The 5 App Development Stages, What Happens At Each Stage?

When you team up with app design agencies to build a mobile app, it might seem like all you need to do is create a killer design and code the functionality. But in reality, app development is a multi-stage process that requires thorough planning, research, and testing to ensure the final product is successful. This is why it’s critical to take the time to understand the app development stages and what happens at each step. In this article, we'll walk you through the stages of app development to help you know what to expect when building your app. 

One way to make app development easier is to work with a product design agency like NUMI. Our app development solution focuses on product design to help you nail down your app's structure and design before moving into development. This way, you can create a clear plan for your project and make development a breeze.

Understanding the App Development Process

In contrast to the much longer steps of the software development life cycle, the app development lifecycle is much shorter. There are generally five primary parts to the procedure, as there are with those:

• Inception: Every software begins with a concept. Typically, such a concept is evolved into a strong foundation for an application.
• Design: The design phase includes establishing the app’s User Experience (UX), such as the overall layout, how it operates, and so on, as well as translating that UX into a good User Interface (UI) design, which is generally done with the assistance of a graphic designer.
• Development: The actual application creation is usually the most resource-intensive step.
• Stabilization: Once development has progressed, QA generally begins testing the program and fixing issues. Frequently, an application will enter a restricted beta phase in which a larger user population is allowed to try it out and provide feedback and suggestions for improvements.
• Deployment: Many of these parts overlap; for example, programming may occur while the UI is being finished and may even inform the UI design. A program may be in the process of stabilizing while new features are being added to a new version.

These stages may also be utilized in various SDLC techniques, including Agile, Spiral, and Waterfall.

While the mobile app market promises substantial growth, with downloads expected to reach 270 billion by 2025 and a projected market volume of US$781 billion by 2029, navigating this landscape requires more than a great idea. The high competition stakes, the uncertainty of user preferences, and the challenge of retaining underscore the critical importance of careful planning in app development.

Understanding the mobile application development life cycle (ADLC) helps you set the right expectations for your team and prepare to address the challenges with structured stages.

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Why It's Necessary To Plan Your App Development Stages

Planning the Application Development Life Cycle (ADLC) ensures your project progresses efficiently, meets user expectations, and achieves its objectives. Here's a closer look at why meticulous planning in ADLC is critical:

App Development Stages: Why Planning the App Development Stages Is Necessary

Planning the Application Development Life Cycle (ADLC) ensures your project progresses efficiently, meets user expectations, and achieves its objectives. Here's a closer look at why meticulous planning in ADLC is critical:

Reduced Risks

Effective planning allows for proactive risk identification and management. By breaking the project into well-defined phases, potential issues can be anticipated and addressed early, preventing costly errors or disruptions later. A structured ADLC minimizes uncertainties, helping teams confidently navigate obstacles and keep the project on track.

Improved Quality

A well-planned ADLC integrates rigorous testing and quality assurance into every stage of development. Errors can be detected and resolved promptly, preventing them from escalating into more significant problems. Continuous feedback loops allow for iterative improvements, ensuring the application evolves in line with user needs and market demands.

Enhanced Communication

Clear communication is the backbone of successful app development. ADLC fosters transparency by providing a structured framework for regular updates, progress tracking, and stakeholder alignment. Developers, designers, project managers, and clients can collaborate effectively, reducing misunderstandings and ensuring everyone is working towards the same goals.

Reduced Resource Waste

When requirements expand beyond the original plan, scope creep is a common application challenge. Planning through ADLC helps establish clear project boundaries and expectations from the start. By documenting and agreeing on features, functionalities, and design elements upfront, teams can avoid unnecessary additions that drain time and resources, maintaining focus on the core objectives.

Higher ROI

Strategic planning translates into financial and operational efficiency. By reducing risks, ensuring quality, and streamlining resource allocation, ADLC prevents budget overruns and project delays. The result is a product that aligns with user needs and delivers value, fostering customer loyalty and driving long-term profitability.

The ADLC is a roadmap guiding your project from conception to deployment while ensuring a seamless, collaborative, and goal-driven development process. Planning each stage thoughtfully sets the foundation for a successful application that meets user expectations and achieves business goals. 

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The 5 App Development Stages, What Happens at Each?

1. Inception: A Step to Explore Your App Idea In-depth

Inception kicks off the mobile app development process. At this stage, you’ll explore your app idea thoroughly to establish a clear vision for the project. 

A good first step is to evaluate your app concept against some fundamental questions, such as:

• Are there apps like mine on the market? 
• If so, how will mine differ? 
• What will users gain from my app? How will it improve or enhance their lives? 
• If applicable, how will my app integrate with existing business infrastructure? 
• How will my app leverage mobile device features and functionality? 
• What will my app’s user persona(s) look like? 
• What are the key use cases? 

Defining Actors and Use Cases might be helpful when creating an app's functionality. Actors are users who play a part in an application. Actions or intentions are commonly used as use cases. A task-tracking application, for example, may include two Actors:

• User
• Friend

A user may make a task and then share it with a friend. In this scenario, generating and sharing a task are two unique use cases that will dictate what screens you’ll need to construct and what business entities and logic you’ll need to develop in conjunction with the Actors. 

