There’s no real “paint by numbers” kind of approach to mobile app development.
These kinds of projects are always (or nearly always) completely unique projects from start to finish, with different assets, different pieces of code, and different resources coming together to create a new app that looks and functions unlike any other out there on the market today.
At the same time, there are definitely a handful of things you can do to speed up your mobile app development process – the kinds of things that top mobile app development companies do with every project to cut down the development timeline without cutting corners or cutting costs.
Here are just six of the most popular ways that the best mobile app developers save a ton of time while building great apps.
Have a Concrete Plan in Place Before You Begin
Just as you wouldn’t jump in your car and leave for a cross-country road trip without a firm idea of where your final destination was you can’t begin something as complex as mobile app development without knowing as much about your finished product as possible before you even start.
The more concrete you can get about the features and functionality, the design and aesthetics, and everything else regarding the finished product you want your mobile app to be the faster your development timeline is going to end up – and the happier you will be with the results you get.
Wireframe Everything
Wireframes (made digitally or with pen and paper, it really makes no difference) allow you to “develop without developing” and can help save a of time when you are building a new mobile application.
Different wireframes can be marked up in a hurry, giving you an opportunity to create different designs, different structures, and even a different architecture for your mobile app far faster than it would have taken you to actually build those assets digitally.
On top of that, you can use these wireframes as a bit of a blueprint when they have been finalized to get to your finished vision a lot faster than if it wasn’t as concrete or as visual as a wireframe always is.
Parallel Design for Multiple Mobile Operating Systems From the Start
This sounds a little crazy at first, but it’s a good idea to parallel design for both iOS and Android at the same time if you’re going to be rolling out mobile apps on both of these mobile operating systems.
A lot of people pick one or the other (usually prioritizing iOS and then working on Android versions later on) only to discover that they never really get around to building out the Android version just because they have to start from scratch all over again.
Experienced mobile app development company experts recognize that you actually save time by building these apps side-by-side with one another, sharing assets and using cross-platform tools that don’t just speed up the process but also guarantee that you get the entire mobile market blanketed with your app all at once.
Get Your MVP Out the Door ASAP
Your MVP – Minimally Viable Product – is the most bare-bones version of your mobile app and you’ll want to get it developed and out the door just as quickly as possible.
Far too many mobile app development companies will not publish an application until it is “perfect”, filled top to bottom with all the features that they had envisioned in the beginning.
Not only is this a waste of time and a waste of energy, but you’ll often discover that your initial vision for your mobile application isn’t exactly what the market is looking for – but with an MVP you can pivot, optimize, and adjust course without wasting a lot of time, money, and energy and get better results along the way.
Never forget the very first iPhone Apple released was very much and MVP kind of product. It didn’t have anywhere near as much functionality as the second generation iPhone and nowhere near as much as the current iPhone lineup.
Get your MVP released ASAP!
Lean on Third Part Asset Libraries
One of the most closely guarded secrets of top mobile app development companies is that they often lean so heavily on third-party asset libraries to speed up the process of development.
There are major asset libraries out there that can help you find the right graphics, the right user interface elements, snippets of code, and so much more that you can use in your mobile app straightaway – without restriction after you have purchased these assets.
By using these libraries you don’t have to build your entire application from scratch but can instead jumpstart the process with these assets, hitting the ground running and releasing a higher quality mobile app in a shorter timeline than you would have been able to otherwise.
