How to Infuse Design Thinking in Software Development
There is something new every day that outsmarts all of us and improve our knowledge of software development. The software applications have been improving users’ lives and bringing success and profit to the business. Software application development companies are in great demand and keep on working towards bringing in more innovative solutions that blow up the world’s mind!
Now that we know how software is developed, there is an essential part that is least talked about. Apart from developing, coding, testing, supporting and maintaining the software, there is a design that speaks louder. It is so because the design is the face value of the application and the first thing a user sees. If the design is not up to the expectation, they tend to leave exploring the entire app immediately. This happens most of the time despite how amazing the app is developed with its features and functionalities.
That’s how much design is important is software application development. Today, when an app is being planned, software development companies follow the strict approach of design thinking ideas. Before well tell you all about design thinking in software development, let’s start with what is design thinking?
Design thinking is a process where software development companies and businesses try to understand the user, their current challenges with the solutions, redefine problems to identify alternative strategies and solutions. This approach is iterative as is required during multiple phases in software application development. The major aspect of design thinking is understanding users’ challenges at all levels and proposing solutions that could eradicate their problems. The process involves a lot of questioning, assumptions, empathy for users, research and reframing the current solutions.
Let’s quickly learn about how design thinking could elevate the software development process and impact the overall business and users.
Design thinking is all about following a user-centric design approach to solving a problem through a 5-step process: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Iterate, Test.
This stage talks about understanding users’ challenges, problems, empathize with them and realize the challenges from their perspective. Sometimes, a problem may seem very little to use but could be a big issue from the users’ perspective.
Once the challenge, the problem is realized, it needs to be defined for others to understand too. This includes, what is the problem, how is it impacting the users, are more users facing the same challenge and more.
Once the challenge is recognized, the next step is about thinking of ideas and solutions to eradicate the creeped-up challenge. This is an essential step as it decides the future of the company through its innovative notions.
This step is all about creating a small prototype of running the ideas and see how it performs in reality. If the test is successful, the prototype is then developed into full-fledged applications.
Before commencing the application to users, the application needs to go through rigorous and thorough testing so that it is free of errors, bugs, in case any. These steps are essential to adopt design thinking for application development.
While developing an app, design thinking could be applied to all software development stages. This brings out the best of each stage from a design perspective. It brings out the detail in each step and manages to enhance the overall look and feel of the software application.
Let’s go through the benefits of design thinking in software application development:
By adopting design thinking in application development, it allows more clarity and transparency in the entire application development. Since it’s an iterative and non-linear approach, every step could be analyzed individually and improved to gain transparency in the application. The application could turn out to be more user-centric, goal-oriented and innovative.
b) Iterative improvement
As explained above, design thinking follows the principle of iterative and non-linear approach in software development. This allows the team to make an improvement at each step and allow next step processing only when the previous step is approved to proceed on. There is space for constant improvement in the application which results in smooth and effective software application development.
The design thinking approach also lets development companies and businesses to check for the feasibility of the application and its functionality opportunities at the initial stage. This is essential as the app needs to be feasible for users to use. The approach itself empowers on following the approach of keeping user-centric in mind. If acknowledged well in time, it could easily estimate the feasibility of application for the near future as well.
Wrapping up, one couldn’t agree more on how software application development companies have been providing solutions that keep up the pace of users’ lives. While the entire application is important, its design is what that pep up the user and entice them to use it. Various ideas could be embedded in the application development process which enhances the overall design of the application. However, it’s best to follow the design thinking while development as it focuses on the entire development on making it more of a user-centric application. The businesses that have been following the approach can see the difference as more users are happy using the app designed keeping their challenges in mind.
Siya Carla is Solution Consultant at Finoit Technologies, a leading custom software development company which turns ideas into reality by providing unique web design and mobile app development services. By creating intuitive, user-friendly, and interactive apps for more than 450 customers throughout the globe, we enjoy a great reputation as a customer-friendly mobile app development company in the market.