App UI refers to the user interface, or in other words, the way the app looks and feels. There are a few fundamental principles that designers should follow in order to achieve a good app UI. The aim is to create interfaces that are pleasurable and easy to use and this can be achieved by making the navigation intuitive and user friendly. Keeping the UI simple and avoiding too much clutter with unnecessary buttons or text can also improve your mobile app UI. Ideally, the designer should aim to only allow for 1-2 actions per screen. The placement and size of the buttons are equally important - the tap target should be within the thumb zone and large enough for each user to tap easily. All of the above, amongst other considerations, such as whitespace, typography, colours or language are important aspects of the mobile app UI and should be determined based on the target audience. Using user personas and customer journey maps informs you who you are designing the product for.

Here at Web Design London, we are committed to bringing your app development to life by combining the extensive experience of our team and our agile approach to project management. However, our support does not stop post-launch. We want to help you grow and support your business. Our app maintenance service ensures that when we are there for you should anything go wrong post-launch. We can be your technical team when you’re experiencing any server issues or have users report to you crash incidents.
Equally, we are here to ensure that when you are ready to add new features to your app and grow it, you have the right team in your corner.

There are different ways in which a mobile app can make you money. The monetisation aspect of your app should be something that you think about early on, ideally before beginning the development process, as the different ways to make money from an app may influence the way it’s built. There are about six different monetisation models that you may observe. These are; paid apps, subscription apps, in-app purchases, app advertising, affiliate marketing and mixed monetization methods. To choose the right monetisation model for your app, consider what type of app it is. For example, many gaming apps make money off in-app purchases. On the other hand, apps that offer software as a service often work on a subscription basis. Each of these models comes with positives and negatives and should be considered individually.

Yes, it is possible to create an app without coding. Several platforms offer app building without having to inject your code. The features are pre-made and can be put together to create an app of your own. Some of the platforms available include the following: Andromo, AppsGeyser, AppMakr, GameSalad, Appy Pie, Appery and Swiftic.

Using any of these platforms to build your app is a much cheaper and quicker process. However, there are many limitations to this process. You are limited to only using the features that have been pre-built in the platform, which may not give you the results you are after, and may therefore not produce an app that stands out from others. Additionally, creating an app on your own means a lot of trial and error, especially when it comes to uploading it to the app stores and following their comprehensive and specific guidelines.

Application design and development are two stages of the mobile app development process. These are the stages of the app development process where first the screens are designed and then the mobile app comes to life by bringing in the frontend code and backend code together during the development stage. The design stage usually comes after UX research and analysis. This allows for the UI designs to be focused on the target audience and offers a great user experience to those users. Once the designs are done, they are translated into code which builds the application and connects it to the database. The application design and development stages often merge at some point and might be revisited as quality assurance continues throughout the development stage.

Rapid application development is an agile development approach that focuses more on the ongoing development and user feedback rather than on sticking to a strict plan. The typical rapid application development (RAD) process starts by defining a loose set of requirements. This takes away the need for costly planning. Once the developers know the rough plan for the application and understand the requirements they start working on a prototype to have something to show to the client and users. When the prototype is presented, the developers collect feedback and make amendments. This loop of improving the prototype and gathering feedback may happen a few times until the product meets the needs of the users. Once that point is reached, the product can be finalised. This approach usually results in faster delivery of the product that meets the client’s requirements. Additionally, it has the potential to be a more cost-effective development process as the team will only focus on building the features the client needs rather than adding standard features that may never be used. It also keeps the development team motivated as with the frequent input from the client and their involvement, the developers’ efforts may be acknowledged on a more frequent basis.

Mobile app development is a series of processes and procedures required to build software for small, wireless computing devices, such as smartphones and other hand-held devices. When compared to web applications, mobile apps are written in a way that specifically takes advantage of the unique features of the mobile device. This could include a gaming app utilising iPhone’s accelerometer or a health app utilising a smart watch’s temperature sensor. The main mobile app platforms are iOS from Apple and Android from Google.

In the past, each of these platforms required separate code to be written for the different devices. This was referred to as native mobile app development. Nowadays, it is more common to use coding languages that build apps that can work across different platforms and operating systems.

Mobile app development cost varies depending on the way you choose to develop the app and its intended use. If you require a simple app for your business, opting in for no-code builders, such as Appy Pie, Appery or BuildFire could be a good option. These have pre-coded elements that can be used in your app meaning there is no need for hiring app developers who have extensive experience in coding. Slightly higher on the price level are tools, such as Amazon’s HoneyCode which also allow anyone to build an app by dragging and dropping elements using an interface. These often work on a monthly subscription basis. At the top of the range sit the more complex apps that require native app development due to the sophisticated features they include, such as artificial intelligence or 3D elements. The cost of developing an app like that could be as high as £200,000.

Mobile app development begins with setting up the foundations. Once the idea for the app is there and the team members are clear on who the product is being made for, the developers can begin setting up the storage solutions, databases, APIs and servers for the backend of your app. While the designs are being prepared, it is important to set up developer accounts for the app stores you plan to upload your app to. This step can sometimes take several days to complete so it’s best to do it early on. With the designs and the backend set up in place, the coding and programming phase can begin. When the frontend interface is connected with the backend code, it is time to begin the testing phase. This needs to be done continuously as it allows to catch any bugs before launching the app.

Once you feel the app is ready to be pushed to the live environment and presented to the users, it is a good idea to contact a digital marketing team or perform your own research to find the optimal keywords and descriptions to optimise your app for the app search engine results. Before launching, you will also need to make sure you have a website promoting your app and that it meets the requirements of the app stores. Continue with your promotional efforts and set a specific date for the launch to build up momentum. Your app developers will take care of submitting the app to the app stores in good time to allow for the approval period and any last-minute fixes that need to be done. Once launched, the app should be tested again to ensure no code went missing when moving from development to live environment, which could lead to bugs or crashes.

Mobile app deployment is the process of installing, configuring and enabling a specific application to a URL on a server. This is typically done via an application manager or software management system. Once the process of deploying an application has been completed, it becomes publicly available on the URL. Depending on the version of the app you are trying to make visible, you will be deploying it to different platforms. On Apple devices, when building an app, it is a common practice to first deploy the app to a platform called TestFlight. This is where the app that is still being developed can be stored and accessed by beta users. This is used throughout the testing phase of the mobile app development process and gives the developers time to fix any technical issues. Once the app is ready to be shared with the public, the app would be deployed to the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.