Mobile App development as an industry has seen massive growth rates in the last decade. A sector that was formally non-existent, suddenly sprung to life in a very explosive way when Apple Inc. opened the doors of App development for iPhones. And then Google Inc. also entered the scene with the Android OS, which speedily grew to become the most popular operating system in the world. Today, the mobile App development industry is a vibrant one and mobile App developers are sought after worldwide. Following are the roles and the responsibilities of the App developer as a professional working in any standard organization.
The Roles & Responsibilities Of A mobile App Developer
In order for the mobile App developer to properly fit into the workplace and culture of any organization, there has to be pre-defined roles that he or she is expected to adhere to and also responsibilities that are expected from him or her. This is the foundation of the modern workplace and of the division of labor in order to maximize the use of individual skills, while also maximizing the collective output of the organization. The following are some of the major roles and responsibilities of a standard App developer.
– Specialized Code Production
It is the responsibility of the App developer to provide the specialized code needed for the application. Currently this mainly involves either writing objective-C code for iOS Apps or Java code for Android. The App developer is expected to listen first to either company management requests, or the requests from customers external to the company. This information is then converted by the App developer into a functional App to be used on a smartphone. After the development and testing of the App, further tweaks or modifications can also be made, or the translation of the App into other platforms can begin. In a large organization, there may be Android specialists, iOS specialists and windows-phone specialists. And although the App software will be expected to offer the same functionality across all three platforms, it is still admirable when a platform’s expert adds one or two extra functionalities to the App which are unique to that specific platform.
– Research & Development
In some companies, instead of listening to customers or management for Apps to develop, an App developer will be tasked to research certain problems of a society and then offer a software App solution to that problem. Although such a task is normally assigned to a team of developers, in some cases an individual developer with a proven track record may get the assignment. It is worth noting that the majority of Apps developed in this way are mainly unsuccessful commercially, but the few times that a good product gets developed, usually means phenomenal commercial success for the company.
– Contribution Of technical Expertise In solution Design
The role of the App developer also includes the contribution of technical expertise during any major design work. A company may for example, be developing an enterprise software that would be used by hundreds or thousands of employees. Some may work from home, others from the office and still a small or larger percentage of employees could be on the road. In order for the smartphone App that these mobile employees would be using, to be truly effective and valuable to the company, the input of the App developer will be necessary. The developer’s contribution will assure that the mobile App integrates very well with the rest of the infrastructure, and that no system specific limitations or best practice guidelines have been abused.
– Testing & Optimization
After the development of an App, it is still the App developer’s responsibility to test it and make sure that it is okay. This is a very important aspect of any computer programming work, because there is hardly anybody who will design and write computer application code without having one or two bugs at least. During testing, bugs and other mistakes are fixed, making the App ready for launch. After the testing is done, the App developer will re-evaluate the App to assess if further optimization would be necessary or not. Although these steps may seem trivial, they are nonetheless very important in guaranteeing high quality software products.
– Team Work With UI Design & Traditional Web Dev
Another responsibility of the App developer is working together with User Interface designers and traditional web developers in order to produce a coherent product. Many Apps today are basically an extension of a website or other software solution, which is then made available as an App for smart-phones. As a result, the App has to look like the website, produce the same functionality or service, as well as mimic other features of the original service. This can only be achieved through the cooperation of the different developers, working together as a team.
– Writing Detailed User Manuals
Another less technical role of the App developer is the production of user guides or manual to the software App. Although many Apps seemingly do not require a user guide, there are still tool tips and other short information displays that help guide a user’s action. In the end, every user benefits from reading the original user guide to any software even when it seems unnecessary. This makes the App more valuable because the user can use it more effectively. In larger companies, after the developer has written the initial draft of the manual or user guide, it can then be edited by a professional copywriter.
– Keep Up To Date
The mobile App industry is a rapidly evolving industry, so an App developer has to keep up to date or risk becoming obsolete. It should be noted that the smartphone industry came to life because of miniaturization of electronic components, which made the manufacture of smartphones possible. This miniaturization has continued into different aspects of both smartphones and other equipment which affect our daily lives. The end effect is that new products are getting developed everyday and the existing ones are being updated. A software engineer has to keep abreast of these changes in order to remain relevant and valuable as a mobile App developer.
Conclusion
These roles and responsibilities of an App developer will vary from company to company. Larger companies will probably provide more specific tasks, while smaller companies may lump many more responsibilities unto one App developer. There is therefore no exact guideline to the role or the responsibility of a developer. What matters the most in a job, especially in a computer related field like an mobile App engineering, has always been and will continue to be.