Plan and Design Your Application
Updated on Sep 23, 2022 7 minutes to readBefore you start
Developing an app might sound complex and intimidating – something that only people with degrees in computer science can do. But in this day and age, with so many tools and resources to walk you through the process (and so many others creating apps!), it’s never been simpler.
This page will help you consider some important considerations as you begin the process. Note, too, how Every8.Cloud makes every stage of app development even simpler.
Before you design an app, there are several things to consider:
- What (problem) do I want this app to solve?
- Who will be the end user of this app (a business owner, employees, members of the public, etc.)?
- What are some basic data points that the app will use?
For example, suppose your goal is to create an app that tracks employee timesheets (similar to our Time to Work app: https://every8.cloud/en/blog/time-to-work). A good place to start would be to make a list of the data structure (list of attributes) that you will enter:
- User (i.e., Employee Name)
- Date
- Login Time
- Start of Break Time
- End of Break Time
- Logout Time
- Status of the Timesheet (approved?)
What You Need to Know
If you are a developer working for a separate business (or on their behalf), it is important to sit down with them and write down a “big picture” overview of the data you are going to use for this app – as well as specific data and metadata points that the app will use. This will help you avoid mistakes and will also give you an idea if you need to configure particular settings for the app to achieve a particular goal. (On your own, you may have pre-conceived ideas that turn out to be wrong, incomplete, and or not entirely relevant for the end product.)
For example, let’s go back to the example of the timesheet app. The list we jotted down looks complete – but what if you showed it to the HR manager who needed the app? They might say, “If our employees have to input these fields manually, one person can clock in for a friend. How do we prevent that?”
With this (added) information, you can make another decision, e.g., to have an employee’s name automatically input into the timesheet based on their Every8.Cloud login. (This would make it impossible for one person to manually enter a timesheet for someone else.)
Remember: designing an app is an on-going process. In the end, the app needs to serve its intended purpose for the intended audience, and any data.
Which Questions You Should Ask
As mentioned above, each app should have a clearly-defined purpose and a target audience. Therefore, any data that you want to use or include should be filtered through the lens of:
- How am I going to use this data in the app? What will it help the app do (automate)?
- In other words: “who cares?” There has to be some relevance between the data and the app’s function.
There are almost always additional follow-up questions that you should ask of the person or company who will be using the app – questions that will give you as concrete a picture as possible about their work, and about what is being automated.
The exact questions will vary depending on the desired app, but going with the timesheet example, some examples could include:
- Do employees need to clock in and out for breaks? (This varies from company to company.)
- Do employees need to prove that they are physically on-site at the start of a shift?
- Are there any “next-steps” for the company that depend on a particular employee (or group of employees) starting their shift?
- Who should have access to approve submitted timesheets?
- Is there any data (in or about this app) that managers should be able to see, but that should be kept hidden from employees?
Just like you cannot start building a house until you have a critical mass of bricks (and other materials), you cannot start building the right app until you have a critical mass of (relevant) data, which will serve as the starting skeleton for your work.
Getting Started
When you go to the Application Builder in Every8.Cloud, click “Create” and give your app a title.
From that point on, it will be up to you to decide which components you will need and how to organize the data.
Remember to check in with the business owner or other party for feedback.
Access Your Application
Every8.Cloud has both an application builder and an actual app view. You can see what your app looks like for users in the App View (click on the name of your app in the My Apps drop-down menu at the top of your page).
Both our application builder and the app view are available via web and mobile.
Share Your Application
Every8.Cloud allows those with admin privileges to determine the access and privileges for all users. (This feature could be extremely important for companies that handle sensitive/confidential information, but it may also help companies with many different departments. Each department could just see the data relevant to them, thus avoiding clutter.)
Also, feel free to get it in touch with us if you would like to have your app published on the Every8.Cloud App Marketplace (where we may be able to help promote it!):
Summary
Getting started is so much simpler than you first thought!
In reality, apps are nothing to fear. They are simply convenient tools for both daily life and business.
With Every8.Cloud’s low-code, easy-to-use interface, taking advantage of this convenience is more accessible than ever.