When creating a new app it’s so tempting to jump right in
and start coding. Unfortunately this often leads to problems
down the road. Small issues that aren’t addressed before
development begins can end up becoming major issues as the
project nears completion. What follows is the process we use
at Symbyo for all our mobile projects. We’ve
found that this process increases development efficiency,
client satisfaction and overall product quality.
|
 |
Idea
All projects begin with an idea. The idea can fulfill a
need, extend an existing product or service, be a fun gimmick;
anything really. We brainstorm features to include, services
to integrate with and how people will use it. |
 |
Qualify
Once we document our idea on a piece of paper, whiteboard
or napkin it’s time to qualify it. Qualifying can best be
described as editing the idea. We do this by asking lots of
questions: What devices should this idea work on? What
features should it include? What features should we remove? |
 |
Design
We consider design the most important step because it’s
basically a plan for the project. We plan how the app will
generate, access and present data. How the interface will look
and more importantly how the interface will function. |
 |
Code
With the design completed and in hand we can finally begin
to put code down. Working off the design allows this process
to be completed much more efficiently than if we were to code
the project on the fly. Using a well thought out and
comprehensive design also helps us avoid unanticipated
pitfalls that could bring development to a standstill. |
 |
Test & Iterate
As the code for the app is being completed we begin
testing it. Occasionally something we specified in the design
doesn’t function as well as we thought it would in practice.
This is why we iterate. We continue testing and improving the
product until we feel it’s the best it could possibly be. |
 |
Release
The ultimate goal of every project is the release of a
finished product to end users; easier said than done. We take
releases very seriously as they can become a complex balancing
act. Our aim is to ensure any external dependencies or
services are ready for launch before an end user ever uses the
finished product. |
