Many factors influence the outcome of an app, including its features, architecture, performance, and user experience. The development team of an app is an essential aspect of its success. An effective mobile app development team structure is important for transforming a company’s concept into a robust and functional mobile application. Regrettably, there is no secret formula that will construct the ideal software development team to successfully create a thriving mobile application. Several variables impact the makeup of a team, such as the extent and difficulty of the app, the financial resources available, and the time constraints.
In this post, we will discuss the structure of mobile app development, the key roles and responsibilities of team members, and more.
1. Determining the Right App Development Team Structure
Take your ideas to an IT expert and discuss the necessary steps. After the discussion, you will be required to transform your app idea into a complete mobile app; hence, it is important to establish the structure of your team. Before determining the structure of your team, it is advisable to understand the scope and complexity of your application by taking into account the subsequent factors:
- The mobile platforms you intend to target.
- The level of complexity of the application and the intended quantity of features to be included.
- The proficiency of your development crew.
- Deadlines for app development projects.
- Current financial resources.
When considering the complexity of an app, mobile applications can be classified into three categories: simple, medium, and complex.
- Simple apps are equipped with conventional functionalities, a minimalist design, and a limited number of buttons.
- Medium-sized applications provide a higher level of intricate functionality, a greater number of displays and features, and a more intricate design.
- Complex applications include advanced functionalities, interactive interfaces, integrated payment mechanisms, and intelligent conversational agents.
Suppose you want a whole mobile app development team, including an iOS and/or Android developer, a backend developer, a project/product manager, a UI/UX designer, a business analyst, and a QA engineer. Below is the estimated time required for the delivery of a fully developed mobile application based on its complexity:
- A simple app can often be developed within a timeframe of 2-4 months.
- The development of a medium-sized app typically takes between 6 and 10 months.
- The development of a complex app typically takes a minimum of 8 months.
To accelerate the development of your app, you have the option to enhance your team with additional expertise. Nevertheless, if you lack the necessary resources to hire more developers, you can begin the development process by focusing on creating an application for a single platform and streamlining its features. This approach could help you speed up the launch of your app while remaining within your budget constraints.
2. Key Roles in the Mobile App Development Team
The initial stage in forming a mobile development team is to identify the specific specialists needed and the number of professionals required for your mobile app development project. Considering that the required number of personnel for app development is greatly influenced by the scope and complexity of the project. Therefore, let’s start by determining the minimum number of individuals required to create a mobile application:
2.1 Product Owner
The product owner is an essential part of any development project. In order to make the most of the product, it is the product owner’s job to manage and optimize the product backlog.
Product owners play a crucial role in development by serving as the mediator between the business executives who request the work and the development team that completes it. They are the main element in agile teamwork. The core principle of agile development is continuous improvement through small, frequent iterations. This is useful for making sure the project’s end aim is in line with its original intent.
Key Responsibilities
- The ability to make quick decisions and an extensive understanding of the product, its intended audience, and the user experience are essential qualities in a product owner.
- Product owners should be well-versed in the market and have access to internal industry practices; they should also be willing to share this information with engineers.
- Verifying that the user stories match client needs is the Product Owner’s responsibility.
- In an agile-based product development technique, the Product Owner plays a pivotal role for firms.
- The Product Owner is responsible for coordinating the efforts of many different parties, including but not limited to clients, company executives, development teams, project managers, and others.
2.2 Technical Manager
Technical project managers are project managers of IT and IT-related projects that involve complex technical aspects. They are also the lead subject matter experts for an organization’s technical concerns. Thus, they combine technical expertise with team management skills, such as excellent communication, organization, and leadership, making it a hybrid role.
Key Responsibilities
- Holds discussions with technical teams to get clarity on project goals and scope.
- Guide the formation of a well-defined project plan, including every single detail of the project from project requirements to support required after deployment.
- Distributes responsibilities to the team members with a completion timeline to ensure the timely completion of tasks.
- Keeps track of the progress of project phases using project management tools like Jira to ensure compliance with relevant technical standards and the projected timeline. Conduct training and workshops on trending technologies and strategies to keep pace with technological advancements.
- Keeps an eye on the project’s budgetary allocations and makes necessary adjustments when required to stay aligned with changes over time.
- Be in constant touch with stakeholders to keep them updated regarding project progress and arising issues through project reports. Convey complex technical details of the project to them in simple and general language.
Collaboration: Conduct meetings at proper intervals with department heads and other team leaders to keep them informed about the project progress and take their views to improve resource utilization, delay management, and ensure everything remains on track.
