Dope skills an iOS/Android Developer must Hone in 2024

The global app economy is projected to generate 21 trillion USDs; a clear indication of how booming the app industry is. As smartphones are clear winners of communication devices, apps are the mitochondria which (em)power any and every form of communication. The demand for app developers is on a constant high, and with the ‘app’ completing a decade of existence last year, the application world has seen a gold rush of innovation which proudly pivots its technological dominance. As per reports, the total number of app downloads in 2018 was barely 6 million shy of 200 billion, which is an emphatic jump from 2017’s record figure of 178 billion. 

Now you may strip it down to the question- with so much happening around can you too experience a career growth as an app developer?

Of course, you can, and the figures stated above are a testimony to the fact. Likewise, what mobile app developer skills should you carry to be the best in the game?

The following explanation shares some valuable insights on how to be an app developer and reach the pinnacle of innovation.

1. Crazy UI and UX skills

A developers’ creative best comes with his prowess over UI and UX designs. Let’s separately mention the two.

UX Design

The easier an app is to handle, the better it is for the user.  The UX design focuses on making the app simpler, cohesive and easy for the user to navigate through. When we talk about total customer satisfaction, the UX design matters the most for any ios or Android app development company today. If the UX is not good or has too many jargons, the user won’t hesitate to uninstall the app in a jiffy. The key components of User experience design include-

UI design

The use of colour, the graphical representation of images, the eccentric confluence of audio and videos, the appeal of language, everything matters in UI design. It can also be classified as an art form with vehemence. The User Interface should be highly interactive so that the user gets hooked to the app in the very first attempt. What all is required to make a clean, innovative UI?

2. Gaining expertise in multiple prog languages

There is no rocket science in saying that a developer needs to learn multiple programming languages. There is an array of programming languages that you can learn from and gain proficiency in formulating applications. Modern-day programming languages for Android include

• Java 
• Kotlin

For iOS, there’s

• Objective-C
• Swift

Learning more languages will increase your versatility and prowess over both the platforms which help you to be better in the game. 

3. Efficiency in Cross-platform development

In continuation to the last point, the more you, as a developer, are blessed with knowledge, the better are your chances of being a successful app maker. Whether it’s the question of how to become a good iOS app developer or for Android, the scope of edification is endless, and you can get a nice learning curve in both the fields at the same time. Having expertise over both the platforms can help you to earn more, saves labour, makes you way ahead than those who are restricted to just one platform. This opens a plethora of opportunities for a variety of apps to be developed across both platforms.

4. Experience of Agile Methodology

It’s a comprehensive method of continuous iteration for the entire duration of the app development. The Agile Model ensures interactions at every stage of development. It also helps the clients to stay updated on every major change that’s taking place. You can simultaneously switch from the development to the testing activity which was not possible in the Waterfall model. It’s extremely easy to manage and works perfectly well for smaller projects where the requirements are not so complicated. There is a review process for every phase where each phase has specific deliverables. Knowing the Agile Methodology is one of the key mobile application developer requirements.

5. Having an Ingenious Business model

App creation is one aspect, selling is another. You should have a compelling business model that should work on promoting your app and increasing its invisibility to a wider audience. Proper branding and the use of social media should be effectively used to make announcements. You also should be absolutely aware of your contemporaries and the changing scenarios so that you can implement new changes and features in your app(s) accordingly. 

6. Awareness in Cybersecurity

Creativity comes with its set of setbacks. There are plenty of people who are successfully eavesdropping on your product to weed out confidential data and intellectual property. An infamous incident was the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica scandal that had rocked the whole cyber world not so long ago. You may inquire what does an app developer do in such cases. Well, as they reiterate that prevention is better than cure, as a developer, you should take every possible safety measure to avoid a data breach. Be wary of malware attacks and other malicious software that stealthily carry on their witch hunts. According to a study, in 2017, 27 percent of the malicious apps targeted the Lifestyle category. Following suit were Music and audio apps with 20 per cent. 

Thus, it’s always good to know about the measures to safeguard your app for cyber thefts.   

Additional Skills

Apart from the aforementioned technical skills, you must also work on the following ones-

• Creative skills: This goes without saying that necessity is the mother of all inventions, and how creatively you mould the necessity into a lucrative venture rests totally on you.
• Analytical skills: They say an analytical mind is very scientific; fast, responsive and quick to understand- a skill that will help you to become a competent mobile app developer.
• Communication skills: You may be a thinker, but you need to be a good orator as well. App development is a team effort, and you need to convey ideas to different people, including clients and investors. Such should also reflect in your app.
• Mitigating Skills: If there is an app, there will grievances. Creating an app is just half the work done as there will API errors and additional bug  fixes to be done, you need to troubleshoot every hurdle coming your way.  

 What have we seen, we have learnt

App development is a process that you master with practice and time. To summarize the skills, you need to hone

• UI and UX skills
• Multiple programming skills
• Efficient cross-platform development skills
• Agile Methodology skills
• Business Capability skills
• Cybersecurity skills

The best mobile app developers need analytical skills, communication skills, should be go-getters, take inspiration from various aspects of everyday things and most importantly learn to learn from failure. 

Bruh tip: Be inquisitive, always.

By Manish

Sr. Content Strategist

Meet Manish Chandra Srivastava, the Strategic Content Architect & Marketing Guru who turns brands into legends. Armed with a Masters in Mass Communication (2015-17), Manish has dazzled giants like Collegedunia, Embibe, and Archies. His work is spotlighted on Hackernoon, Gamasutra, and Elearning Industry.

Beyond the writer’s block, Manish is often found distracted by movies, video games, AI, and other such nerdy stuff. But the point remains, If you need your brand to shine, Manish is who you need.