Why discovery process is critical for Mobile App Development & How to initiate the discovery process?

Imagine you are venturing out in your brand new car, and have just hit the road, all pumped up with excitement. But then, you realize that you don’t have a map for the destination where you are planning to go.

Where will you end up in this situation?

Nowhere to be precise.

You will not only lose time but also resources and you will never be able to reach your destination.

This is why the discovery process for mobile app development is probably the most important phase. Without a discovery process, you are like that traveler without a roadmap.

Why Discovery Process?

Discovery process is a roadmap for the development of any project: It can be a mobile app, a new website, new software, or even a new building. Within the discovery process, we need to gather critical information that will help us to conceptualize and design the said project.

In this blog, we will focus on the discovery process for our mobile app development company and find out how we can trigger and initiate the discovery process for mobile app development.

Let’s take an example of why the discovery process is important for mobile app development: Assume you wish to launch a mobile app for creating a community platform for those who love fishing.

In case we don’t execute the discovery process, and directly jump into the development phase, then the mobile app can be a failure. We won’t have any idea what our target audience prefers, what are the basic requirements for fishing, is there any market for such a community, and what features can such an app for anglers have.

Without the discovery process, the entire mobile app development becomes a gamble, and we lose control over its success.

Definition Of Discovery Process

A discovery process strives to find answers, that will lead to the optimal design, development, UX/UI, and overall mobile app development. These answers form the foundation on which we at TechAhead understand the requirements of the client, connect them with the market needs, and subsequently develop a mobile app solution.

The eventual answers that Discovery Process leads to, are:

• Critical information that will form the base of the mobile app development (for example user journeys, personas).
• Information on how users can get benefited from using the mobile app (why will they use our app?).
• Set of features of the mobile app, that will establish the user interface and user experience of the mobile app (this will lead to wireframe of the new app).

How To Initiate the Discovery Process?

Although different mobile app development projects have different Discovery Processes (app for the fishing community will be different from an app for programmers), there are a few basic processes that form the foundation for all discovery processes.

The three main steps for initiating the discovery process are Research, Ideation, and Evaluation.

Research

Via exploratory research, the developers and mobile app architects will be able to gain information about the domain of the mobile app, and it will induce more clarity into the overall development of the mobile app.

Surveys and questionnaires can be used to scoop out relevant data and information about the domain, and it opens up new ideas about the new app. Competitive analysis can also be an important part of the research process, and it will help to have a better understanding related to the objectives and purpose of developing the app.

In the example of a mobile app for fishing lovers, the research phase can help the developers to understand why some people are passionate about fishing, what are terms they use for fishing, and the psychology of a typical user via user persona.

Ideation

Based on the information gathered via the research process, we will ideate the app development, and this happens due to one critical aspect of this stage: Pain Points.

In the ideation stage of the discovery process, we will try to understand the pain points of the userbase, and brainstorm ideas to resolve those pain points.

By figuring out how we can solve the pain points, the very foundation of mobile app development is created. We can precisely, and specifically focus on the pain points, and ideate on all the aspects of the mobile app development: features list, user interface, user experience, and product experience.

For example, for the app for fishing lovers, we can ideate on the pain points, and then brainstorm ideas to resolve them. Their biggest pain points can be location, good fishing spots, buying fishing equipment, learn how to fish, and developing connections with other fishing lovers.

Evaluation

Based on the ideation process, and the ideas generated, we arrive at the final and eventual stage of the discovery process: Evaluation.

At this stage, we have the information about the domain, we have the typical user persona, and we have a set of ideas related to the features, user interface, and user experience based on the pain points.

Now, all we need to do is connect the dots, and evaluate the final structure of the mobile app.

In most cases, a wireframe of the new mobile app is the outcome of the evolution stage, which is created after concept testing. Developers can create the concept of the mobile app via wireframe, insert navigational parameters based on the user’s expectations, and then evaluate this framework with the client, and subject matter experts.

For example, a wireframe based on the available information about the app can be shown to the fishing lovers first hand, and those who have knowledge and experience about fishing.

Let them evaluate the features list, navigation, and overall user experience of the app via concept testing, and then based on their inputs, the actual design and development of the mobile app can be initiated.

Thus, after the discovery process ends, the mobile app developers and designers are empowered with the right information and inputs to initiate the mobile app development process.

And this is a sure-shot path to success.

Need more clarifications on the discovery process? Talk to our mobile app consultants today, and start the process of launching your mobile app, right now!