DESCRIPTION

Of all the questions mobile app development companies get asked, “How long will it take?” is by far the hardest to answer. Because mobile apps differ so dramatically depending on the platform, feature set, and backend complexity, timelines from idea to prototype to fully-featured app can be anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

E-Signature uses an agile software development approach when developing mobile apps, which has a number of benefits, including being able to work closely with our clients throughout the duration of a project, providing incremental value and demos, and the ability to react to changes along the way. However, while using an agile software development approach streamlines the time it takes to build a mobile app, there are still many steps involved that add up, including:

Envisioning (1-3 Weeks):  Defining a clear vision of the client’s objectives for the solution is one of the most critical stages in the lifecycle of any project. Through a series of discovery sessions with the client, the project team ensures a comprehensive understanding of the client’s vision, requirements, and design, required for a successful solution. During the envisioning phase, requirements are created in collaboration with the client, creating business-focused acceptance criteria for each requirement. Additionally, this phase includes creating design concepts and wireframes for the website’s look and feel, navigation, layout, and technical architecture.

Iterative Development and Testing (3-5 Weeks):  After Discovery, the project team begins development and testing of the mobile app. The multi-disciplinary project team consists of analysts, designers, developers, and testers who work in time-boxed iterations to implement a subset of the overall requirements, concluding with a client review and demo to elicit feedback and plan for the next iteration.

Stabilization (1-2 Weeks): The final development and testing iteration is focused on stabilizing the mobile app, making final changes based on client feedback, and ensuring compatibility with mobile devices.

Release (2 Weeks): After development and testing is complete, the project team assists the client in releasing the mobile app to the Apple App Store, Google Play Store, or other mobile app marketplaces. The Apple App Store may take up to two weeks before it approves your application for public download.

While we are always excited to release a new mobile app to the public, as you can see there are a variety of factors involved in determining the time it takes to make a mobile app. To determine how long it will take to build your next mobile app, get in touch today!