While good to hear, on paper, the reality is that for a lot of brands, the process of design sprint is difficult when conducted in a room, let alone when conducted remotely. 

But with 85% of our clients belonging to other global nations, we have more or less mastered the art of running remote design sprints. So now when remote is the new workplace normal, we are in a somewhat better space. 

Here’s our design sprint process that your team can also benefit from. 

Table of Content

1. What is the design sprint methodology?
2. Challenges of Running Design Sprints Remotely
3. Pre-Design Sprint Model
4. 4 Days Remote Product Design Sprint Process
5. Remote Design Sprint Tips & Tricks

What is the design sprint methodology?

The design sprint process – a.k.a one of the top UX best practices – is a four days’ step-by-step methodology that answers critical business and product questions via designing, prototyping, and idea testing. Built by Google and GV, it is a mix of innovation, business strategy, design thinking, behaviour science etc. brought together to make a way of working that any team can make use of.

The user experience design formulation process works for product managers, developers, and designers, who work in the space of innovation and problem-solving. It answers some of the most critical questions a brand struggles with:

• How can we convert an idea into a validated prototype faster?
• How can we ensure we are designing the right product before putting a ton of money in it?
• How can we test whether the feature-set we are envisioning the ones that users need?

Irrespective of how straightforward the product design sprint process looks, conducting the event virtually is difficult. 

Challenges of Running Design Sprints Remotely 

• Difference in time zone and availability of team – UX sprint calls for intense, engaging sessions. Scheduling and aligning distributed teams for long periods can pose as a challenge. 
• Low engagement – On a remote mode, the concentration of the team is one click away from going to YouTube or Telegram. Keeping them focused is a key issue that sprint teams face. 
• Tech-specific challenges – Low battery, bad internet condition, and faulty microphone is a trio that can make your design sprint steps take a bad turn. As a mobile app design company we ensure that the technology part of the sprint is on point before the design sprint commences. 

Our first two-three sprint sessions brought us face to face with these challenges. Although the failure count was low, the frustrations were galore. Although our struggle phase goes back to 2014 when we were handling our first client interaction, from what we read across the internet, the issues remain more or less the same. Here are some of the pre-sprint setups we settled on to make the remote design sprint process smooth-sailing. 

Pre-Design Sprint Model

Prepare the design sprint material and template beforehand

For ensuring that you get the most of the remote design sprint, prepare all the materials beforehand. The existing customer insights, documentation shared by the clients, etc. should be gathered and distributed within the team before the process starts. 

Form the team

We created a team of seven people leaving the finance team out of the process, since we would hardly need any budgeting activity here. The role of decider and facilitator, although important even in the regular sprint session becomes all the more important in a remote sprint design process. The decider is the one who has the final call while the facilitator is someone who takes the responsibility of bringing everyone on the same page aided by the necessary technology help. 

Schedule the sprint event 

The ux design sprint method requires the teammates to be available, without distraction for five days. While doable when we were in the same space, fixing 5 days is difficult when operating remotely. But since we pride ourselves on being an app design firm that takes a design-first approach, we knew the importance of the process and convinced the clients to make themselves available as well. 

Pro Tip: If you find it difficult to get people available for five consecutive days, put a weekend between the deciding and prototyping days. This way, the team will approach prototype creation with a fresh mind on Monday. 

Logistics side of pre-sprint prep 

Although a remote-inclined tech and office setup should come naturally for brands that work with a distributed team or overseas client, in case you are not one of them, we recommend you to have:

• Camera 
• Microphone
• Cubicle 
• Good internet connection which can support you being on video at all times for five days 
• White board to make the sketches on. 

Here are some of the collaboration tools that we have been relying on –

With the pre-design sprint process discussed, let us now give you a peek into our four-days process. 

4 Days Remote Product Design Sprint Process

Day 1: Sketching and Mapping 

The phase comprises bringing the sprint team together and brainstorming the product and the solution it would offer. The entire day is spent on researching whether or not the product is even needed by the masses and if that as a whole is a solution they are looking for. Here, we also discuss the alternatives of what would people choose had the product didn’t existed. 