2.3 Business Analyst
The initial phase of any project is the exploration stage, during which you refine and document your app concept. Business analysts are responsible for acquiring a comprehensive understanding of the future solution, aligning it with present market demands, and collecting technological requirements for its future implementation.
Business analysts play a crucial role in researching the target market, potential consumers, and direct and indirect competitors. One of the key responsibilities of a business analyst is to collect and document software requirements that detail the characteristics and capabilities of an upcoming mobile application.
They collaborate with other team members to conduct interviews, seminars, and meetings with stakeholders to gain a more comprehensive knowledge of their requirements. Subsequently, business analysts translate these needs onto paper by creating clear and concise documentation for both business and technology teams.
Key Responsibilities
- Start the discovery process.
- Conduct market research.
- Define and document software specifications.
- Produce and maintain technical documentation.
- Create the primary backlog.
- Choose application metrics.
- Establish a structured communication channel between the business and technical departments.
Given their professional duties, business analysts should possess the following soft skills:
- Business competence.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal abilities.
- Essential analytical and decision-making skills.
- Proactive behavior, enthusiasm, and passion.
- The ability to transform complex information into coherent and easily understandable narratives.
The combination of required skills varied by firm. Typically, business analysts must have practical knowledge of SQL and Excel, as well as familiarity with data visualization tools. Proficiency in data analysis using Python or R is often required. Prior domain knowledge in the specific field and expertise in overseeing agile initiatives are also highly valued.
2.4 UI/UX Designer
A UI/UX designer is an expert who transforms your company’s concept into a comprehensive mobile application. In some larger teams, separate UX designers often handle research, app concept development, navigation, and journey mapping, while UI designers focus on the visual aspects. However, when hiring a proficient UI/UX designer, a single expert can manage the entire app design process.
Key Responsibilities
- Develop user personas.
- Reflect on the user flow and create wireframes using a Sketch program.
- Develop visual application prototypes.
- Create a user-friendly app UI.
- Implement modifications based on user feedback and data obtained from testing.
- Proficient at utilizing UI/UX design tools such as Figma, InVision, and Sketch.
- Apply contemporary UX research methods, wireframing, UI prototyping and interaction design.
- Having a basic understanding of coding is necessary to effectively communicate and collaborate with programmers.
2.5 Mobile App Developers
The number of app development professionals involved in the process could differ based on the chosen platform(s) and development style. For example, your firm may require an application for iOS, or you may need the capability to target both iOS and Android platforms.
A mobile app developer might choose to concentrate on one of three distinct areas.
2.5.1 iOS App Development
iOS develops solutions that are compatible with Apple’s mobile devices. They develop native applications, which are specifically designed for iPhones and cannot be installed on an Android smartphone. When you engage with an iOS app development company, you guarantee a superior and exceptional interface since each code part is crafted with careful consideration of the platform’s unique characteristics.
Essential competencies for an iOS developer:
- Proficiency with Objective-C and Swift for developing native applications.
- Proficient in utilizing the Xcode Integrated Development Environment (IDE), which serves as the primary software platform for creating applications for macOS, iOS, and iPadOS.
- Proficient in developing applications for recent iterations of iOS and iPadOS.
2.5.2 Android App Development
Business owners who want to target the dominant mobile platform will require an Android development team. Just as iOS applications are exclusive to operate on iPhones, Android apps are specifically designed for Android devices.
If you intend to publish your application on both the App Store and Google Play platforms, you have two options: either engage two developers, each specializing in building distinct iOS and Android apps, or employ a single developer who can create a cross-platform solution.
An Android developer has to be capable of the following:
- Proficient understanding of Kotlin and Java programming languages.
- Demonstrated proficiency in utilizing Android Studio, the integrated development environment (IDE) for Android applications.
- Proficiency in creating an application that is compatible with various Android versions, devices, and screen sizes.
2.5.3 Cross-Platform App Development
Cross-platform app development is a modern approach to creating mobile applications that have gained significant popularity due to its efficiency and potential for cost minimization. Developers who work on cross-platform applications can create a single source code that functions seamlessly on both iOS and Android devices. Consequently, you only require a single application to simultaneously target both platforms.
The number of app development professionals involved can differ based on the chosen platform(s) and development approach. For instance, your firm may only require an application for iOS, or you may need to target both iOS and Android platforms.
When selecting cross-platform app development, it is essential to choose a programmer with the necessary expertise in the following areas:
- Practical experience in developing using the React Native framework.
