Typically app building is split into 3 phases:
We agree on what the app should look like and possible limits to budget.
The app is built and tested to meet the above design specs.
Design & Research
Outputs from the design phase are:
The goal of this stage is to define the user experience.
Research into competitor apps shows what is working.
The different types of users are identified.
Examples Include:
The user experience for each type of user is nailed down.
Specific questions include:
What information needs to be displayed?
Where will the information get into the app from?
Budget is typically not a major constraint.
Apps can be built for anything ranging from over $100,000 to under $1,000.
We work with budget constraints to make sure the customer wins.
Build & Testing
In this phase we build and test the app and make sure that it meets the design requirements.
This requires teamwork and collaboration between:
App Designer who talks with the clients to ensure that the app is built to requirements.
Systems Architect who designs computer systems at a high level to ensure that the pieces will work well when put together meeting the expectations set in the design phase.
Front End Engineer who writes code that works on the front end.
Back End Engineer who writes code for the server.
Quality Assurance Analyst who is responsible to ensure that the design goals are met by the team.
Hosting, Maintenance & Upkeep
In this phase:
The app is published into the app stores for google and apple based on design requirements.
Users frequently do things that were not predicted in the design stage. We make modifications to keep the app stable.
We frequently backup user data so we can bring it all back up if a database is corrupted or hacked.
The costs of this phase depend on the software and the user load.