You do not need a technical background to start an app project. But a few hours of preparation before you contact developers will get you clearer quotes, a faster start and a product that is closer to what you imagined.
Here are the seven things we find most useful when a new client gets in touch.
1. The problem, in one or two sentences
Before features, write down the problem your app solves and for whom. For example: "Parents at our nursery miss updates because they are spread across phone calls and paper notes." Every later decision gets easier when this is clear.
2. Who will use it
Describe your users. Their age, how comfortable they are with technology, which phones they use and which languages they read. An app for busy delivery drivers looks very different from one for students.
3. The must-have features for the first version
Make a list of everything you want, then mark only the features the app cannot launch without. The rest can come in later updates. A focused first release reaches the store sooner and teaches you what users really want.
4. Examples you like
Collect a few apps or websites you like, and a few you do not. Note what you like about them: the colours, how simple the checkout is, how the menu works. This is the fastest way to share taste.
5. Platforms
Android, iOS or both? A website as well? If you are unsure, think about where your users are. In many markets Android is the majority, while some audiences use mostly iPhones.
6. Budget range and deadline
You do not need an exact number, but a range helps a developer suggest what is realistic. The same is true for timing: is there a launch event, a season or a date you must hit?
7. Who decides and who supplies content
Decide who on your side approves designs and builds, and who will provide texts, images, product lists and logos. Projects slow down most often while waiting for content, not code.
A one-page brief with these seven points is enough to start a useful first conversation.
What happens next
With this information, a good team can ask the right follow-up questions, suggest a first version and send an itemised quote. At ZBD Lab, you then test the designs on your own phone before development starts, so there are no surprises later.
Ready with your brief, or want help writing it? Get in touch.