The more you brainstorm and read into this process, the more you would realize that this step is the same as what a mobile app design and development company follows when they validate an MVP. 

Day 2: Storyboarding

With multiple ideas now present, the team on Day 2 fix a plan of action. They draw a storyboard containing how the users would come to the app, why they would open it, the features they would interact with, and what will be the outcome of their time inside the application. 

Ensure that you have added all the necessary materials and resources backing the storyboard assumptions. 

Day 3: Prototyping 

Once you have the storyboard ready and the idea decided, head on to the stage of prototype development. The idea is not to build a product that will be deployed in the stores, but an app that people can run and experience. There are a number of different app prototype tools you can work on to create a clickable version of your app vision. 

The process of prototype development should be done with the intent to allow people to test it on Day 4. 

Day 4: Testing

This is the last step of the design sprint process where you get people to test your prototype and share their experiences with your team. The best thing to do here is to record those sessions so that you can always go back to them when your application hits the development stage. 

Up until this point, you have read everything that you need to know about conducting remote design sprints. But the true success stories lie with brands that know the many side-tips. Ones that every innovative mobile app design agency knows. 

Remote Design Sprint Tips & Tricks 

1. In case you are finding it difficult to get team’s availability at the same time, divide the remote design sprint across two weeks. 
2. Prepare sprint brief and template beforehand
3. Add ample breaks 
4. Restrict multi-tasking – the team focus throughout the design sprint session should be on the session. 
5. Ask everyone to divide their screen into video and the digital whiteboard so that they can see the whiteboard and the participants at the same time. 

We have reached the stage where the only thing left for you to do before you go to the idea conception stage is get in touch with a mobile application design company that is an expert in remote design sprint. We can help.

The post The Ultimate Guide on How to Run Design Sprint with Remote Teams appeared first on Appinventiv.

Tony Robbins

For few, the Blockchain journey begins as a calm river. For others, it emerges as an adventurous ride with adrenaline-fueled emotions tangled with trading cryptocurrency. But, for us, it was somewhat different. It began with a risk.

It all started back in the year 2016. 

During those days, blockchain was considered a hype that was poised to lose its essence. But on the contrary, the Blockchain market was flourishing, anticipated to generate revenue of $229.4 M. But, a majority of entrepreneurs and developers were seeing it as a synonym to Bitcoins. Only a few reputed names like IBM were exploring the scope of Blockchain beyond cryptocurrencies and encouraging developers to create innovative solutions.

This is when the Appinventiv team decided to enter the market. We were recently featured on GoodFirms as India’s leading app development company for delivering bespoke solutions to our clientele. And, in accordance with our vision to challenge the boundaries of the mobility world, we planned to introduce Blockchain into our expertise set.

We soon built a team of experts from different domains to easily engineer users’ needs, be it from C++, Node.js, Python, Machine Learning, or UX department. We brainstormed and devised to start with unfolding the basics of Blockchain.

We looked into how this tamper-evident, shared digital ledger that records transactions in networks, works. We engaged with different existing blockchain-based platforms and solutions to get familiar with three pillars of the technology – Decentralization, Transparency, and Immutability. 

Once we gained a comprehensive knowledge of what is blockchain, how it works, and related concepts like consensus algorithms, we took a step towards getting the show on the road. 

After all, as a saying by Anton Chekhov states, “Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into action.”

We armoured ourselves with all the technical and business-related concepts, commenced sharing them with business prospects, and cracked our first project. The one that started a new era of innovation for us.

How We Developed Our First Blockchain Project

Since bitcoins and cryptocurrency wallets were in trend in process those days, the first project we worked with was a Bitcoin-based application – the Binkx app.

The idea proposed by the clients was of a web application that enables users to trade with bitcoins. We brainstormed on the idea, studied its user persona (which were Mexicans) – just like we do in the case of creating mobile apps, and came up with an app prototype.

