Tools change. Trends come and go. But the app design process itself has stayed pretty consistent, and the phases that make it up are largely the same ones we've been working through for years. We want to walk you through how we approach each of them.
The industry has settled on a shared vocabulary for all of this. Most people working in product development today speak the same language. And if you're new to it, this should help a lot.
Some of these phases will feel obvious if you've been building for a while. But there's a genuinely simple question underneath all of it that trips people up: How do you design an app?
When most people hear "design," they picture pixels, color palettes, and typography. That's understandable. But the truth is, design starts the moment an idea exists. You're already making decisions. You're already producing something.
1. Idea
Every app starts with an idea. Sometimes it's yours. Sometimes a client walks in with one. Either way, the first thing to accept is this: ideas are nothing more than passing ghosts of something that could one day become a product.
We give ideas too much weight too early. The best thing you can do is keep your idea loose and changeable for as long as possible. Ideas get better when they're questioned, pulled apart, and rebuilt. Hold them lightly.
Good questions to ask while the idea is still taking shape:
Is this financially viable?
Making anything takes time, effort, and money. Can you recover your investment? Is there a realistic revenue plan behind this?
Is this technically possible?
Can it be built? Who's building it? What tools, data, or APIs does it need? What are the real obstacles?
Is someone else already doing this?
Most things are a remix of something existing, and that's fine. But what does this idea do differently? What's it adding?
Could this be simpler?
Are there other ways to reach the same goal? Methods that take less time or work better for the people who'll use this?
These are tough questions. Ask them early. When you're finally satisfied with where the idea lands, it's time to write it down.
2. Specs
A spec, short for specification, is the document that says what the app does and how it does it. Think of it as the blueprint.
There are different ways to write one, from a short one-pager to a full breakdown of every screen and interaction. Whatever format you pick, always write one. No exceptions.
A lot of early assumptions get worked out in this document. It keeps everyone on the same page about what's being built. It's also worth revisiting and updating the spec as the project moves forward, because things change.
The real trick is deciding what to include and what to leave out. Shorter is usually better. The more you write, the more room there is for misinterpretation.
3. Wireframe
Wireframes, sometimes called low-fidelity mockups, can grow out of the spec or run alongside it. Information Architects and UX Designers tend to own this phase, but everyone on the team should understand how the product is structured. This isn't a stage to silo off.
We find it really useful to run workshops at this point, either internally or with the client, going through the spec screen by screen and sketching out the wireframes together on a whiteboard. From there, they get moved into a digital tool so they're easier to share and review.
There are plenty of tools for this. Omnigraffle, Sketch, Adobe XD. Some teams still swear by Photoshop. Use what works for you.
4. Prototype
This step and the ones that follow are closely connected. They often run at the same time, and you'll want your spec and wireframes close by throughout.
What is a prototype? It's a basic, working version of the app built to test your assumptions and get early feedback. You can see something close to the real thing, and you still have time to change course.
We use several tools for prototyping. Our go-to for most projects is Adobe XD because it's practical and easy to collaborate in. If you want something more interactive, Invision and Marvel are both solid options.
If you've made it to this stage, your idea has real legs. That's worth recognizing. The work of the designers and developers who got you here matters.
5. Visual Design
This phase is about a lot more than "making it look good." Visual design defines the appearance of things, yes, but more than that, it creates a consistent and recognizable visual language across the entire app.
Good visual design helps tell your brand's story and guides users through the experience in a way that feels natural. A few things it should do:
- Support the spirit of the idea, the goals from the spec, the flows from the wireframes, and what the prototype taught you.
- Create a coherent experience from screen to screen.
- Give the product a personality that sets it apart from everything else out there.
Visual design doesn't stop when files get handed to the developer. It's a continuous process. The visual rules you set at the start will keep getting tested and refined as the product grows.
6. Development
By the time you reach development, your developer should already be in the picture. Ideally they've been involved from earlier phases, flagging what's tricky to build and shaping decisions before they get locked in.
We see a lot of teams separate design and development into two distinct worlds. We don't think that works. When both sides collaborate throughout the process, the results are better. The developer brings implementation knowledge. The designer brings clarity of experience. Each one makes the other's work stronger.
A design created without any development input can quietly multiply the complexity of what gets built. But when designers and developers work together, the designer can push the navigation and user experience in directions neither side would've reached alone.
Designers are a key piece of any app project. There's no single manual for building apps, because as you can see, the road is long and anything can happen. But a defined process makes the road a lot more predictable.
The tools have changed a lot over the years. What we build has changed too. The process, though, is largely the same as it's always been:
You have the idea, you write it down, you build the prototype, you create the design, and you hand it off to the developers.
Years of working on these projects have taught us what clients need. We build experiences. We follow processes that help us make real decisions. And yes, we're ready to build your app. Come meet your new digital powerhouse.
