What is Mobile App Prototyping
Developing an app is a creative task which needs efforts from developers as well as designers. But some extra efforts are needed before developing mobile applications including the objective, feasibility, user flow, design interface etc. It requires market research for gathering full information about an app as per the needs of potential users. Key aspect of building an app is simply getting the good number of customers by providing proper benefits and for achieving this goal it is required to build a user friendly app.
App Prototyping provides a track for solving design related issues, evaluating designs and communicate design ideas.
Prototyping App Concepts
Before getting involved into development related issues, prototyping can help you to work through design problems. Prototype can be an efficient way to work through design problems before getting deep into the coding. A proper prototype development can solve high level conceptual problems to lower level interaction related issues.
It determines the optimal speed of transition, visual design, interaction between the components and many more issues including the response that application will provide. Storyboards with directional arrows could demonstrate the common idea, but an interactive model would be more efficient at fine-tuning the remedy.
Why it is needed?
It is obvious that if we have a proper model before developing anything, we can make it in easy and effective manner. You can easily evaluate design ideas and understand data flow model before investing development time. Proper prototyping not only save time but also leads to evaluation of technical architecture. Prototypes are often considered as the only way to communicate your app effectively. Particularly some real world interactive apps like location map apps, bar-code scanner apps, voice recorders etc need some extra efforts beyond the static screen design to make sure that these app will work well with real time users. Similarly some immersive apps like game development are less compelling while designing its static sketch format. Prototyping can help you in that case as it can take your app off the page and into real time model format. These may help you in better presentation and sharing with investors. Or sometime, it may help you elicit user feedback.
Benefits from Prototyping
Fast iterations
Document prototypes allow you to quickly iterate and research with many concepts. It makes easier to identify less promising directions.
Cost effective
App Prototyping doesn’t need extra investment. It is inexpensive and altogether it can decrease expensive changes on the development end.
Business context model and documentation
Before development, prototyping can help you to present in a better way than simple static sketch. This may leads to the proper understanding of features, design and interaction.
Easy to edit
You or your customers can modify paper prototypes on the fly (e.g., modify brands, displays, add buttons) and hence save the time in customization.
Some leading mobile app development organizations provide mobile app prototyping development services before developing an app. You can directly consult to them for converting your app ideas into reality.