It’s considerably easier to build an application once you’ve gathered sufficient use cases and actors. The development team may then concentrate on how to make the app rather than what it is or should do. After determining the app’s features and functioning, the next stage addresses the user experience or UX. 

2. Designing a User Experience

The second mobile app development stage focuses on creating the User Experience (UX) design. This process typically involves creating wireframes or mockups using various design toolkits. These mockups allow you to design the user experience without delving into the User Interface (UI) design at this stage. 

When developing UX mockups, it's crucial to consider the interface guidelines for each target platform. The app should "feel at home" on every platform it supports. Below are the official design guidelines for major platforms:

• Apple: Human Interface Guidelines
• Android: Material Design Guidelines
• UWP: UWP Design Fundamentals

Each platform has unique navigation metaphors that influence UX decisions. For instance: 

• iOS utilizes a bottom-of-the-screen tab bar for navigation.
• Android uses a top-of-the-screen tab bar.
• UWP uses the Pivot or tab view

Hardware differences play a key role in UX design. For example, iOS devices lack a physical back button, relying instead on the Navigation Controller metaphor.

Adapting to Different Devices and Screens

Form factors, such as screen size and device type, significantly impact UX considerations. Tailoring your design to accommodate these variations ensures an intuitive and user-friendly experience.

Transitioning from User Experience to User Interface

Designing a user interface (UI) The next stage is constructing the UI design after choosing the UX. While most UX mockups are black and white, the UI Design phase is where colors, graphics, and other elements are added and finished. 

It is critical to devote attention to decent UI design; most popular applications have a professional appearance. As with UX, it’s crucial to remember that each platform has its design language; thus, even a well-designed app may seem different on each platform. 

3. Development: The Actual Creation of Your App

The development period begins early. In reality, once an idea has matured in the conceptual/inspiration phase, a functioning prototype is typically created to check functionality and assumptions and assist in defining the project's scope. The development phase will be the focus of the remaining lessons. 

4. Stabilization: The Process of Fixing Software Issues

Stabilization is the process of sorting out the issues in your software. Not only in terms of functionality, such as “it crashes when I click this button,” but also in terms of usability and performance. Stabilization should begin early in the development process to allow for course adjustments before they become expensive. Here are common phases for apps:

• Prototype
• Alpha
• Beta
• Release Candidate  

Different individuals have different definitions for these, but they all follow the same pattern:

• Prototype: The proof-of-concept stage where only basic functionality or specific features are operational. Bugs are prevalent. 
• Alpha: The majority of the core functionality is code-complete (built, but not fully tested). Major issues still exist, and outlying functionality may not be available.
• Beta: The majority of the functionality is now complete, and it has undergone some light testing and problem fixes. 

Major flaws that have been identified may still exist.

Release Candidate

All functionality has been tested and is complete. The software is ready to be released into the world, barring any additional issues. It’s never too early to start testing a new app. If a big issue is discovered during the prototype stage, for example, the app’s UX can still be updated to suit it. If a performance issue is discovered at the alpha stage, it is still possible to change the design before a large amount of code has been written based on incorrect assumptions. 

Evolving User Base and Feedback Loops

As an application progresses through its lifespan, more individuals are invited to check it out, test it, offer comments, and so on. Prototype apps, for example, may be exhibited or delivered solely to key stakeholders, whereas release candidate applications may be released to clients who sign up for early access. 

Delivering directly from a development computer is adequate for early testing and distribution to several devices. This may rapidly become inconvenient as the audience grows. As a result, a variety of test deployment alternatives make this process much easier by allowing you to invite individuals to a testing pool, distribute builds over the web, and give feedback tools. 

App Center may be used to continually develop, test, release, and monitor apps for testing and deployment. 

5. Distribution: Releasing Your App to the Public

It’s time to release the app into the wild after it’s been stabilized. Depending on the platform, there are a variety of distribution alternatives. Apps for iOS and Objective-C are deployed in the same way:

Apple App Store

The App Store, integrated into Mac OS X via iTunes, is a worldwide accessible online program repository.

It’s the most common form of app distribution, allowing developers to sell and distribute their programs online with minimal effort.

• In-House Deployment: This method is used for the internal distribution of company programs that aren’t published on the App Store.
• Adhoc Deployment: Ad-hoc deployment is used for development and testing, allowing you to deploy to a few fully supplied devices. Ad-hoc deployment happens when you use Xcode or Visual Studio for Mac to deploy to a device. Android Before being deployed, all Android applications must be signed. 

Developers use their certificate, protected by a private key, to sign their apps. This certificate can establish a chain of trust between an application developer and the apps he or she has created and distributed. While a recognized certificate authority may sign an Android development certificate, most developers self-sign their certificates rather than use these services. 

Certificates are mostly used to distinguish between different developers and apps. Android uses this information to aid in enforcing permission delegation between programs and components running on the Android OS. Unlike other successful mobile platforms, Android promotes app distribution more openly. 

Devices are not restricted to a particular app store. Instead, anybody may open an app shop, and most Android phones support software installation from third-party stores. This gives developers a potentially bigger but more complicated distribution route for their apps. 