[Know Here: How We Work at Appinventiv]

We focused on delivering a complete set of simple yet useful features, including adding, purchasing, sending, and withdrawing bitcoins. In addition to this, we also added the coin converter feature – the functionality of converting bitcoins to dollars and vice-versa – keeping user experience in consideration. Later, we employed various open-source platforms and third-party tools to introduce all these features and functionalities into the web application. 

And this is how we launched Binkx  – the web application that took the concept of multilevel marketing to the next level.

The success of the Binkx app filled our hearts with pride and enthusiasm. It made us realize that we have not only studied the growing future of cryptocurrencies but have also contributed to it.

After this, we worked on various bitcoin and payment-focused projects like Payment Porte which brought great traction and ROI to the respective businesses. At the same time, we dig deeper into the Blockchain world. We learnt about ICO, IEO, Hyperledger, difference between Custodial and Non-custodial wallets, and much more.

But, keeping our vision intact, we decided to not get swayed with the idea of limiting ourselves to a single industry. This was a significant turn in our blockchain journey.

A Turning Point in Our Blockchain Journey

We realized that there are various entrepreneurs who wish to enter the Blockchain industry, but are unclear about the different possibilities. So, to start with, we created a simplified yet useful Entrepreneur’s Blockchain guide. 

Our team helped Blockchain enthusiasts uncover different areas in their traditional processes that can be revamped with the help of this technology. We gave them a sneak peek of our approach right from executing cryptographic algorithms to developing smart contracts, creating ICOs, and the process of how we choose the best blockchain development platforms.

This way, we soon grabbed multiple projects which later revolutionized the business domain and processes. A few of which were:-

1.  Empire App

Empire app is a complete hotel booking ecosystem fueled with the power of crypto-economics. 

The idea behind this application was to make the hotel booking system transparent, free from third-party intermediaries who ask for more money in return of convenience, and to introduce cryptocurrencies in the ecosystem.

We developed this application using a public blockchain, making it accessible to everyone. Also, our experts introduced a currency called EMPIRE CASH which can be used just like Fiat money.

We have already delivered an MVP of this application. It is presented in the ICO and has received accolades from various top leaders. Now, we are working on building a full scope application of the same.

[Get familiar with our ‘so far’ journey in the hotel booking domain via our Case Study on Empire App.]

2.  Veme App

Veme is yet another ongoing social media project where we showed our expertise in blockchain development.

The platform, with the first phase already launched, lets users capture every big and little moment of their lives in movie format which they can share with their loved ones.

3.  Wine Refinery

With our Wine Refinery project [name disclosed], we entered into the B2B industry and looked into the role of Blockchain in supply chain.

The clients came to us asking for a solution to mitigate the risk of counterfeiting and relabelling of cheaper wines with reputed ones in the industry. We studied their market and introduced the concept of private blockchain.

Our team converted their wine bottles into unique digital records using Hyperledger to make their supply chain transparent and immutable. We tested the POC by tracing 1200 wine bottles and detected 5 counterfeit ones during the supply chain process.

The project, though ongoing, has passed its first phase and is expected to help the brand in streamlining and decentralizing their process, along with building trust among its customers.

4.  Dapp Solutions

Dapp Solutions is another project that sparked our interest. 

Here, the idea proposed was to develop a marketplace that provides users with services offered by multiple applications. 

Our team studied the needs and expectations of users in the age bracket of 18 to late 30s, and developed multiple mini-apps. Later, we combined those applications into a single platform. And this way, met the client requirement.

Besides, to give a touch of decentralization in ‘Appinventiv Style’, we worked on four areas:-

• We created a cryptocurrency called DappCoin
• We added a cryptocurrency wallet to store the currency within the marketplace.
• A crypto payment mechanism was devised to ensure real-time transactions of cryptocurrencies.
• And lastly, we introduced a smart contract into the development space to ensure that payments made reach its ultimate goal.

5.  Nova Learning

Another major project we worked upon was in the education sector. 

It is basically a LMS-powered solution that targets fraudulent course certification and other such trust-related issues in the education sector. The application works using smart contracts, letting students get smart contract based certificates for the courses uploaded by the teachers. Thus, adding immutability and transparency criteria of Blockchain into the domain.

