Next frontier and biggest problem for mobile app developers
Wearables and connected devices are the next frontier for enterprise app developers and designers, yet these innovative areas are also proving challenging, according to a new survey.
Looking at 230 global respondents from top brands in North America, South America, Europe, Asia and Africa, the study showed that a majority of designers (69%) and developers (65%) feel that application design and development for wearables and connected devices already is a challenge, or will be one in the next six to 12 months. Among the main drivers for this frustration are a lack of clear vision among stakeholders, and the added complexity of developing and designing for multiple devices and platforms.
Altogether, 69% of application designers said that designing for wearables and connected devices either already is a challenge they face or it will become one within the next six to 12 months, while 65% of mobile app developers agreed, according to the study from Enterprise mobility company, Kony,
Further, 40% of developers said that the biggest challenge of mobile app development is the lack of communication between developers and IT stakeholders.
Lack of resources and omni-channel design and development is a challenge, the survey showed. Lack of time and resources (37%) and complexity of omni-channel development (37%) tied as the top two most oft-cited barriers during the development stage of mobile projects. Over half of designers (51%) said that designing mobile apps for multiple devices and platforms is a major challenge.
There is also a perceived lack of vision; nearly 25% of developers felt that stakeholders had “no clear vision” for mobility. Furthermore, the “sheer complexity of omni-channel development and testing” was cited as a top challenge by 37% of responding developers. Designers agreed, with 51% saying that, “designing for multiple devices and platforms” is a challenge.
“Forward-thinking enterprises are eager to take advantage of the wealth of new devices and form factors entering the market today, but capitalising on these innovations remains a challenge for today’s mobile app design and development teams,” said Dave Shirk, president of products, strategy and marketing, Kony. “To meet this demand, designers and developers need next generation creative tools that allow them to more easily adapt their apps to a broader range of interfaces, screen sizes, and capabilities.”
