Prototype is a live layout of your future application
You are probably wondering how prototyping and design can affect the success of your product? It turns out that these are the key components that determine, how much the product will be in demand and cost-effective. Let"s talk about this in a more accessible format.
Before we dive into the design and interfaces, let"s look at prototyping. What is it and why is it needed?
A prototype is a «layout» or the «first draft» of your future app, which allows you to imagine how your app will look and work before the actual creation begins. When you order a prototype, you receive a set of images or interactive screens that show how users will interact with the application. This is not a full-fledged application, but it is the first step towards creating one.
The advantages of a prototype are that it allows you to «test» the idea and functionality of the application. This helps identify and eliminate potential problems and misunderstandings at a very early stage, saving both time and resources. This way, you can visualize how the application will work even before active programming begins. In addition, prototypes simplify communication between the customer and developers, as they provide specific visual images and interactive elements, which makes the discussion and clarification of requirements more visual and understandable.
Incorrect architecture? The absence of a prototype is unforgiving!
It must be emphasized that the absence of a prototype can lead to serious problems. Misunderstandings in architectural decisions can lead to ineffective application performance, and an unsatisfactory interface can leave users frustrated. Ultimately, this may cause additional costs and risks for the project.
Prototyping is a tool that allows you to easily avoid these problems. This process provides many benefits to ensure the successful development of your project:
- Assessing the viability of the concept: Prototypes allow you to see how accurately your idea was translated into a real product. This helps to more accurately identify improvements and adjustments, if necessary, even in the early stages of development, which saves your resources and time.
- Interface usability: Prototypes allow you to evaluate the usability of the interface at the early stages of development and make adjustments. User experience is key to success, and prototypes help create an experience that meets user expectations.
- Idea demonstration: Prototypes are used to agree on the vision of the project between all participants. This promotes effective communication and prevents misunderstandings.
- Adding features: Prototypes make it easy to add new features and elements without changing the basic structure. This makes development more flexible and adaptive.
After prototyping, it`s time for design.
It is known that user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) form the impression of a product. UX is the feeling a user experiences when interacting with a product. UI is the appearance of the product. Both aspects play an important role. Good design makes a product pleasant and attractive, and good UX makes it convenient and useful. Following the rules of interface design is a key step towards achieving this goal.
Good design and good user experience (UX/UI) can have an impact on your business and customer perception of the product.
First impression:The first thing the user sees is the design of your product. If the design is attractive, modern and clearly structured, it creates a positive first impression. It`s like good packaging of a product in a store.
- Ease of use: Good UX/UI design makes the product easy to use. If a person can easily understand how your product works, they are more likely to use it and return to it again and again. This increases loyalty to your product.
- Reducing churn: The more satisfied a person is with your product, the less likely it is that he will go to competitors. Good design helps prevent user churn.
- Increasing conversions: Good design can increase conversion rates, which is the number of users who complete a desired action, such as purchasing a product or filling out a form. The more attractive and intuitive the design, the more users will complete the desired actions.
- Branding: Design also plays an important role in branding. When users see a consistent and professional design, it reinforces the perception of your brand as trustworthy and quality.
- Reduced support costs: Good UX/UI design can reduce the need for ongoing user support and training. If your product is intuitive and easy to use, users will have fewer questions and problems.
- Positive reviews and recommendations: When users are happy with your product and its design, they tend to share positive reviews and recommendations with their friends and colleagues, which helps to grow your customer base.
Successful design and good user experience can lead to increased sales, increased customer loyalty, reduced costs and a stronger brand. This is an investment that can pay off in the long run and contribute to the growth of your business.
To achieve a high level of design and UX, we use programs such as:
- Figma is a powerful interface design tool that allows us to create prototypes and mockups with a high degree of interactivity. This simplifies the process of testing and approving designs with customers.
- Draw.io is a tool for creating diagrams and diagrams that helps us to visualize architectural solutions and product structure. This contributes to a clearer understanding of the project by both our team and customers.
These tools help us create modern and intuitive interfaces, as well as improve the visual perception of products.
At Appomart, we do not work on developing a software product sequentially, but we use an iterative approach, which allows us to carry out several stages of the project in parallel. We break the project into smaller stages and start working on several features at the same time. For example, while developing core features, we also create interface prototypes and designs. This allows us to receive feedback and implement improvements at earlier stages, which is guaranteed to reduce deadlines and, in most cases, optimize the budget. Find out at Appomart how best to implement your software product and how to best approach the development of your project. Our team is ready to help you achieve your goals and ensure the successful development of your project.