Nova app’s Phase 1 is already validated through the POC and our team has now moved to Phase 2.

[Check the ‘to date story’ of developing this project via our Nova learning management case Study.]

Appinventiv’s Current State in Blockchain World

We have explored and aided everyone to understand the real impact of Blockchain technology on the economy.

So far, we have grown to a team of 30+ experts with profound knowledge of Blockchain technology and its application in different sectors. We have developed 5 white label solutions and delivered around 50+ projects catering to diverse business needs.

Currently, we are working on more than 4 blockchain-based projects. Where one is an NFT-based bidding platform, the other is a cryptocurrency exchange platform. 

Likewise, one is a GDPR compliant bulk data-sharing platform which is built on a private blockchain, and another one is a platform showing how blockchain is revolutionizing healthcare, aka, a platform for keeping healthcare records intact and offer insurance in a seamless manner.

Awards and Recognition Received by Appinventiv in Blockchain Era

Because of our continual efforts into the Blockchain domain – both in terms of sharing information and building innovative projects, we have been gaining accolades from varied reputed platforms.  

We have been recognized as top blockchain development company by Clutch, Appfutura, Manifest, and TrustFirms. Also, we are covered in several reports because of our experience in creating and managing Dapps, such as that of MobileAppDaily and Builtin.

Our Future Plans in the Blockchain Domain

Talking about the future, we are looking ahead to emerge out as Blockchain agnostic in the market. We are planning to go deeper into the Blockchain spectrum and bring better solutions for the challenges associated with traditional business strategies/processes globally. 

Besides, we are hoping to work more on government-focused projects; bringing difference in the lives of many at the same time.

In addition to this, we are starting hackathons workshops, training sessions, and other such events to share our knowledge with others and prepare them for the decentralized future.

The post Let’s Rewind: How We Started Our Journey in Blockchain Domain appeared first on Appinventiv.

Add this grim situation to the fact that only 29% of the mobile app developers do extensive testing and you will get a situation where while QA has become the need of the hour, it is still not been taken seriously.

QA testing is an unappreciated part of the mobile app development process and is usually blamed when somethings don’t work out. Mobile app testing is a crucial part and developers usually fail to see it. However, some of them often ask how to do mobile testing in a way it includes all the parts and we will talk about it in our blog today.

If the testing is not done right then there is no use of having an app that looks great. Why? Unless the functionality of the app is good the app is of no use. This is why it needs to be understood that mobile app testing is a significant part of the development process.

Most non-tech people don’t even know there is such a thing or job known as mobile application testing.

The thing is if the design is poor, people can still manage with it. But, if the app functionality is poor or developers have overlooked mobile app security best practices, no users will entertain the application. An evidence of which is that even the Top 10 apps in the Google Play Store are struggling with convincing users of their app security and prevent uninstallation.

Therefore, mobile app QA testing should be taken very seriously, after all, quality assurance process can make or break your mobile app.

In this blog, we will discuss the importance of testing mobile applications, types of mobile application testing and a lot more.

So What is QA Mobile App Testing?

QA stands for quality assurance and is a process where developers run multiple tests on the app to ensure its functionality and also find bugs if any. Usually, people assume QA testing just fixes bugs but it does a lot more than that:

• Tests and fixes any written errors or bugs.
• Finding defects in the UI/UX part.
• Ensures the requirements are met for the app.
• Makes sure there is a logic flow.
• It acts as a gatekeeper and lets the app developer do his work well.

Mobile app testing is as important as the entire development process. Skipping it entirely may be tempting but it may be the cause of your app’s failure.

Image Source: Statista.com

According to stats in the image above, 32% of apps fail because of less time allocated to testing. So, if you ask ‘Is it important to do mobile application testing?’, the answer is YES.

What most developers don’t know is that only 4% of the app users complain to the company about the defects in the app, others just simply uninstall and forget about it. So, if an app is buggy then there will be less to no users which makes the app a complete fail. The mobile testing concept does involve cost but it is totally worth it in the long run.

