What is an app blueprint?
An app blueprint describes the process of designing a functional app, divided into several stages from an abstract idea in passing to a final product that is ready for release.
It provides a structured plan that describes the “big picture” of app development and is easy to understand even for those who have no experience creating apps.
You can use blueprinting to transform your app idea into a real product. Since building an app consumes a lot of resources, you will need a way to visualize what an app concept will turn into.
Here are the six steps to crafting a custom blueprint:
- Generate a Problem-Solving Idea
It’s too early to stress over whether or not you have the next million-dollar idea. The thing is, you’ll probably have to modify and evolve your idea later anyway.
Think about if your app idea is technically realistic and how much you’re willing to invest in resources. More importantly, are you truly bringing something new to the table?
- Make a List of The Specs
After proposing an idea, offer a thorough breakdown of your app’s individual components and describe what functions it performs.
Give a rough estimation of the project scope and list all the requirements of your app. Then, consider the initial assumptions found in the markup document.
- Drum Up a Structured Wireframe
Now it is time to get your UX team on board with the product design.
In this step, your UX team will be utilizing development tools to focus on the app architecture–particularly its interactions with other programs.
Ask questions like: Who is your target demographic? Is your app intuitive and easy to navigate?
- Create a Prototype for Testing
In the prototyping stage, you will be modeling your app’s features to determine the validity of your previous hypothesis.
It is crucial to receive peer feedback on your prototype, especially if your app is going to have extensive functionality. Preview your prototype to see if the elements are properly integrated.
As always, lay down your app framework in its entirety before you even add a single line of code.
- Optimize the GUI for Usability
The user interface is where you convey your brand story through attractive visuals to engage the user. The goal here is to improve the user experience by telling a story with creative design.
Moreover, the UI is more than just a shiny coat of paint, it enables users to seamlessly navigate your app. It would be helpful to learn about design rules for iOS versus Android apps.
A successful design is characterized by its clear visual cues and the ability to respond to user actions quickly.
- Transition to the Development Phase
Under ideal conditions, you want the developer to participate in every stage while discussing the best practices of tackling existing problems.
That’s why it’s important to have frequent communication between designers and developers so they’ll be able to exchange notes about implementing API or sending feedback on current features.
Why entrepreneurs need an app blueprint during development
Blueprinting is an organized approach to releasing a digital product. Entrepreneurs can take advantage of app blueprinting to identify and fix issues earlier on in the planning phase which helps them minimize the cost of potential mistakes in development down the line.
For this reason, entrepreneurs will need a comprehensive roadmap to steer the course of their app design. This allows them to not only make informed decisions but also catch mistakes that would impact development down the line.
Likewise, entrepreneurs must realize what kind of solution they are offering to end-users.
For one, they would have to iron out the details including what color scheme goes where and how people will navigate the app. Furthermore, they need to obtain user feedback on an app build to prepare for testing.
By and large, investors are averse to risk so handing them a blueprint could ease their worries about funding your app project. Backing up an app idea with ample documentation is the fastest way to gain their trust.
An app blueprint is guaranteed to remove any confusion regarding the project specs while you set up clear guidelines that can be modified later on.
Effective Strategies for App Blueprinting
More than ever, consumers prefer using smartphones and tablets. As an emerging startup, you will need a well thought out blueprint strategy to compete on value, given the surplus of apps on the market.
Reflect on Your Business Goals: How many users do you think will want to install the app? Aside from calculating the overhead costs, you can also suggest high-traffic marketing channels for promoting the product.
Concentrate on the User Experience: User engagement is affected by the speed and execution of the UI, so be sure to collect some insights into your app performance metrics.
Host an App in the Cloud: Cloud technology has many proven benefits: With cloud integration, developers are able to access their stored data from anywhere on a secure server.
Maximize Your App Visibility: A native app offers better performance and security options. A hybrid app is more affordable and easier to market. Just pick a popular platform and stick with it.
Hire a Competent App Programmer: Outsource your project to a development agency to maintain a steady workflow. Use blueprinting software to access existing templates and save time on implementing features.
Monitor Your App Performance: Troubleshoot technical issues from bugs to data leaks. Be on the lookout for unexpected crashes and errors. All part of the QA process.
How a Blueprint Allows You to Form an Accurate Development Budget
For one thing, the total cost of developing an app could be higher than expected: you won’t know the exact cost until you actually start creating the app.
In order to formulate a budget based on your blueprint, you should establish a buyer persona/target audience, identify the price point of your niche, and decide what portion of the budget to reserve for marketing.
There are several factors that impact the development cost:
- Business Model – Is your app free to download or is it sold at a price? Will there be any in-app purchases for enhanced features?
- Platform – Assess the pros and cons of Apple vs Android apps: While iOS has a bigger user base with a longer customer lifetime value, Android has more outreach in growing markets and a lower installation cost.
- Functionality – Categorize your product–Is it a table/list, database, dynamic, or mobile game app? Are you making a simple web app or does it cooperate with other platforms?
- Aesthetics – Is the design of your app visually appealing to customers? Include elements like a clickable icon and splash screen. You can leverage an in-house team or hire a freelancer to produce stellar visuals.
- Coding – Who gets to develop your app? A freelancer, small agency, or large company? a professional developer will utilize the best tools and resources to finish the job. If you don’t have the technical expertise, then save yourself the trouble of writing code.
Ideally, you want a development team that delivers quality results according to the goals outlined in the blueprint.
Although a freelance developer can build a simple app, a team of experts (preferably an agency) is required to take on complex projects.
In short, it’s best to focus on hiring someone who is well-versed in your industry and can operate within your budget.
The average cost of developing an app displayed on a chart:
It could be anywhere between $38,000 to $171,000.–Many people overlook the tech support and maintenance expenses so they tend to underestimate how much it really costs.
This is a further breakdown of the expected costs for planning, infrastructure, testing, administration, and more. When most apps are priced around a dollar, you must reach a huge market in order to turn a profit.
The Pitfalls of Beginning the Coding Phase Without an Accurate Budget
Generally speaking in app development, jumping directly into the coding phase is a recipe for disaster. It would be significantly harder to predict business outcomes without a working blueprint to fall back on.
If you don’t have an estimated budget, you might end up deviating from the project scope. The development stages also become time-consuming and downright expensive, causing unnecessary delays.
Another major setback is that you would have to keep revising your app features based on the feedback. This leads to additional costs whenever you try to incorporate complex functionality into your app.
If your developers rush the coding phase, they are bound to overlook numerous bugs and exploits that could show up after the app release.
A poorly-defined budget will hinder your development progress every step of the way. The last thing you want is to discover that your app doesn’t work as intended, putting a damper on its mobile engagement.
Elevate Your User Engagement with a Blueprinting Strategy
To reiterate, an app blueprint lends early-stage startups a concise plan for their mobile development process. It addresses the important parts to help you stay on task and turn your app idea into a tangible product.
As long as you have an excellent blueprinting strategy and an accurate estimate of your budget, you are well ahead of the curve. All you need now is to organize a cross-functional team of the best developers, designers, and marketers you can find.
At the end of the day, what truly matters is that your assembled blueprint answers all the important questions about app development, as a practical approach to managing resources and working within the budget.
Only then, you would know if there is enough demand for your app product to justify the cost of testing, development, alongside maintenance after it’s been released.
