The Definitive Mobile App Prototyping Guide

Mobile App Prototyping is the procedure that describes the workflow of an app in an interactive way. You can swipe, click& drag and then you can present it in the form of app demo or as a proof of an app concept. There are different mobile app designers who get confused with prototyping and wireframe and they take it similarly. But there is a different approach and meaning in these two designing processes. As discussed earlier Mobile App Prototyping is a process which defines the workflow of an app in the most interactive way, while wire framing is the process of defining an app flow and drawing a rough sketch of screens on paper or using wireframing tools.

 

 

How this app prototyping came to notice?

Some iOS developer first started to create various screens in Xcode platform by using storyboard application. Actually, it was simply the creation of different screens in one view placing buttons and connecting those screens by using clickable events. This app prototyping is needed for creating the proof of an app concept on the storyboard. But app prototyping plays a significant role while designing and developing the process.

 

Prototyping makes it easy to give life to your ideas

Mobile App prototyping helps to build your app the way you have envisioned. The main aim is to streamline the process of developing your designs. You get many facilities from app prototypinglike:

• Fast importing – To import and crop multiple images at once.
• Rapid duplication –To duplicate your projects, mockups, and links, helping you edit and compare fully-functional ideas. It becomes more helpful when your mockups have similar layouts thatallow you to skip building out the same links at multiple times.
• Organize your projects – You should not worry about having too many mockups or losing track. Prototyping tagging features allow you to categorize your files so that you can always find exactly what you are looking for.
• Transitions – It has five types of transitions, including fade, next, back, rise and dismiss, so that your flow looks like the real thing.
• Gestures – Prototyping offers every gesture that you will possibly need, including touch, swipe, and pinch that will allow you to navigate your app.
• Dropbox sync – Never worry about your progress or working from different devices. Every change that you make will be automatically synced to your mobile app prototyping account through Dropbox. Prototyping supports JPG, PNG, and BMP.

 

Significance of App Prototyping

App Prototyping helps you to fix design and It helps you to address the app concept, features, interactions, and flow.

Evaluate app ideas: Prototyping connects you with end users and helps you to speculate end user’s designing expectation while using the app. In this process, you may require creating different designs with the help of different colour schemes and layouts. Each design is incorporated into the mobile and thereafter it is analyzed. In fact, it givesa soothing feeling to the eyes and the ultimate user experience can be easily evaluated through this app.

Fix design issues: The designers do not use paper prototyping in real design projects as they have immense potential to contribute in creating a high-quality users experience.

Communicative design concepts: Application that helps and guides to interact with the end users has more value than the apps made purely for fun and entertainment as these apps contain a purpose. Prototyping for such apps is the most demanding. If you miss a screen while designing or developing, there are chances of your app might not become successful.

 

The Stages of Mobile App Prototyping

After you come up with the basic premise for your new app and have a firm idea of the user base you are targeting, the single most important aspect of making it into a reality is the designing process.

• Set Goals: If you do not set your goal of creating an app you will not know how to design it. The basic purpose to set up your goal is to save the money of the user by providing them with a comparing tool. You can determine that how your app will help the customers and can solve a particular problem or can improve their regular lifestyle if you fix a goal for the designing team to get behind, so they can focus their efforts on your requirements.
• Understand the Needs of Your End Users: Suppose the users do not have time to read the instruction manual just to use your app, create an intuitive and easy design. The views of the clients’ are scope document, feature list, and app reference links that help the developers to understand their requirement. Going through the documents and getting deep insights, are the two main responsibilities of the project manager. It is always better if the business analyst is also present there as his brain storming can also bring some good inputs in it. The designer understands the requirement and draws a flowchart on a paper under the guidance of the project manager. And this is the whole work is executed.
• Wireframing: Once you get the basic idea of how the app will flow, you can start sketching the rough screens on paper or using wireframe tools including widgets and different layouts. At this stage, you can preparethe end-user the navigation system of the app using keynotes.
• Defining visual effects: Once all the functionalities are fulfilled you can start designing the actual screens, you can make the visual effects more effective by the selection of colour scheme, widget placing, the button titles, message popup, etc.
• The Final touch: At the last stage, you have to test the transitions, animations, and interactions, etc. Also you need to cross check the final screens with the flow to make the screens more soothing. Remember if you are not happy with the designing of the app, you can send it to the app developer or to the testing team for re-check. If you need to modify the screen you can suggest a last touch even.

There are different types of prototyping tools which are available in the market but you should select that one which would be beneficial for you. For selecting the right tool you should know certain things which are needed for web, Android, or iOS app designing. You must know the prototyping precession. Also you should know whether you can share these design with others or not.

 

Design is important in the app development process

It is important to appoint a developer who has ample experiencesin designing apps which are easy to use and that which improve people’s lives in various ways. Remember whether you are helping your end users to do their jobs more effectively or providing them information or entertainment, designing an app is a critical aspect of this development process.