What are The Most Popular Mobile Application Testing Techniques?

There is one big debate when it comes to deciding which mobile app testing techniques to follow. There are basically two most popular mobile app testing approaches and we will see to it one by one.

1. Manual Testing

In manual testing, all the tests are done manually i.e. by a QA analyst. The tester has to test all the features of the app in order to discover any errors made during the software development process.

In the process, a tester will execute the mobile app test cases and once it’s done, they will create reports. Test cases for mobile application are certain conditions set by the tester to test the mobile app. All this will be done without any involvement of automation tools.

Manual testing is a time taking process given that it is done by humans. But this mobile app testing method also allows testers to perform exploratory tests which are not possible in automation testing.

Android app manual testing is considered the best as it allows more chances of catching bugs than it does in iOS app manual testing. The reason being iOS QA testing needs several tools to find errors which humans cannot possibly do best. It is also said that manual testing is not suitable for high volume regression but is comparatively cheaper than automation testing.

2. Automation Testing

In automation testing, coders have to write codes to execute the testing process. These codes allow the automation tools to execute the tests and finish it in a short period of time. The entire goal of automation testing is reducing the time of the test.

Automation testing for mobile apps is more effective in finding bugs and errors. Though the initial investment is high in this testing technique yet it gives better ROI in the long run. There are no to very fewer chances of mistakes with automation testing since it uses tools to find out errors in an app. Even the smallest error in the app is identified in automation testing.

Automation testing is preferred for iOS app testing by the QA testers. The tools this testing method provides makes it easy for the testers analyse the codes in iOS apps and identify them in no time.

Which Mobile App Testing Plan Between The Two is Better?

Let us try to find the answer to manual testing vs automation testing: which is better by looking at both the testing types in much detail.

1. Automation for Mobile App Testing

There are many tools for Android app automated testing. Some of these are Robotium, MonkeyRunner, Ranorex, Appium and UI Automator. Android is the most popular platform for apps and contains millions of apps in the Play Store. Though automation provides a quick app review – making it a crucial contributory factor in ways you can speed up your mobile app development timeline – yet it needs a lot of preparation beforehand.

Also, the biggest challenge the testers face is finding how to automate Android app testing. Choosing the right tool for Android testing strategy becomes the biggest and most important task of the entire process. But once it is done, the Android app testing is finished in no time.

While this was about Android, there are a number of things that testers have to consider when it comes to iPhone app testing.

With the elements to test now getting higher, it is preferable to use Automation testing for iOS as it allows immediate identification of bugs and performance glitches. iOS testing is quite complex and to get an accurate test report, automation testing is the best choice.

2. Manual Testing for Mobile Apps

Android app testing can be done manually but iOS testing is difficult to do manually. Even though testing is always better when done with the help of tools which are accurate with the test results yet there are some things that these tools cannot identify. The biggest advantage of manual testing is it offers a human observation which can help in improving the user interface.

Also, anyone doing manual testing does not require prior coding knowledge as there is no need to write codes. However, these are the only advantages of manual testing. For both Android and iOS manual testing is not the best choice unless the tests have to be run only once or twice.

So, which of the both testing methods is best for your mobile app?

The answer that we go with here at Appinventiv, is both. Mixing both manual and automation testing is preferred by our team of QA testers as it leaves no gap both from technical and user interface front. So, a combination of both is what we consider the best mobile application testing strategy.

Now that we have covered the famous mobile app testing techniques, it is time to look at other strategies that define the end-to-end mobile app testing process. Strategies that we have followed to develop and deploy apps with 80 – 85% retention rates.

What Mobile App Testing Strategies are followed by the Leading Mobile App Testing Companies Like Appinventiv?

With this, we have now come down to the most awaited section of the blog – The part where we discuss the end-to-end strategies. While there are a number of strategies doing round in the app economy, here are the ones that the Top Mobile App Testing Companies like Appinventiv follows in-house.

