There are more than 1 million apps in the App Store alone. The idea of building and launching an app is not a unique idea anymore. There are apps for almost everything. From games to entertainment and from utilities to custom business applications, we have already seen a lot.
So, in order to penetrate in a highly saturated market, one should first understand the types of apps and what processes are used to develop an app. In this article, we will discuss application development process and then few types of apps. So, let’s dig in straight away.
Application Development Process
The application development procedure can be broken out into four simple parts – Idea, prototyping, design and coding, and going live.
The Idea
Idea initiation or idea screening is the first and foremost phase of app development process. In this step an organization or an individual ponder over the possibilities right after he gets “I need an application” thought. Glancing at the App Store and Google Play, one can see there are many different categories you can pick– games, entertainment, business, utilities, simple, and so on.
You can envision that the more complex it is, the more it’s going to cost – additionally a higher chance at getting a return on investment (ROI). Games are complicated, but, if executed properly, it can turn into an online sensation overnight.
Simple applications don’t do much, however they are cheap and simple to develop. The principal phase of the procedure is to locate your sweet spot of budget and advertising effort.
Prototyping
It’s insufficient to see the large picture for a developer, on the grounds that they’re not going to convey what you need. You have to either contribute a considerable measure, you could call your own time to experience the points of interest or discover somebody who can make an interpretation of Programmer to Civilian and the other way around. This will pay off big time at last.
This phase includes experiencing each and every screen and seeing how all parts of the application communicates with one another – If I tap this button, what happens? You will be astonished how many steps and situations there are for even the simplest of the app. The measure of functionality that should be characterized and assembled will likewise have impact in the expense of your application.
Design & Coding
Unlike websites, where you can frequently get anybody who can design and code at the same time, applications usually require a group of individuals to finish. Design can make or break an app, so don’t hold back on this. You require an extraordinary icon, splash screen, tab icons, and many different resources that should be attached together.
Once the developers finalize functionalities and features of the app, the designers then start designing. The designer gets a full rundown of what should be made. Once the designer supplies the content, the developer will have to place the images into the appropriate areas with their respective codes.
Going Live
In this step, app is submitted to the respective app store. They review it as per their guidelines and policies. Once it is approved, the app goes live and available for the common users to download it and use it.
Types of Apps You Can Develop
There are a wide range of types of applications you can create. This goes past the classes that Apple gathers the applications into – entertainment, lifestyle, games, and so on, and into the architecture of different sorts of applications. Talking in a broad sense, following are some types of apps you can build:
- Basic table functionality – Consider this as a hierarchy: Opening screen has enormous topics and you click on one and you now have an arrangement of new topics to tap on. The email in the iPhone is a decent example of this. Unquestionably the simplest type of app to develop and design and a decent alternative for organizations who need a “basic” application that shows essential data.
- Database driven custom functionality– Yes, I realize that this is not a particular type, but rather it is the most ideal way I can portray creatively parsing out content. Consider you have an entire heap of content that you need to use. An example would be having hundreds of dog breeds that you want to organize and display differently. This can be done beyond the basic table format to make the app really work.
- Games – This type of apps have the biggest range of complexity, beginning with something as straightforward as a PONG game all the way up to a 3D physics engine that does high speed air racing. Scoring points, fusing the user experience through the physical movement of the device, and attaching into Game Center are all possible.
- Upgrade or Modification of the device firmware or hardware – This implies that developers take certain elements of the mobile phone, for example, alarm, camera, or flash, and innovate its usage or improve it features. One of the finest examples of this type of app is Hyperlapse by Instagram.
- Fully dynamic applications – Similar to the database driven applications, these applications are the kind that depends simply on external data. For example, Twitter, Weather Channel, Flipboard.
- Custom utilities – These are applications that are focused on permitting the client to input content in a particular way. Examples are Pages, Adobe Ideas, and Numbers.
I’m certain there are a few applications out there that are totally remarkable. However, I would say the list above covers 95% of what’s in the store today.
Conclusion
The sort of application you need to create may change in view of the amount of content you have and the amount of control you need to have over the whole process. It’s essential to understand that you can develop applications rapidly and affordably in the event that you recognize what kind of application you need to create, going into the procedure without having an alternative could cost you big time.
Author Bio
I am a smartphone app developer, working in an apps development firm. My main interest is in mobile phone app development, but I also love to read & write about other technologies too. I like to share my knowledge, expertise, and experiences with different tech-communities on the web via social media platforms and tech blogs.
