Mobile App Development

Mobile App Development

Ranked as one of the top mobile app development services in the United States, we leverage state-of-the-art technologies and techniques to build mobile apps that engage users.
Contact Us
A picture of two mobile phones using the Permit Book iOS app
Our Mobile App Development Process
“Singlemind continues to exceed any measurable metric we give them… The MVP surpasses every expectation and deeply impresses demo testers. Through their meticulous planning, Singlemind transforms abstract concepts into tangible, innovative results. Their creative ideas, clear explanations, and enthusiastic commitment have enlivened and enhanced the process.”
An image depicting a quotation mark, for client testimonials
Philip Sheppard
CEO and Founder, LifeScore Limited

What is a Mobile Application?

A mobile application is a software program that is built to run on mobile devices. Mobile applications can run on smartphones, tablets, and (even) IoT devices. There are two different operating systems that mobile applications can run on iOS (from Apple) and Android (from Google). While iOS apps are limited to Apple products only, Android apps run on both Google devices and other devices equipped with the Android operating system.

mobile app

noun

mo-bile app
  1. a computer program or software application designed to run on a mobile device such as a phone/tablet or watch
    Amanda couldn’t find a place to log in on the website, so she downloaded the mobile app and used it instead.

     

What types of Mobile Applications exist?​

The two main categories of mobile applications are Native Mobile Applications and Hybrid Mobile Applications. Native Applications are built for a specific device and/or mobile platform. Hybrid Applications, also referred to as cross-platform apps, are built to run on two or more devices or operating systems (ie. an app that runs on both iOS and Android would be considered a hybrid app).

What are the benefits of Mobile Apps over other similar technologies?

As smartphone usage and mobile search queries have skyrocketed in recent years, the demand for mobile applications has increased as well. While mobile-friendly websites offer visitors an experience that suits today’s get-up-and-go lifestyle, mobile applications take it a step further by providing information in a more intuitive and interactive format.
 
The key benefit of mobile applications over web apps can be summed up by a mobile application’s accessibility to the hardware within a mobile device (such as GPS, camera, gyroscope). With access to smartphone hardware, mobile app developers can build apps that respond to the interactions between a user and their device (ie. physical movements, location, voice). This device to application interaction model offers users hyper-personalized experiences tailored to their actions and environment.

What defines successful Mobile App Development?

Beyond market adoption and user retention, there are a number of characteristics that qualify successfully designed and developed mobile apps:

1

Value

How does your application benefit its users? Mobile apps should solve problems for particular audiences. They need to provide value to their users beyond what is already offered in the marketplace. A new mobile app doesn’t need to be the first to offer solutions for a given challenge, but it should provide more value than its predecessors. Value can be provided in any number of ways. The value provided by a new mobile application doesn’t need to be in the form of new information or new features. The value of your application could simply lie in its ease of use. What matters most is building a beneficial experience for your target audience.

2

Planning

Based on the intended features of your mobile application, UX Designers and Software Engineers must accurately determine which devices your application will be used on (including those which are yet to release). Mobile app developers must accommodate not only for screen sizes but also for processor capabilities, memory capabilities, graphical interfaces, touch interfaces, and other hardware features that require interactions. While not all mobile applications require a connection to the internet, many do. For those that do, it is imperative to account for the application experience when users are not able to access a network.

3

User Experience

All successful mobile applications incorporate high-quality user interface designs and intuitive user journeys. Pairing user experience with cutting edge technology paves way for user engagement and retention. As smartphones range in size from the large Samsung Galaxy Note 9 to the small iPhone SE, you must prioritize responsive design and development across a spectrum of devices. Furthermore, UX Design should veer away from typing features (when possible) and focus on touch-based interactions. While there are a number of other UX Design examples that we could touch on here, successful user experience design minimizes friction for users and provides them with an experience that intuitively guides them to their intended destination.

Our Mobile App Development Process

Feature Summary

By illustrating the behaviors of your end users, we are able to produce an outline of how your mobile application should respond to each user interaction. We then socialize this document with our mobile app team and use it as a point of reference to ensure features are developed as designed.

Architectural Requirements

At this stage, we produce a document that outlines the architecture of your entire application and includes all functionalities, integrations, user interactions, and designs therein. This document also breaks down all of the custom mobile app development frameworks, services, and programming languages necessary to develop your mobile application.

Product Backlog

As an agile development team, we consider the big picture while breaking down your app's architecture into small tasks which are implemented in Sprints (managed time durations where development work is completed). This Scrum approach allows our team to accurately time box efforts so that development remain on time and on budget.

Programming

With years of experience in native app development and hybrid app development, our team has built a toolkit of custom mobile app development best practices that guide each product build. Our cross-functional teams assist one another each step of the way to ensure product features adhere to user interface (UI) designs and user flows.

Iteration

Your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) has now been developed. At this point, we’ve built all features included in your product’s beta release and launch your mobile application in its respective app stores. We now gather real-world user data that offers insights into how best to optimize your application. We take a data-driven approach by developing iterations to test against your target audiences and adjusting features to align with their wants and needs.

arrow-down

Our Mobile App Development Work

A picture of an mobile phone running the ORA Cosmetics commerce app in iOS

ORA Cosmetics

A picture of two mobile phones using the Permit Book iOS app

Permit Book

A picture of a phone running the OTTO tuning app in iOS

OTTO DesignWorks

See more of our work
Close