The mobile has become an essential tool in our daily operations in recent years. It is no longer surprising to see a business leader holding a videoconference on his tablet or teenagers spending their days playing mobile games .

It has become a habit for many of us to be captivated by our screens. How to explain it? It is not only the constantly evolving capacities of our smartphones that are the cause, but rather, and above all, the ever-increasing number of applications or websites designed to hold our attention.

We all know how to download an iOS mobile app or go to Google Play Store. But, on the other hand, we know nothing or almost nothing about how one designs one. At first glance, mobile application development seems to be simple, but it must be recognized that only experts can try it.

Here are some significant steps for developing a mobile app for iPhone or Android.

Project analysis

In development agencies , the first phase consists of endorsing the client 's project idea . Then, the feasibility is carried out taking into account several parameters. The approach to creating a mobile application will notably differ depending on its type and the platform we would like to see it evolve.

A mobile web application is cross-platform and therefore easier to design, but it is limited in terms of options and functionalities.

Conversely, a native application, more challenging to set up, is more complete and more extensive. Its presence on the classic download stores guarantees the latter's visibility to users.

These two types of software also differ in the budget required for their development. In sum, one is faster and cheaper, the other takes longer to achieve, but is more visible and expensive. In addition, a company may require the creation of a native application for each platform for commercial reasons.

It is according to the application type chosen and the client's needs that the development manager can determine the functionalities that the application will need, to satisfy the target and face up to the competition.

At this stage of creating the application, it is simply a matter of defining the future available options of the application . For this, the team in charge of the development project will have to establish specifications.

The technical study

This step consists in setting up the technical specifications.

This document supports evaluating all the technical aspects necessary for developing and designing the mobile application. Similarly, this step is greatly influenced by the type of application and the targeted platform. Developers will have to make estimates of workloads and deadlines.

Most programmers agree that designing an application for the iPhone is more laborious than an application for the Google system. However, the latter being in open source (free development) is more accessible than its big competitor. This is one of the reasons why it is easier to find a free developer for Android than for IOS .

During this step, the programmers will have to estimate the duration of their work. It should be noted that it is impossible to have an application corresponding simultaneously to all the operating systems. Due to their specificities, they are set up separately.

"This is also the ideal step to decide how the application will look, namely the choice of interface. At this level of software design, it is up to the designers to intervene and make a choice on the application's general structure, the UI/UX (user interface/user experience ), and the navigation models, among others." Says Denis Ristic, AskGamblers. 

Maintainability Study

This step involves projecting the work to come, over the lifespan and the evolution of the application in a competitive environment. It also makes it possible to establish a timing on the relevance of the additions of new mobile functionalities or updates.

Agencies often illustrate this with a diagram so that clients easily understand it. This step is often skipped for small applications, but it is of paramount importance for consumer applications intended for all systems.

Programming

This is the crucial point in developing and creating mobile projects. From the design stage, the team must choose all the code blocks useful for the application operation in a logical way and free from side effects. All developers agree that this is the most delicate phase of the process.

The language of programming on the iOS platform differs from its Android competitor. iPhone mobiles are compatible with Objective-C and Swift languages. While Android mobiles are consistent with the Java language, which is widespread and easier to use.

For an application intended for a large audience, it will be a question of making two different versions, one for each of the two central systems ( Android and iPhone).

Test phase and delivery

During this phase, the software is tested on different mobiles to observe its operation, detect any errors and provide solutions . In addition, services are also evaluated on the platform.

The success of an application largely depends on its ergonomics and reliability on the Internet. Therefore, the more the tests are pushed, the more the team will be able to adapt it to the needs of the target.

Finally, after the tests, all that remains is to proceed to the final stage which consists of delivering the application to the client. At this point, the app is already ready for promotion and marketing. If the client requests it, it is also possible to promote it on online stores and refine the reference so that the visibility of the application is better.