Rapid lean development using agile methodology ensures fast time-to-market at lowest possible costs – a model which successfully applies to both start-ups and large enterprises.
It ensures enough flexibility to allow change of direction, yet it is solid enough to ensure quality coding that can be well managed.
Ongoing learning process
Product development is all about learning. We include all the experience of previous projects, but on each project we gain new insights as the user behaviour is constantly changing with the new generations of digital natives becoming consumers. Constant analysis and strategy pivoting are essential for future product development securing the long-term success. The agile development process with SCRUM events and sprint sessions perfectly allows us to embrace such anongoing learning process. Product development is all about learning. We include all the experience of previous projects , but on each project we gain new insights as the user behaviour is constantly changing with new generations of digital natives becoming consumers. Constant analysis and strategy pivoting are essential for future product development securing the long-term success. The agile development process with SCRUM events and sprint sessions perfectly allows us to embrace such ongoing learning process.
Agile development
Agile Software Development is a set of software development methods in which requirements and solutions evolve through collaboration between self-organizing, cross-functional teams. It promotes adaptive planning, evolutionary development, early delivery, continuous improvement, and encourages rapid and flexible response to change. One such method often used is SCRUM for iterative and incremental agile software development using Sprint sessions.
Argon Mobile App Development Cycle
The entire Argon product development cycle can be outlined as follows:
1. Research and finding
It all starts with an initial idea based on a market opportunity or a need to optimise a business process. An early project team is formed and contractors are screened. Or a new iteration is started based on insights gained from the previous iteration. New market insights, new user trends and the newest technology advances are also considered for new versions and updates.
2. Analysis and conception
First of all, a serious target market analysis should provide insight on the viability and should demonstrate the effective market or business need and how competitors react on such need. The result is a product strategy and the entire business plan showing the revenue goals. A high level concept outlines project requirements, deliverables, budget and timeline.
3. Definition and design
Based on this concept a roadmap is created showing the storyboard with product features as part of a version plan. Designers propose wireframes, create visual and interaction design, dynamic mock-ups (MVP) to gain a first impression of the user journey. The product is paper tested by asking target users for their feedback. The ideal system architecture and setup is discussed.
4. Creation and development
The storyboard, the design and the mock-ups are the basis for the technical specification and the coding by the programmers. The backend services with the database structure and the API’s are created first, followed by the user interfaces customised to the various mobile operating systems. Testing and quality control starts immediately as part of software development.
5. Testing & server preparation
As soon as a first version is ready, A/B testing is started, first internally by the entire team, then also by selected target users. The servers are stet up and the app is prepared for uploading to app stores in order to reach a larger group of beta users. The reviews are used for bug fixing. Here it is important to test the user experience on various devices / operating systems.
6. Deployment and marketing
When testing is completed, the service is made available to all users through various app stores. The servers are optimised for the expected number of users; load balancing is used, avoiding a possible overload. Marketing campaigns need to be orchestrated in a way that peak usage is not generating outages. Security provisions should avoid unwanted situations.
7. Operations and maintenance
Servers and the service performance must be monitored and administered on an ongoing basis. The app is maintained by developers and backups are created. Content managers ensure that the content is always up to date. Customer reviews and forum entries must be answered timely. The marketing team creates campaigns to acquire users and to trigger viral user growth.
8. Review and improvement
Customer feedback and ratings are evaluated by the marketing and product development team as well as continuously performed data analytics providing insight on conversion / return rates and responsiveness on marketing campaigns. Such information is the basis for product improvement and is a fundamental initial step in the software development lifecycle.