How to start developing an application?

Question

iOS

Actually the essence: there is an idea for the application. Quite vague but in general terms there. But I have no idea how to approach it. Those. it's clear that you need a prototype, design, etc., but what information should I provide to the prototypist (or what to call him? =) )? Can I tell him in general terms about the idea, and he himself will shove everything across the screens, come up with cool animations and take care of the usability of the whole thing? or should I figure out what screens will be and should he just place the buttons conveniently? In general, it would be cool if you suggested yourself or gave a link to some kind of sensible guide on this issue.
Thanks in advance for your replies =)

Answer 1

Ideally, think over the idea to the smallest detail, describe all possible use cases, draw screen prototypes, think over the architecture and start development.
But what do we do perfectly? Therefore, you can just start making an application, and treat it like prototyping. In the process, a lot of details and subtleties will come up, which are very difficult to reach just with the mind. Then, when there is at least something working, you can go to the market with it, collect feedback. And after users say that this is not at all, but you need this and that, you can more thoroughly iteratively refine the prototype to the mind or just start everything from scratch and do it normally.

Answer 2

It depends on the budget.
You can come to the studio with an idea, you will be assigned a special person who will agree on all the details, draw out a vision, draw up a technical task, and you will sign it. Then the interaction designer connects and draws sketches of all screens according to the TOR. It is possible to agree with you. Then the designer works out difficult places in detail, roughly speaking through which widgets (buttons, checkboxes), etc. a sketch will be implemented, the output is an interface diagram. Here the programmer connects, begins to create a prototype, in parallel, the interface designer begins to think through the design, transition animations. The finished design is stretched onto the finished prototype, animations are added - profit!
A studio is expensive, from hundreds of thousands to millions, depending on the complexity of the application and the name of the studio. However, all the specialists who they claim to be are gathered in one place, worked out and the result will be guaranteed.
If there is no budget for the studio, you need to try to write down the requirements in as much detail as possible, draw up a preliminary TOR, albeit in a free form. Then we are looking for a freelance interface designer, often this is the same person as the designer. But here you need to look at whether he is more a designer or designer, and choose what is more important to you) If the application is not complicated, then it is not critical, but sometimes, for the sake of design, they make it less convenient, but beautiful. Then look for a programmer for a prototype, give him a design and technical specifications, wait until it is ready, publish and collect feedback.
This, of course, can be cheaper by just an order of magnitude, but it is not easy to gather a set of good specialists so that no one is lost, everything is done in good faith, and the expected result is obtained.
PS Perhaps I could help you with some of the steps of this journey - contacts in the profile.

Answer 3

Prototyping is just aimed at visualizing ideas and scenarios. You need to work in stages, each time making an increment of the prototype. Not everyone knows how to work like that, most often, prototyping artists immediately draw everything to the end.
You need to start with user cases, let them work through the screens, so more requirements will become clear. Then it matches, changes, composes. And so the cases increase, and the project acquires functionality. Each feature should be recorded from beginning to end and not just sketched.
You need to write features directly to the customer's tracker, some kind of Trello, Pivotal. This is necessary so that you can always see user cases before your eyes, set them a priority.
Accordingly, the prototyper works, you throw ideas into it, it returns user cases and mockups, then you approve it and it brings them into the tracker. When there are enough cases for the first version of the product, you can launch a developer to start development on the cases.
If someone tells you that a prototyper does not work without technical specifications, then turn around and leave, this is not a prototyper, this is an under-designer. The work begins with an idea, which is beaten into scripts, artifacts, all this is carried to different angles and you can already look at them specifically. Prototyper=analyst. If this is not the case - underdesigner.