Mobile application development has become a multimillion-dollar industry, as almost all industries find mobile apps to be irreplaceable and integral to their business structures. Apart from their high-demand growth, mobile apps continue to gain traction due to new technologies and innovations that continue to add and create more value for their users and businesses.
Mobile App Developer Skills
The vast and booming connected device landscape, continuously breaking new boundaries and creating new landmarks with user-focused features and capabilities, has contributed immensely to the innovation around mobile apps. Mobile apps have become so popular now that even the web is trying to appear as handy and engaging as native mobile apps through the latest technologies like Progressive Web Apps(PWA). Moreover, mobile apps are increasingly bridging the generation and cultural gaps among people. They contribute to the emergence of a new tech-savvy mobile audience irrespective of age, gender, location, ethnicity, or other demographic attributes.
Because of these advancements, mobile app development companies now focus on building apps meeting the constraints and requirements of the iOS and Android platforms and meeting varied expectations across audiences of various types and categories. App developers should only focus on skills that help them become part of such development environments. Not only will these skills of mobile app developers, but the development projects also stay more competitive.
Creative Problem Solving and Communication
First, developers must have the necessary abilities like creative problem-solving and excellent communication skills. A developer should have a comprehensive ability to communicate with their team members and clients both verbally and in writing. This is an uncompromising skill that any aspiring developer must have, especially if they take on a leadership position within the group. The capability to give instructions and communicate easily are two essential qualities that will make any mobile app developer stand out in a crowd.
The second most important thing is the ability of the developer to think out of the box in terms of app conceptualization and making norms that can change the age-old cliches and bring fresh energy to the development process. This creative capability is particularly essential for nourishing problem-solving skills and troubleshooting capabilities.
Quality UI/UX Design
An excellent user interface is a must for users to interact with an app without any friction or usability glitches. A rich user interface allows smooth interaction and usability and is necessary for continuous user engagement and business conversion. While backend capabilities are essential to maintain performance and scalability, frontend elements like UI and UX are equally important as they can make or break user engagement, business conversion, and retention.
The critical aspects of mobile UI/UX design include a comprehensive colour strategy based on colour psychology, achieving a balance between visual appeal and distractions, faster loading time and responsive design, micro-interactions, feedback mechanism with activity indicators, smooth and helpful user onboarding experience, etc.
Design prototyping is an essential skill to possess for designing sophisticated and audience-validated UI/UX. The UI/UX designers should have a solid command of design attributes to incorporate core usability features and elements.
Knowledge of Agile Methodology
Agile Methodology is… A vast majority of app development projects now depend on agile methodology simply because constant iteration throughout the stages of development no longer remains a choice but an obligation. Constant iteration helps the app clients stay updated on every change in the development stage the app passes through. Besides enjoying the confidence of the clients, constant iteration also helps reduce development errors and certain unavoidable shortcomings that could be avoided with iterations and testing way below the development spiral.
A developer now needs to have solid knowledge about the way constant iteration and testing are incorporated into the projects. He should be thoroughly versed in continual development and deployment approaches that are part of agile methodology.
JavaScript and a Few Core Languages
For a mobile app’s frontend developer, programming language skills in the most popular and widely used languages are essential. For example, JavaScript frameworks that are very popular for faster development of feature-rich apps cannot be left out as JavaScript frameworks such as React Native, Angular, Vue, and NodeJS have now become the most sought-after skill sets.
Since JavaScript frameworks like React Native allow you to reuse components and code for multiple OS platforms, you can build apps for both iOS and Android in no time. The “Write once, run anywhere” development approach makes these JavaScript frameworks ideal for cross-platform development.
Apart from JavaScript, mobile app developers should have comprehensive knowledge and coding skills with Java and Kotlin languages used widely for Android platforms. For iOS, developers should have a solid command of Swift, C++, and Objective C languages.
MVP Development Approach
Lastly, development companies and clients increasingly prefer the MVP or Minimum Viable Development approach to develop audience-validated apps. With the MVP approach, an app can be created with basic and minimum features, launched into the market, and later can be further developed with changes and value additions found by this testing. The mobile app developers of today should have a clear understanding of how the MVP approach works.
A developer team can start building an app focusing on primary or elementary features crucial for the app to serve its vital objective. After releasing the user feedback comes in, new value additions and tweaks with the UI or UX can be incorporated. This approach has three distinct benefits as follows:
- MVP approach will allow developers to build and release a lightweight app faster.
- The MVP approach will help to create a simple app focusing on the primary feature and user experience.
- Lastly, it can constantly improve based on user validation or feedback.
Gaining a Competitive Edge
Since mobile app development has become a hugely competitive field – more than ever – donning these must-have skills and having solid exposure is a crucial criterion for app developers in this modern market.