1. Having properly documented test cases is very crucial. It is the job of the product team to make sure everything is documented for better understanding and logical application. A simple template should be followed with the given guidelines. You can learn more about writing test cases.
   
2. Unit testing is the next step. Usually, it is done by the developer team but there’s no restriction for QA team to join in. This test basically involves testing of each unit of the app. A unit can be a feature, module or a class and is tested one by one. Unit testing comes under manual mobile app testing strategy for now until companies introduce automation for the same.
   
3. We have talked about functional testing earlier in this blog which is the next strategy. The aim of functional testing is to make sure that the app runs smoothly without any glitches. It also makes sure that each action button is working properly in the app so that users can use the feature.
   
4. UI/UX testing is also done by the QA testers. Many testers say that UI/UX testing is quite difficult for apps to pass in one go. Therefore, this test is made important to provide maximum user satisfaction.
   
5. The testers also go for loading test for an app. This test ensures that the app is still running smoothly despite the data being increases by the users. If not then the issue has to be fixed. The main aim is to not let the app slow down while loading heavier pages.
   
6. Regression testing is considered one of the mobile application testing best practices. When a coder makes a small change in the code, it most probably affects the app in a huge way. For this regression testing is done. The test makes sure that the change does not break the apps flow.
   
7. User acceptance testing is one of the key challenges of mobile app testing. In this strategy, there are no actual end users but users selected by the development company itself to test the apps. The result is never 100% satisfaction but that is a good thing as it makes more room for improvements.

So this was our take on the strategies for end to end testing as a mobile app development company. If you wish to learn more about QA testing, contact us at Appinventiv and we will be happy to guide you through.

The post The Mobile App Testing Strategies that Appinventiv Follows appeared first on Appinventiv.

After all, today when we talk about mobile applications there is an immense need for an exceptional UI and UX as much as a perfect backend code. In fact, UI/UX and visuals are the reason why some mobile applications become an instant hit in the market and some are never downloaded in the first place.

“Good design is like a refrigerator—when it works, no one notices, but when it doesn’t, it sure stinks.” –Irene Au, Damian Jolley, UI Designer

Being a part of the mobile app development industry we realise that as a matter of fact, mobile app stores provide the space for displaying screenshots and videos of your applications so the users can have a first look at the amazing graphics of your mobile application and be tempted into downloading it. Nobody is playing the basic snake game or working on a grayscale rudimentary calculator anymore.

So, what makes your mobile application visually and functionally appealing is the UI and UX of the application.

These Acronyms uphold the performance of your Mobile application but what do they actually mean? UI is the User interface and UX stands for User Experience. For the fundamentals of it, the app UX design process steps are more concerned with user retention which is experience based and more subjective whereas, the UI design development process is consists of the visuals and graphics of an app. UI is a sub-part of UX in a Venn.

Although the UI/UX design is an art, the mobile app design process of creating the graphics of an application is more systematic and technical than Art. We, at Appinventiv, follow a series of steps for the app design process to create some of the most enticingly designed apps. This entire process of designing the Mobile application’s interface can be broken down into 3 major phases:

1. Planning
2. UX Design/Wireframing
3. Visual Design

Step 1: PLANNING

• Define the problem

The first step to a mobile app UI design process at Appinventiv, problem definition is a statement to address what issue is being solved by the app you’re making. For instance, My next mobile app is going to address the issue of difficulty in searching for the various courses and workshops available in my city. Similarly, Value proposition is a statement that explains what this app does. For instance, This app helps you in finding all the relevant courses and workshops around your city.

• Do Market Research

At Appinventiv, market research is carried out in the form of a competitor analysis. It consists of studying what the competitors are doing and how well their market strategies are working out. Market research will give you a hands-on idea about the USP of mobile applications made in the same domain by your direct competitors are. It will also let you in on the details of what the negative and positive points of their applications.

• Identify Target Audience

The mobile app design and development changes according to the final functionalities of the app itself as much as it changes as per the Behavior and needs of the final User. For instance, an app aimed towards children will have smoother edges and softer colour palette as compared to a strictly business centred mobile application. So identification of the end-user puts a great impact upon the final UI of the mobile application.