- Proficiency in cross-platform app development utilizing frameworks like Xamarin, Flutter, or Ionic.
2.6 QA Engineer
Testing is an essential component of every application development process. While developers can occasionally be capable of debugging their code, it is preferable to entrust this task to a dedicated testing specialist.
Key Responsibilities
The list of tasks assigned to a QA engineer is comprehensive, encompassing a wide range of responsibilities.
- Perform both manual and automated checks on the app to identify any functional and non-functional defects.
- Monitor and measure the application’s performance, specifically in terms of load time, with the specified requirements.
- Evaluate the app’s user-friendliness.
- Identify security vulnerabilities.
- Record and document all identified issues and subsequently provide a comprehensive report.
- Collaborate closely with developers, designers, and other stakeholders.
3. Stages of App Development and Roles in Different Stages
Transforming a business concept into a comprehensive mobile application requires specialized knowledge, skills, efforts, and financial investments. The process of mobile app development can be categorized into five distinct stages:
- Product discovery
- Idea validation
- UI/UX strategy and information architecture
- Design and development
- Testing deployment and maintenance
The composition of a team is determined by the stages of app development. The composition of your app development team will vary according to the phase of your mobile app’s development that you’re currently in.
3.1 Discovery
At this point, it is crucial to establish the objectives, principles, and functionalities of the application, examine the competition, determine the intended audience, and create visual representations of the app through sketching mockups. Upon concluding the discovery stage, it is imperative to generate a low-fidelity app prototype to ensure alignment between yourself and your development team.
3.2 Idea Validation
This stage involves validating your app idea by analyzing the initial users’ experiences through the use of a concept validation prototype. Depending on the results of the idea validation process, you can either change direction or begin developing a medium-fidelity app prototype that incorporates the flow and user experience design of your app.
During the process of validating your app idea, it is essential to have a team consisting of a project/product manager, a designer, developers specializing in iOS and Android, a backend developer, and a QA engineer.
3.3 UI/UX Strategy
The subsequent phase involves developing the interface of the application, encompassing both its structure and visual design.
A UI/UX designer is responsible for producing wireframes, prototypes, and visual designs with a specific focus on improving user experience and interface design.
In this stage, a business analyst supports the designer by helping with the prioritization of features, the development of app logic, and the implementation of monetization strategies. They also ensure that all previous research is incorporated into the final design and take into account the input of stakeholders.
The UI/UX designer plays a central role in this stage of app development, while the business analyst and project manager provide valuable assistance to ensure more efficient and data-driven work.
3.4 Design and Development
During the design and development stage, your team will commence constructing a minimum viable product (MVP) to conduct field testing of your business concept. An MVP is a version of the app that focuses on essential features and provides only the fundamental functionality needed to address the main problems faced by the intended users.
The design and development stage is the fundamental and essential part of the mobile app development process. It necessitates the involvement of iOS and Android developers, a backend developer, a project/product manager, and a UI/UX designer.
3.5 Testing and Improving
This phase involves conducting a thorough analysis of the user experience to rectify any crashes and bugs, as well as implementing necessary modifications to optimize your app’s performance.
4. Choosing the Right Mobile App Development Model
Having obtained knowledge of the roles and composition of your app development team, it is now necessary to find and recruit developers for your project. There are fundamentally two development models:
4.1 In-house Development
Experts who are physically present at your workplace, working for you and dedicated solely to your project on a full-time basis. By having an in-house development team, you can oversee and manage the whole app development process, as well as independently choose and hire team members.
4.2 App Development Outsourcing
Outsourcing refers to the process in which development work is hired from outside the company, and the provider can be located anywhere in the world. It is considered a cost-effective option as the work is carried out totally from somewhere else, leaving you free from managing the resources. Your outsourcing provider manages and oversees all the development processes from beginning to end.
5. Conclusion
This article presents the crucial guidelines for establishing an efficient mobile development team. Engaging with an app development company for outsourcing can be a smart choice as it grants access to a cohesive group of skilled IT experts who are readily available to begin work promptly, eliminating the need for challenging and costly recruitment efforts. If you require the services of an app development team or would like expert advice on mobile app development, feel free to get in touch with us.
FAQs
What team do you need to develop an app?
Following is a team structure required to develop an app.
- Project Manager
- Business Analyst
- UI/UX Designer
- Mobile App Developers
- QA Engineer
What are the important qualities of an app developer?
Here are the most required qualities in an app developer:
- Proficient in computer and technical languages
- Cyber-security skills
- UI/UX knowledge
- Backend, cross-platform development skills
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