There are a lot of moving parts that come in to play when building a successful mobile app development. Everything from speed, usability, and more can effect the overall success of a mobile application, but it all starts with the most basic of components, mobile app architecture. Without a well built foundation, the rest doesn’t really matter. After all, you cannot build a house on a cracked foundation. In the most basic sense, mobile app architecture involves the underlying patterns and techniques developers use to shape a mobile app. Much like building a physical structure, mobile apps need to be framed and designed in such a way that all layers can work together for a solid and robust implementation. Below we will outline the three most important layers involved in building mobile app architecture.
Navigation Layer
Navigation is just how it sounds. Much like the corridors and hallways that make up movement between rooms, this layer involves the processes that determine the flow between screens and functions within a mobile application. Here designers must decide how users will behave as they utilize the application. It is important to get this right, as a frictionless user experience is vital to app usability and overall satisfaction. You wouldn’t want to walk down a path only to find it leads nowhere. Designers must leave no function incomplete.
Presentation/View Layer
This is what we would call the aesthetics. The paint job if you will. This layer is composed of all the UI components that make up the front end (the viewable part of the app). Here designers must make decisions such as what type of text font to display, colors, branding, and more. While making it look good, they also need to take care not to over clutter the screen so as not to distract the user. Less is sometimes more. Presentation is important, as this is what the user will see and use to make an initial judgement about the app. Its all about the curb appeal, as they say.
Services Layer
This third layer is what we would call the brains. The guts that power the lights. The services layer is comprised of all components involving data access, communication with the server, logic, storage, and more. It is the formulas that drive the overall operational capacity of the mobile application. Without a solid services layer, there is no engine to power the building.
With thousands upon thousands of mobile apps hitting the app store every day, a thoughtfully designed mobile architecture is absolutely paramount. It is important that all three layers come together in seamless cohesion for a flawless implementation, otherwise, you are dead in the water. Keep this in mind, as you begin to embark on the exhilarating journey that is mobile app development.