case scenario.
Design
This is phase 2 of your development- the functionality has to come first as it’s the backbone of your app, as well as the base for what will need to be designed. Kyle works with the client developing a rough wireframe, so it’s clear what specific design elements are needed.
As a client, you need to put together a design brief. It’s essential here also to be clear in your head how you want it to look and feel, as this will influence how you market your app. Look at what’s out there already. Put together examples of what you like. Also put together examples of what you don’t like, as this can be just as telling for the designer. Want some more insight into this process? We have a post on how to evaluate a piece of design here, and how to pick the perfect colour for your brand or business here.
Once you’ve gone through the design brief, the developer will apply this to the wireframe and your app is starting to come together!
Screenshots from Victoria Legal Aid’s app for educating teenagers about legal issues
Where can the design go wrong?
You may think you’ve come up with a beautiful design idea, but good design isn’t all about looks. Here’s Kyle’s tips on what to consider when thinking about the design and how it affects the functionality:
- The designer should have a basic understanding of user experience. An awful lot of time can be wasted if this isn’t clear. What’s the easiest way to figure out user experience? Look at other apps. Note down what works well, what takes too long, what is unclear. Your user and your audience are one and the same- understand who your audience is and you’ll know your user.
- It is essential to ensure that any icons clearly convey their function without any supportive text. If you’re not sure, test them on a research group.
- Designers should also always keep in mind the iOS or Android Interface guidelines. These define the industry standards for e.g. how small can an icon or interactive button can be (44px x 44px), which will in turn affect how a design will look/how effective it will be.
- Also with form based elements (select boxes or date fields ) it is better to use the native items here as redeveloping these can be costly and lengthy process.
- In short, if an app is trying to be too clever with the design, sacrificing the user experience as a result, then the end result may be an app that people just don’t feel comfortable using.
Above all, when thinking about your app’s functionality and design, remember that you need to get the user from A-B in the most obvious, quickest way possible. It’s easy to over complicate the process- keep KISS in mind (keep it simple stupid).
Screenshots of SmartSTAY app for Flight Centre Limited
What are some of the challenges in developing an app? (From a developer’s point-of-view)
As Kyle says: ‘The worst, and most expensive elements to developing any app is not understanding what the client actually wants so by the time it’s built they decide it’s not right.’
For the client this can mean a very costly exercise if it is their brief that has been unclear. Fatfish combat this by being in constant communication with the client to ensure they know exactly what they are getting. It’s also a lesson to potential app-entrepreneurs out there- BE CLEAR. Know your app inside out and back-to-front. Ask to be involved with every step of the process, so you can see as your app is progressing that it is what you want.
‘After that,’ Kyle adds, ‘getting approval from the app store can be a very tricky process. There are many little challenges along the way, but that’s the fun of building apps.’
I did also ask if Kyle had ever been asked to develop something that seemed impossible- his answer; ‘I was asked to make a site that downloaded live bears once…’ I would have bought that one for sure!
Character design, screenshots and user interactivity with Zippep’s Astro Circus, online game for ACMA
And lastly- where is the future in app design?
What will change in app design/development over the next few years? These are Kyle’s thoughts:
‘Paid apps will reduce significantly. Geo targeting will gain momentum: Interactivity with the users surroundings where technology such as iBeacons will allow us to have more and more information available to us at our finger tips. Things such as your phone letting you know that there is 50% off on those shoes you like in the store you just passed. The way we interact with our everyday environment will become more and more a part of app design. I think also that the development side will become very easy for anybody to do for themselves as the technology becomes even more mature.’
And what does he think makes an app stand out from the crowd?
‘It’s very hard now that the app market is flooded. It’s a very small percentage of developers who are making good money out of it now. Every app needs to be accompanied by a great marketing campaign and a huge amount of luck. One of the key factors is ensuring you have unique functionality or filling a need that isn’t available yet, not doing everything but doing what it should well. A well-designed and easy-to-use interface or UX.’
Stay tuned- our last part in this series focuses on the marketing side of creating you app.
Kyle’s top 5 apps he is using at the moment:
Flipboard, Pinterest, WeatherZone, Clumsy Ninja, Tram Tracker
Find out more about Fatfish’s work on their website
DailyInkling.com 