In this week\u2019s article, we\u2019re covering the subject of writing a brief for your mobile app development project.\u00a0<\/span><\/i>We’ll touch on the following topics:<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n In a nutshell, a project brief is a short document that outlines your mobile app development project. It\u2019s the best way for you to describe your product idea and get everyone on the same page before the software development process begins.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s say you have a great idea for a mobile app. Congratulations! But what if you don\u2019t have the skills or the team to do the software development? Assuming you don\u2019t have time to go back to school to learn <\/span>UI design<\/b> or coding, you\u2019ll need to find a mobile app development company to partner with.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Having a well-researched project brief will also <\/span>help your app development company decide if they\u2019re a good fit for your project<\/b>. Once you decide to work together, it will also help them generate an accurate <\/span>project specifications document<\/b>, outlining the phases of development, the timeline, and all associated costs.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Overall, creating a strong project brief will help you find the right partner and start your app development project on the right note. Ultimately, this will save you time and money, and increase your chances for success.<\/span><\/p>\n Set aside a few days to do some background research about your mobile app idea. It\u2019s also a good idea to do some competitive research and early vetting, to make sure an exact version of your idea isn\u2019t already on the market. Our article, <\/span>Validating and Mapping Your App Idea<\/i><\/b><\/a> covers this process.<\/span><\/p>\n Once you understand the competitive landscape for your app and have thought about your target users<\/strong> and the primary features<\/strong> of your app, you\u2019ll be ready to start creating your mobile app project brief. The second half of this article takes you through the process.<\/span><\/p>\n Your project brief is not a thesis. It\u2019s a short and sweet document that covers the main ideas, context, and features of your product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To help you create your brief, we\u2019ve provided a list of the sections to include in an ideal mobile app project brief. You may choose to only include some sections, but we\u2019ve covered the areas that are important to your development team. Now, let\u2019s get started\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n Who\u2019s behind this project?<\/b> Include the <\/span>name and relevant contact info<\/b> for you, your business (if you have one), and any partners involved in the project.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If there are multiple founders, you\u2019ll want to identify the <\/span>project lead<\/b>. You might also include relevant background information for the members of your <\/span>founding team<\/b>–such as industry expertise or previous projects led.<\/span><\/p>\n Keep it short and to the point–three or fewer sentences is best. Avoid too many adjectives or jazzy phrases. Your main idea is what counts here. If you haven\u2019t created a pitch yet, you can answer the following questions:<\/span><\/p>\n Who is your product for?<\/b><\/p>\n What is the problem you\u2019re solving or need you\u2019re addressing?<\/b><\/p>\n How will you solve the problem or need?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n In other words, what is the main function of your app?<\/b><\/p>\n Here you\u2019ll answer one of the most important questions of all:<\/span><\/p>\n What makes your product better than the competition?\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n One sentence is best. Keep in mind that the app landscape is extremely competitive these days, and it takes a lot to stand out.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In this section, you should include data about the size of the market<\/strong> you\u2019re trying to reach. If you need to do some investigating, look for relevant market research<\/strong>, industry forums<\/strong>, and market trends<\/strong>. Any statistics you can provide will be helpful.<\/span><\/p>\n If you\u2019re planning to build and launch a new mobile app, you need to know your competition. Write a short list of the primary competitors in the sector you\u2019ll be serving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n User flows<\/b> are flowcharts that illustrate the path a prototypical user takes as they navigate your product. If you haven\u2019t gotten this far in your project yet, don\u2019t worry. But, if you\u2019ve developed any user flows, do include them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Having a features wish list from the outset will help your mobile app development team organize and prioritize their work. If you <\/em>have priorities, list your features in order of preference. You might also reference other apps as examples.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Include as many of these elements as you can: logos<\/strong>, graphic design elements<\/strong>, wireframes<\/strong>, UI layouts<\/strong>, brand style guide<\/strong>. If you lack these materials, your development team may be able to help you create them, or refer you to partners with the right expertise.<\/span><\/p>\n Is your app going to be built for users of iOS, Android, or both?<\/b> The answer to this question will determine the course of your project and the type of ideal team for your project. Note any other technical\u00a0 preferences, such as <\/span>coding language<\/b>, <\/span>3rd party integrations<\/b><\/a>, or offline functionality<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n If you know your end-goal, include it here. Are you aiming for a basic prototype<\/strong> of your app? A minimum viable product<\/strong><\/a>? Or a fully-developed application, released for sale in the app store? A clear end goal will help keep your project properly on track.