5 Things You Should Look For In A Mobile App Developer

This article focuses on what qualities you should bear in mind when finding a top mobile app developer. These five characteristics are good indications whether a candidate has what it takes to create solid apps. A developer should be creative, be able to develop across platforms, know a variety of popular languages, be a team player and have excellent communication skills.

Creativity

If a mobile app developer is not very creative, their work will not wow the end user. The more a developer can catch the eye of the user, the more successful the app will be. Some developers have this and others don’t. This isn’t always a deal breaker when dealing with a mobile app developer, but will definitely set an app apart from others. There are so many apps available. The app developer’s ability to bring a new thought or idea to the screen is crucial. This is often an intangible quality that isn’t always simple to assess.

The creative mobile app developer will bring an impressive portfolio with a lot of quality apps. The work may not simply be limited to apps. Many developers work across different platforms.

Mobile App Developer Across Platforms

From phones to web work, top developers will have experience in multiple areas. Being able to develop in the web world as well as Android and iOS is important. There is a wide market available for creating a mobile app. Ensuring a mobile app developer has cross platform experience is a must. Most apps will be available for iPhone and the vast offerings of Android phones.

Mobile apps have taken over the world and the more customers a developer can reach by knowing multiple platforms the more successful you’ll be. Keep this important point in mind when hiring the next developer.

Multilingual Programming

Mobile app developers that have multiple programming languages in their tool belt is a great asset. Most of these developers can learn things on the fly. They don’t necessarily need to be experts in a language that is desired for an application. Popular languages like Java, C#, Swift, JavaScript and PHP are among the top languages when developing a mobile app. This is not an exhaustive list. Having a combination of these is a key indicator of a quality mobile app developer.

Most developers enjoy learning a new language and will spend extra time to understand at least the fundamentals of a language. It is also key that the developer be a team player.

Teamwork

Being able to work in a team environment is paramount to an application’s success in the market. The apps need to work well across all functions as well as look good. This requires many different developers across the board. There are UI/UX experts with a keen eye for visual aspects and there are back-end developers who make things work smoothly with databases and cloud dashboards. The individual mobile app developer needs to work well with the other members. It is not enough to simply have a flashy app that looks good. It needs to function as it was designed and do whatever it is supposed to well and provide value for the end user.

Scope creep often occurs in teams that do not work well together or if a clear vision for the app is not in place. The UI developers may be so heavily involved in what they are doing that they don’t pay attention to the fact that the app’s button doesn’t call the appropriate function. The back-end developer may have a wonderfully working function that the UI developer is completely unaware of. These types of things are fixed by ongoing developer team meetings and a software quality plan to catch issues. Excellent communication helps drive quality.

Excellent Communication

All of the above skills are great, but if a mobile app developer cannot communicate well, the project may not make it very far. Poor communication will lead to delays, misunderstood requirements, rework and bugs. Be sure when interviewing a potential hire to assess their communication abilities. Does the candidate speak well and put forth ideas with ease? Do they seem to carry themselves with confidence without seeming arrogant? Communication is key in any development scenario. It may be even more important in a mobile app development scenario. Ensuring that the product meets not only visual but functional requirements will set an app apart from the competition.

Conclusion

In this article we described five attributes to seek when looking for a mobile app developer. Creativity, ability in cross platform development, multiple language experience, being a team player and an excellent communicator are top qualities for a mobile app developer. Reach out to FHG to see if we have a quality developer fit for your next project.