Do you build custom apps for a range of business clients? Then the first thing to include in your groundwork is getting the product specification documented. From conceptualizing the app idea to developing the final product – it’s important to have a clear vision to make a solid custom app development. The product requirements should be specified in a detailed and consistent document defining all the functionalities, features, and specifications.

A well-written software product requirements document with technical details will give the developers a clear idea about the ‘essence’ of the app. At IPSTS, we start with outlining the specific business needs that give a comprehensive overview of all functional and non-functional requirements of a project and help us to avoid mishaps like missed expectations, schedule overrun or exceeding original estimates. Let’s see, what are the 5 crucial pre-requisites that you need to ask your client before taking up a custom app development project:

1.      Summarizing the idea:

To meet the business objectives, the concept behind the app must be given in a single sentence so that the developers can understand the main purpose behind the app and connect with its usability instantly. This summarized version will give an idea of how the developed solution will respond to the needs of the company and its clients. It should give a roadmap of how to achieve that purpose, what features it needs, the core functionality or design and branding guidelines.

2.      Target audience:

For developing a custom app, it’s crucial to understand who the target audience is, how they will be using the app and what problem it is going to solve. As there are real demographic differences between android and iOS platforms, the devices or platforms that they most likely to use should also be mentioned. Developing an app keeping in mind the user personas greatly reduces the chance of the app getting rejected by the target audience. Also, defining the user flow will make it more clear how the user is going to interact with the product right from start to finish.

3.      Priority features:

The client should convey the priority features to the developers along with the features that can be avoided or considered as secondary. To assure the best user experience, there should be a list of potential features that you can plan to add to your app. When you are clear about the product objectives, vision, and themes – you should make a list of prioritized features and give it to your developers. The features might include – sign up and log in, navigation, social media integration, push notifications etc.

4.      Wireframes:

Create a wireframe of the app and give it to the developers along with the text. Include screen maps if there are four or more wireframe screens. Screen maps complement the text, help in giving a visual representation and help developers to get clarity in understanding the scope of the work and understand the description in a precise way.

5.      Technical specifications:

The product needs to get desired functionalities and for achieving that, technical specifications must be mentioned. The specifications should include – the operating versions it should support, platforms you plan to choose for the app, current databases, servers and services, the functional duration of the app before it gets reconstructed etc.