When you’re building an app, before you write a single line of code, you need to answer three major questions:
1. How exactly should the app look and function?
2. How long will development take?
3. And how much will it cost?
It’s critically important to answer these questions BEFORE development starts so you can avoid the pitfall so many entrepreneurs and businesses succumb to: a half-built skyscraper that can never be finished.
That’s why at Shrine Development we start every project with a Discovery phase where we work diligently with you as a strategic partner to ensure that the scope of your app project is clear and achievable before development even starts.
The goal of the Discovery phase is to identify what needs to be created and to what extent. Our team accomplishes this by gathering information and disseminating it into one central document that describes the app requirements and identifies the phases of development, then creating beautiful mockups, an interactive prototype, and a development plan.
After the Discovery phase has been completed, you’ll have a clear understanding of the work necessary to develop the entire project. Whether you choose to move forward in developing your project with Shrine or not, you’ll walk away from this phase with a step-by-step plan which you can follow to create a world-class app.
The Process
1. Kickoff Call
Time to complete: 3-6 hours
Our Discovery phase always begins with a kickoff call where our team will discuss the goals and requirements of your app. We’ll delve into your audience and market, how you picture the app being used and what value it will offer so that we gain a deep understanding of the technical requirements. We can also help sort out all your questions, figure out whether you need a mobile or web-based app, and help you feel comfortable with the development process.
2. The Writeup
Time to complete: 2-4 hours
After the Kickoff, our team gets to work on research and brainstorming. We’ll present you with all our findings and ideas on how we can leverage existing solutions to keep costs down.
3. UI/UX Mockup
Time to complete: 10-30 hours
We work with you to create a series of mockups that demonstrate what your app will eventually look like. Then we take our mockups one step further: we’ll provide you with a clickable prototype that demonstrates your future app’s functionality. You’ll actually be able to click and navigate as if you were a customer using the real thing.
4. The Sign-Off
Time to complete: 0-2 hours
A written document is provided which contains the project detail. Once signed off and approved the final step of Discover can begin.
5. Project Estimate
We provide a spreadsheet which outlines every step in the development process as well as time estimates. This helps get everyone on the same page, sets clear expectations and achievable milestones we can all stick to.
Our project estimates provide you with everything you need to know to make sure your app is beautifully designed, well architected, and can be built on a known timeline within your budget.
Of course we hope you choose to develop your app with Shrine, but even if you don’t, you’ll finish this Discovery phase with a step-by-step plan you can follow to create a world-class app.
Ready to kick off Discovery? Tell us a little bit about your idea or view some of our past work to get inspired.
