Visualizing an idea of developing it into a full-blown application, is not a cakewalk. If your planning to develop a mobile app and have limitations, you search for a developer or an agency who can build the app for you, and you explain your idea to them.
But even when you give out the specifications you may still have some queries at the back of your mind whether you’re missing out on something. To avoid uncertainty, you need to jot it down and prepare a requirements document. It will help you see the result of the entire app development process.
This mobile app requirement specification sheet will give you an idea of what all you must include in your checklist while writing an app requirement specification.
Why do you need a mobile app specification sheet?
In business, it’s up to the product manager to muster up product specifications for new products and websites including mobile apps. But in case there is no product manager, then someone else will be assigned to write the specs to get your developer to start working on it.
A well-written specification will help your developer to estimate the work effectively and guarantee the best product. In our experience, the more ambiguous the specs are the higher the estimates would be because we would assume the worst-case scenario.
Being app developers, we consistently interact with people having great ideas, looking for help to develop their ideas into reality. The first question is, what would be the cost.
It’s impossible to give a figure when we’re unaware of what you require. Quite often we are not thoroughly acknowledged of what you require. But that’s okay.
If you don’t want to go through the entire article for the template, you can download it below.
Creating the Perfect App Specs
The potential scope of an app build can be simple or sophisticated. All the things included can impact the overall cost of developing the app. Most developers won’t give you a ballpark without knowing the details.
It’s not a pretty conversation when the client adds a bunch of new features/functionality and expect it to look like a cakewalk.
While developing a mobile application, most people are clueless about the estimate or time is taken to create an app. With this article, we intend to guide you to focus on what’s important and enable you to deliver a better product with an accurate estimate.
One needs to have a clear picture of the business structure and the objective behind the application that’s yet to be built. This could give a better insight to the developers about your vision and what you intend to accomplish. Now we’ll glance through the crucial elements of an effective brief and then you could get in touch with us with your thoughts or queries if any.
1. Unique Selling Point
You may be oozing with new ideas for a mobile app that’s not recognized yet. But, some could be already developing it, So, google out constantly to keep track of competitors or substitutes of your product to ensure your product is unique and competitive.
At this point, you may have already started worrying about the confidentiality of your idea or concept and may want us to sign a non-disclosure agreement.
2. Target Audience
Who are the potential beneficiaries you aim to target? Knowing the end customers will bring in clarity and enable you to deliver an app that’s highly customized.
3. Aim
How do you expect the app to boost your business? The app’s success would endorse the brand or business.
4. Function
What do you want the app to do? This question needs a simple, one-sentence answer.
5. Platforms
Most mobile apps need iOS and Android platform. However, if you are trying to develop an MVP, you can stick with one platform initially. Even though Android has a higher market share, iPhone users tend to be of higher income as per demographics. Also, the older investor types are usually iPhone users.
Does it need a web app as well? If you need a backend to control different aspects most likely you will need a web interface. You can decide if the web interface is for all users or only for the administrators.
6. Budget
Without a rough idea of your budget neither would be able to understand the scale of operations nor would we be able to give you a customized plan. For E.g., if you walk into a car dealership that sells all kinds of cars, the dealer without you giving an idea about the budget wouldn’t know if you are in there for a Maserati or Honda Civic.
7. Business Model
How productive do you expect your app to be? If you intend to accept, how would you want it to be? The more we know, the better we can help you achieve it. We provide various platforms for doing payment and cater to both offline and online modes of payment.
8. Timelines
If you’re racing against time, we would like to know your time constraints to customize and give you completed projects within your time limitations.
9. Features and Functionality
Here we will consider the crucial features and functionalities of the app and the peculiar options you want to provide for your users, rather than a one-liner.
Use a smartphone and figure out how you could utilize its capabilities in your app? Once that’s done, think about what your app needs to do, and what could possibly make it better. We have listed out the most sought out features below:
- Push notifications
- Geolocation
- Social integration
- Logins
- Business model
- User-generated content
- Linking
- Information Source
10. Graphic Design
The graphic design is done by the collaboration between designers and developers who consider varying screen dimensions which may be more time to consume for your designers, even after the graphic design stage is formally completed.
The designers will require their own specifications to work from. You should have a clear idea about what colors and fonts you want and if you have brand guidelines, like a style guide, you could include that as well and send it across.
You can create sample screens using apps like Marvel or sketchapp.com to give your developer a good idea about the user flow. Most of these tools can be used even if you have limited user experience exposure.
11. Maintenance Plan
Any app that’s developed requires maintenance, and the developers need to be informed about what changes need to be made over a period. This prevents the app from being obsolete and ensures your recent product updates or service plans are updated in the application.
12. Additional Info
A call sheet with adequate contact details and a short description of all the associated individuals who aided you with the project can be included. Email details, roles, responsibilities can be mentioned and if there is anyone we need to talk to, put it across to us as we can utilize it to serve you better.
Additional Reading: Importance of Non Functional Requirements (NFR)
Mobile App Specification: Parting Thoughts
What can you expect from us? We have made it easier for you and combined all the requirements you should keep in mind while preparing an app requirement specification into a template that you could use as a checklist or ask yourself before initiating the process. Keep watching our blog to get the chance to get a free template on the app specification requirement.
2 comments
Requirements remain the major contributor to an accurate estimate, good design, development and testing.
Agree. When the requirements are vague, developers tend to assume the worst case scenario