How to save $10 000+ on app development (for non-technical people)

Product development is a complex thing that requires a lot of “hats” to be put on:

Business analysis
User Interface prototyping
Design
Programming
Quality assurance
Deployment
Marketing (if it’s not an in-house app)

For now lets talk only about prototyping.

What is prototyping?

This is similar to creating a picture using a pencil:

The more detailed interface you will have, the better app you will get.

So, after 2-3 talks with a business analyst you will get a more detailed vision of the app:

After 1st 2-3 screens, you will have a better understanding of the app. And it will lead you to smth like that:

On the above picture, you see screens and links between them. The links help to understand what happens on a particular screen and interchange between screens.

Why is it useful?

It is easy to change
No programming required
You can get a fully “clickable” prototype of the app and walk thru all possible ways
When you use such prototype you experience how the app will work
The live experience can bring you the ideas that you haven’t though of
The mode ideas you sort out before programming – the less you will have to change

Mobile app development if costly:

Usually a mobile app requires to connect to some data-house
The API (data interchange protocol) between data-house and an app should be created
The need to support iPhone (usually referred as iOs which implied iPhone/iPad/Watch support) and Android or even Windows phone apps is necessary.

Therefore, one change in the app may demand:

change in business logic it data-house
change to API
change to app interface
* by the number of platforms you plan to support ( iOs/Android/Windows Phone/Watches)
make changes
test that everything works properly

That’s like domino, btw:

The problem is that it is not as visible as in real world construction

Many people don’t understand the complexity of software. It is difficult to understand because it is invisible. Let’s have a look at this real-world samples from construction. After the 1st floor was built – there came an idea that the 2 windows in the guest room are not necessary and the doorway should me moved to another place.

So, the changes you see in the pictures are no so crucial. That’s a small private house. Imagine what would happen if the company built 40 same houses and now had to do that changes?

You have walk through the prototype of your app to avoid such situations.

Let’s summarize what we’ve said so far:

list ideas
create prototype
walk through prototype 100 times
show it friends, co-workes and all interested parties
apply changes to prototype
Repeat it many times
Start designing & programmig only after you are sure that everything is in place