Although Google Play is Google's official app store, numerous others exist. Among the most well-known app stores are:

• Handango
• AppBrain
• Amazon App Store for Android
• GetJar
• UWP (Microsoft Store)some text
  • UWP users can download apps directly from the Microsoft Store
  • Developers submit their apps for review, and once approved, they are made available in the Store.

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5 Popular App Development Life Cycle Models

1. Agile Software Development Life Cycle

Agile is the rockstar of app development models. It’s all about breaking the product into smaller, manageable chunks and delivering them in iterations. Think of it as building a puzzle piece by piece, where each piece works independently but also fits into the bigger picture. Agile thrives on collaboration, constant feedback, and flexibility, making it perfect for projects that evolve as they go.

‍Why it’s great:

Agile makes updates quicker, adapts well to changes, and catches small issues before they snowball. It also speeds up market delivery and fosters close communication between teams and clients.

The catch: It can be hard to predict the final product's appearance, and the lack of thorough documentation can make things tricky. Plus, it demands clarity and time commitment from clients.

2. V-Shaped Model

The V-Model is like the disciplined sibling of the Waterfall model. It maps each development stage to a corresponding testing phase, forming a “V” shape. This structure ensures that every step, from gathering requirements to designing and implementing, is validated and verified through rigorous testing.

Why it’s great

The V-Model is straightforward, ensures high-quality outputs, and is excellent for projects with well-defined requirements.

‍The catch

It’s rigid and doesn’t allow for quick changes or iterations. If your requirements aren’t crystal clear from the start, this model might not work for you.

3. The Iterative Approach

The Iterative Model is like Agile’s cousin. It develops the app in cycles, starting with the most essential features and building upon them in subsequent iterations. It’s perfect for projects where not everything is clear initially, as it allows adjustments along the way.

Why it’s great

It’s flexible, focuses on user value, and delivers faster results. Plus, each cycle gives you the chance to evaluate and refine.

The catch

Only with complete requirements can lead to design flaws, and poor planning might make resource allocation a nightmare. It could be better for projects with tight budgets or timelines.

4. Spiral Model

The Spiral Model takes flexibility to a new level. It’s an iterative process, but with a twist: it adds a risk assessment phase at every loop. This makes it a go-to for complex projects where requirements are fuzzy or expected to change.

Why it’s great

Risk detection is built into every phase, and it’s easier to estimate costs when the process is divided into small increments.

The catch

It requires more time, money, and skilled management to pull off. If budgets are tight, there might be better options.

5. Waterfall Methodology

Waterfall is a traditional, straightforward approach to development. Each phase is completed in sequence, such as:

• Requirements
• Design
• Coding
• Testing

While simple and predictable, this method offers little flexibility if issues arise.

Why it’s great

It’s easy to manage, understand, and plan for. Each stage has clear deliverables, which helps with tracking progress.

The catch

It’s rigid, and once you move on from a phase, going back is nearly impossible. This makes it less suitable for projects where requirements might change.

Post App Development Considerations

Once your app is developed, deploying it to platforms like the Apple App Store and Google Play Store requires strategic preparation. This involves optimizing the app’s metadata, including its:

• Title
• Description
• Keywords
• Screenshots to increase visibility

Ratings and reviews play a crucial role, so encourage users to leave positive feedback. Monitor store guidelines to ensure compliance and avoid delays in approval.

Monitoring Your App: The First Few Weeks are Critical

Post-launch, your app must be closely monitored for performance, bugs, and crashes. Use analytics tools to track key metrics like:

• Load times
• Session duration
• Crash reports

Maintenance includes regular updates to fix issues, improve performance, and ensure compatibility with new operating systems or devices. Neglecting maintenance can lead to poor user experiences and decreased retention rates.

Marketing Your App: Don’t Wait for Users to Find You

To achieve significant downloads and engagement, a strong marketing strategy is essential. Promote your app through:

• Social media
• Content marketing
• Email campaigns
• Partnerships

Consider leveraging paid advertising like Google Ads or Facebook Ads to target your audience. Building a strong online presence and creating buzz around your app ensures a steady stream of new users.

User Feedback: The Key to Making Iterative Improvements

Gathering and acting on user feedback is crucial for the app’s long-term success. Enable in-app surveys or feedback forms, and monitor reviews on app stores and social media. Use this feedback to identify pain points and prioritize updates. Iterative improvements based on user input keep your app relevant and user-centric.

Scalability and Security: Preparing for Growth

As your user base grows, scalability becomes a pressing concern. Ensure your app can handle increased traffic by optimizing backend systems and implementing robust cloud infrastructure. Security is equally important. Protect user data by employing:

• Encryption
• Secure APIs
• Regular security audits

Compliance with data protection regulations like GDPR or CCPA is non-negotiable.

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Some startups or app developers may have difficulty finding a reliable design partner to help them through the app development stages. NUMI is that partner. We specialize in helping startups with design. We know that the design phase of app development is critical to creating a successful application. 

NUMI will help you create a smooth, user-friendly app that meets the needs of your target audience. 

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