Application development is a complicated process that requires an extensive and professional team. It comprises specialists in various fields. What are their tasks and what skills should they have?
1. Product Manager
The Product Manager plays a key role in the team creating the application. He sets the direction of development and activities after product implementation. PM’s priority is for the application to meet the needs of the target user and yours. His mission is to make sure that the app development team keeps them in mind.
PM tasks are:
- Create a product vision and a long-term strategy
- Make a realistic iterations schedule and overall plans actions
- Being the client’s advocate, ensuring that the product meets your needs
- Identify market trends, related new opportunities, and following trends
- Conduct marketing, product sales, and customer service with these area managers
- Manage product improvement
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2. Project Manager
The Product Manager’s strategic plan should be translated into tactical actions. The Project Manager handles this. He manages the team’s activities by setting realistic, detailed tasks and ensuring product quality.
The Project Manager job is to:
- Develop a plan
Based on the Product Manager’s vision, shows what functionalities should be included in the application. Together, the managers will recommend a schedule and budget of activities based on a realistic iteration calendar.
- Team management
PM delegates tasks and tracks their progress using task management tools. They allow the organization of the team’s work because each member knows what he or she is responsible for.
The Project Manager also conducts daily team meetings during which tasks to be performed are determined.
- Tracking the achievement of goals
PM's task is to ensure that the created functionalities implement the established vision of the application. Consulting the Product Manager, he makes sure that they are aimed at meeting the needs of the end-user and yours.
- Taking care of the team’s morale
The personal skills of the Project Manager determine to a large extent whether the team will be properly motivated. If the project is well managed, the developers have a sense of order, which increases their morale.
Product Manager and Project Manager responsibilities sometimes overlap. It happens that the Product Manager must delve into tactical issues, and the Project Manager must stay up to date with strategic issues. In addition, for smaller projects, one person may perform both functions. For complex applications, however, it is best to separate them.
3. UI/UX Designer
User Experience (UX) is designing with the user’s needs in mind. A specialist in this field relies on the work of the Product Manager and the Project Manager. Based on their findings regarding the strategy and list of functionalities, he creates a user flow. It is a diagram of the path that the user must travel to meet their needs in the application.
Then the UX specialist creates a low-detail (lo-fi) mock-up. It contains the most important functionalities and presents navigation in a simplified form. It’s like drawing a design on paper. Thanks to this, a scheme is obtained that is easy to change until the optimal effect is got.
The next step is to create a UI mock-up. This is a high-detail model (hi-fi). It already contains fonts, colors, buttons, and icons. Photos and videos can also be found there.
It is the UI mock-up that the Project Manager or Product Manager will present to you. It will be created with software that enables its sharing. You will be able to test it and submit your comments.
A UX/UI designer must be familiar with coding and know tools, such as Balsamiq Wireframes, Mockplus, Sketch, or Figma.
4. Developers
What specialists you will need for your development team depends on the type of application you want to create. The following types of mobile applications can be distinguished:
- Native apps
Native apps are created for a specific operating system - iOS or Android. Their advantages include full access to the device’s functions (sensors, camera, microphone, notifications, and gestures), high efficiency (especially with 3D graphics), good offline operation, or high UX (because their interface is consistent with the interface of the platform).
Developers creating native apps should be familiar with platform-specific software languages. For iOS, these will be Swift and Objective-C and the tools created by Apple. Android developers work in Java, Python, C++, or Kotlin. They also use tools like Android Studio.
- Cross-platform apps
These are apps with similar properties as natives. They are created for both platforms using one code, which reduces development costs. Cross-platform applications are slightly less efficient than native ones, and sometimes some modules are missing. However, they use the functions of the device and have an interface that is compatible with the interface of the platform.
Developers creating cross-platform apps using React Native software based on JavaScript. Another solution is Xamarin, based on the .NET language. Flatter or Native Script software is used less frequently.
- Hybrid apps
Hybrid apps work using the web browser mechanism, but it is invisible to the user. They allow access to most of the device’s functions. Apps are less efficient than native applications, but this is noticeable mainly with, for example, games with advanced graphics.
Hybrid app developers work in HTML/JavaScript/CSS. The same languages are used to create websites. In addition, they use frameworks (i.e. sets of tools that make work easier) such as Cordova and Ionic.
- Progressive Web Apps (PWA)
PWA allows the combining of the functionalities of mobile applications and websites. They can be downloaded from Play or Apple Store and installed on a smartphone/tablet, but also be used on a computer. Apps work seamlessly offline and have access to many device features.
PWA developers use solutions such as Ionic, Polymer, PWA Studio, PWA Builder or Vue Storefront.
- Web Apps
Web Apps are, in fact, responsive websites available through the device’s browser. Therefore, they are not treated as “full-fledged” mobile applications. These solutions are much less efficient than other types of apps. They are not downloaded from Play or App Store and are not installed. HTML/JavaScript/CSS languages are used to create them.
5. Quality Assurance Engineer
The Quality Assurance Engineer (QA) detects flaws and bugs in the application. His work comprises:
- Conducting automated and manual tests
- Tracking the solution of bugs found by developers
- Identifying possible problems that the user may encounter while using the app
- Documenting the progress of QA tests
A QA engineer is crucial for the success of the project. Thanks to him, it is possible to avoid the need to introduce corrections to the already finished application. He also reduces the risk that users will be dissatisfied with the app's operation.
Experience matters
Creating a good team of specialists is difficult. They must have experience in working on various projects and know the methodologies and technological solutions.
You will make your task easier if you decide to hire the right specialists through body leasing or team leasing. Thanks to this, you will gain access to experienced people, and you will not have to carry out difficult and lengthy recruitment.
Our managers, developers, UX/UI specialists, and QA engineers have extensive experience and know-how that they have gained by creating various types of applications. By hiring them, you can be sure that the project will be carried out professionally. We will also advise you on appropriate technical solutions.
Contact us to start cooperation with our employees.