Apart from this, at Appinventiv, user persona and stories are created to help the designers in corroborating their end users and understanding their needs and behaviors.

User personas and User stories are made to answer the following questions:

1. What is the user demographic?
2. What is the goal of this application in relation to this user?
3. What is the motivation of this user to use this particular kind of application?
4. What is the frustration that is caused by other such applications and how we are targeting those point in this application?
5. How this application meets the needs of this user?

• Make Information Architecture map

The next phase is to map down the key features are to be incorporated into the mobile application. This map can be in the form of a flowchart, hierarchical design or a Scamper diagram. The aim is to successfully interrelate every feature that is being listed down. This document, at Appinventiv, helps in the conveyance of all the information about the application features in a simple unidirectional way.

Step 2: WIREFRAMING

• Never Miss Wireframing

A wireframe, in a layman’s language, is a visual representation of the interactive designed crafted above, provided only the main elements are taken into consideration. It is the process of deciding which interface element will appear on the main page, based on the priority and interactivity of the design. While many people use Sketch or Omnigraffle, we still rely on Photoshop to build wireframes.

Wireframing can be done as a Low Fidelity Mockup or a High Fidelity Mockup, depending upon the customer needs solely.

The Basic idea behind wireframing is to make an information structure an create an interaction pattern out of it. This is the first step in which the mobile app UX design process gets materialised and can be taken forward.

This phase, at Appinventiv, holds immense importance to validate the idea from the design point of view and making the client get a clarity of the idea, who approach the mobile app development companies with the urge to ride in the uprising Uber for X wave.

• Prototyping is Important

After the wireframe of the application is finalised, at Appinventiv, it is made into a clickable prototype. This is done to get an idea about the user intuitiveness with the UX of the application. Platforms such as Proto.io helps in building the primitive framework which can be sent across a closed audience for real-time feedback about the UX. If there are any changes to be made, then the design is re-iterated among the design team and the decided changes are made and the App UX is finalised. It is an ardently important stage of mobile app development; prototyping can help a company raise funds prior to completion of actual mobile application

Step 3: VISUAL DESIGN

• Make Style guides

For the mobile app development process as well as the web app design process, visual language development is a very important step. Branding refers to the feel and theme of the entire application which resonates in harmony with the brand logo and image in the market. A mood board is designed based on the colour palette of the design theme and feel it needs to convey and in the end, a style guide is formulated with the selected typography and colour schemes. This makes the first step towards concrete designing of the UI of the mobile application. But the UI is also highly affected by the current trends of the time.  

• UI and Final Prototyping for good

Designing the space, colour, shapes, movements of the elements put onto every page of the mobile application together make up an amazing UI. A final prototype is made with all of the features incorporated into the app design and sent to the development team for coding.

After this one iteration, an MVP is made and send to the client and if and as there are changes required, they are made in the final design of the application. This process remains more or less the same for Android as well as iOS app design process. No right product can be delivered in one try. The changing mobile app UI design trends, user preferences, emerging technologies, and other factors make it usual for a designing team to iterate their design repeatedly to make your mobility solution more market-fit. But this doesn’t mean it would be like a relay race in a circular track.

There is of course Art in graphic designing as well but when it comes to mobile app designing, there is structure and series to it. If we go to a bigger and better app, this structure keeps getting more detailed and complex. There can be motion design incorporated in your apps which can make them come alive. Similarly, many other things can be incorporated into the app as per the client requirements. We, at Appinventiv, make it a point to always deliver on the lines of perfection and this process helps us in doing so.

For knowing more about our services, visit us at Appinventiv.com.

The post The Mobile App Design Process Appinventiv Follows appeared first on Appinventiv.

Once you shortlist a few agencies to transform your app idea into a functional app, the answer to which app development agency to finalize gets down to a selected few pointers.

The pointers or the deciding factors usually consist of the cost of the development process, the go-to-market time, and the agency’s development experience. Besides these, there is one factor that also greatly affects the choice – Engagement Model.