<\/span><\/p>\n A fledgling marketing plan<\/strong> and\/or monetization strategies<\/strong><\/a> for your mobile app will be useful. If you don\u2019t have one yet–don\u2019t worry–your development team can help you explore these topics.<\/span><\/p>\n A clear mobile app project brief will help keep your project on track, while setting you up for success. Don\u2019t be intimidated by the process of creating a brief; you\u2019ll learn as you go. Take a bit of time to do some research and write your project brief today. It will be well worth your while in the long run.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Join us next week, here on the LimeTech blog, for our next article in this series. We\u2019ll be talking about how to find the right development partner for your mobile app project. If you\u2019re geared up and ready to start right away, reach out to our team<\/a> and we\u2019ll be glad to help.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n LimeTech<\/i><\/b> is a creative tech company with a focus on innovation and adaptive change. We use technical know-how, design skills, and deep experience in entrepreneurship to help companies advance their business goals. Do you need <\/span><\/i>IT planning<\/span><\/i><\/a>, <\/span><\/i>mobile app development<\/span><\/i><\/a>, <\/span><\/i>web design<\/span><\/i><\/a>, or <\/span><\/i>remote work solutions<\/span><\/i><\/a> that will take your business to the next level? <\/span><\/i>Get in touch today<\/span><\/i><\/a> and find out what we can do for you.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" How to write a great mobile app project brief In this multi-part series we talk about how to explore, vet, and develop your great idea for an app. We move….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11056,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[557,503,536],"tags":[559,518,618,626,512],"class_list":["post-11116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-app-development","category-small-business","category-startups","tag-mobile-app-development","tag-mobile-applications-2","tag-product-development","tag-project-management","tag-startups-2"],"yoast_head":"\nWhat is a mobile app project brief?<\/b><\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n
Why do you need a project brief?<\/a>\u00a0<\/b><\/span><\/h5>\n
How do you write a project brief?<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n
What should you include in your mobile app project brief?<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n
The 13 items you should include in the brief for your mobile app development project.<\/a><\/span><\/h5>\n
<\/a>So, what is a mobile app project brief?<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Why do you need to create a brief for your mobile app development project?<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"group](\"https:\/\/limetech.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-fauxels-3183165-200x300.jpg\")
Having a clear project brief will make the process of finding the right mobile app development partner easier. <\/span>Your project brief helps convey your idea to your prospective development team<\/b>, helping them understand your project, goals, and specifications.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>So, how do you write a mobile app project brief?<\/span><\/h3>\n
What if you haven\u2019t done any research and don\u2019t have time to create a project brief?<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"woman](\"https:\/\/limetech.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-andrea-piacquadio-3774903-e1621529001368-300x200.jpg\")
This is perfectly common. While doing your own research is always worthwhile, you may prefer to have your mobile app development company<\/strong><\/a> guide you. Many software development companies host workshops on this topic or provide consulting services along these lines. If you\u2019re interested in this service, LimeTech<\/strong> can help you out. Just let us know<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>What should you include in your mobile app project brief?<\/span><\/h3>\n
<\/a>The 13 items you should include in a great mobile app project brief
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<\/span><\/h3>\n1. Introduce yourself and your team<\/span><\/h3>\n
2. Your basic pitch<\/span><\/h3>\n
3. Your unique selling position<\/span><\/h3>\n
4. What market are you serving?<\/span><\/h3>\n
5. Primary competitors<\/span><\/h3>\n
6. Customer personas<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"happy](\"https:\/\/limetech.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-ketut-subiyanto-4307703-e1621529322455-300x200.jpg\")
A customer persona <\/span>is a detailed, semi-fictional, profile of a person who represents your target user<\/span>. Check out our article on <\/span>how to do early validation for your app idea<\/span><\/a> to learn more about this topic. You should include 2-3 user personas in this section. Alternatively, provide demographic data about your prospective users.<\/span><\/p>\n7. User flows\u00a0<\/span><\/h3>\n
8. Desired features<\/span><\/h3>\n
9. Visual design and wireframes<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"wireframe](\"https:\/\/limetech.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-picjumbocom-196645-e1621529873459-300x200.jpg\" "\\"Photo")
<\/p>\n10. Platforms and technical specifications <\/span><\/h3>\n
11. Project goal<\/span><\/h3>\n
12. Budget and timeline<\/span><\/h3>\n
![\"mobile](\"https:\/\/limetech.co\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/pexels-olya-kobruseva-7873554-300x200.jpg\")
If you have budget requirements or a strict timeline, this is the time to share that information. Keep in mind that app development is not a low-budget business. Include any budget restrictions<\/strong>, or hard deadlines<\/strong>, such as your desired product release date.<\/span><\/p>\n13. Marketing and monetization\u00a0 <\/span><\/h3>\n
Summary of how to write a great mobile app project brief<\/span><\/h3>\n
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