The answer to which engagement model does the mobile app development company follows is very crucial for determining the role that your business would play in the app development process.

And it is this cruciality that brings knowing the engagement model in the list of questions to be asked when hiring an app development agency.

The engagement model is the model that defines collaboration between a client and their service partners, which determines the level of responsibility and control.

Different app development companies follow different engagement models when it comes to detailing the relationship between the clients and themselves. This article is on the models that we follow here at Appinventiv.

When you contact us with an application development project to help develop, we give you five engagement models as options for you to choose from. These models don’t just affect the process of app development but also play a contributing role in the estimation of mobile app development cost.

Let’s get on with the engagement models’ options that we offer to our clients –

Appinventiv works with a range of different entrepreneurs and established brands from across the world. Our client base comes with a different set of needs, resources, and call for a different level of control in their relationship with us.

In order to meet the exact demands of the client in a way that their needs are fulfilled, we give them a choice of five engagement models, which defines the collaboration between them and our team.

All of these models, no matter how different, offer the same outputs – Transparency and Quality Deliverable.

Here are the Five Engagement Models that we work around at Appinventiv –

1. Fixed Cost Fixed Time Model

Under our Fixed Cost Fixed Time Model, we estimate the project after understanding its exact requirements and the time it would take for development.

After we have laid out the exact set of time and deliverables, we share a fixed cost with our clients.

Here are the benefits of the model type:

1. Transparency and Predictability – The model gives you an exact deadline and budget before the process of development even starts.
2. It calls for a lot less supervision and management from the clients’ front.
3. From the very start of the project, you have an idea of what the app will be about.

This model is best suited for projects where it is easier to define the exact set of deliverables and which belong to the low complexity level when it comes to development. This model is known to complement the methods to expedite the mobile app development process that is followed by businesses.

2. Time and Material Model

The model is one of our most used models when we define our mobile app development process. We employ the Time & Material Model when the app belongs to medium to high-level complexity. What happens in this model is that the client is charged for the resources that we have used to develop their app, on an hourly basis.

This model is best suited for businesses which need constant updates in terms of development or design. Here are the different benefits that this model offers:

1. When it comes to project scope and budget, the model allows modifications on a huge extent
2. It uses Agile methodology to a full extent, thus offering a series of its linked benefits.
3. Greater control on the project, especially from the developers’ front.
4. Very low risk for developers and clients.
5. The speedy idea-gathering stage speeds up the development as well.

3. On Site Model

Under this model, our one resource or a team of developers & designers are shifted to the client’s side for the complete duration of the project. This model is usually chosen by businesses who otherwise have a skilled team but need an expert in-house for some specific part of the app development project.

The benefit that the on-site or cost plus, as the model is usually known as are moreover same as the Time and Material billing model – It’s cost-effective, less risky, fast, and 100% transparency.

4. Hire Dedicated Team Model

In this model, businesses are given a team of developers who work especially for them and the businesses are charged for the developers’ time.

Like On-Site model, this is also best suited for the businesses who already have a team but need an expert’s skill set for some part of the project.

The only difference in the On-Site Model and Hire Dedicated Resources is that in the latter the team sits in our own office space and in the former they move to the client side.

Let us look at some of the benefits that the Dedicated Development model offers:

1. High security plus IP protection
2. Great control over different development aspects
3. Predictable budget estimate
4. Higher flexibility compared to fixed price
5. A better understanding of the client’s needs, leading to a longer lasting relationship

Know how Appinventiv’s Hire Dedicated Resource Model works.

5. Offshore Development Center Model

The model is best suited for businesses that are looking for greater security levels for their app development process. What happens in this model is that we allot a separate workspace altogether with different timing and entry protocols. Also, the resources used there in terms of project management are not of Appinventiv’s but of the one that the client uses in their head office.

Basically, the ODC model can be seen as the offshore office of the client with his choice of team and development resource, process.

Choosing one out of these five models depend on the utmost need of our clients – both in terms of control and cost estimate. Contact our Business Analysis Team to decide which model would work best for you.

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