Understanding SaaS, PaaS, & IaaS: Cloud Computing Basics

If you are looking for a suitable platform to implement your mobile solution in the most cost-efficient way and, thus, make it cross-platform, it can be a rather challenging task given the variety of different frameworks, libraries, and SDKs.

For example, according to Statista, Flutter and React Native (RN) were the world's two most popular frameworks for cross-platform development by the end of 2023. However, they cannot be called universal, and each is better suited to solving specific problems. Below, we will cover the difference between them in more detail and also conduct a comparative analysis of these two solutions.

What Is Flutter?

Flutter is an open-source framework from Google that first saw the light of day in 2018. It is designed for both front-end and full-stack development of cross-platform solutions with a single code base for iOS, Android, Web, Windows, MacOS, and Linux. Flutter uses the open-source Dart language, which is also a brainchild of Google. Now, it has 162k stars on GitHub.

One of the most significant benefits of Flutter is the ability to accelerate time-to-market: this is ensured by hot reload (which provides the ability to change the program code and check the results in real time), the built-in increased performance provided by direct compilation to native code, as well as the presence of a C++ engine for rendering elements and optimization. In general, according to the unspoken opinion of developers, about 95% of all development tasks can be covered by Flutter libraries and tools.

Benefits of Flutter

Flutter popularity is absolutely justified – it is loved by developers around the world for the following advantages:

• Native-like performance. Due to the use of the Dart programming language, which is immediately compiled into machine code, applications created with this framework are unlikely to be inferior in performance to native analogs.
• Uniformity of visual components. Flutter does not use platform-dependent visualization tools – instead, this framework refers to the Google Skia graphics library, which allows developers to provide a uniform look for UI components regardless of the platform.
• Low entry threshold and a wide variety of available tools and libraries. Flutter is considered an easy-to-learn framework, and such built-in features as hot reloading, widget inspector, and a rich arsenal of tools for solving graphic problems (now, this framework already has graphics rendering at 120 fps) make the process of working on the frontend even more enjoyable and fast.

What Is React Native?

React Native is a cross-platform JavaScript-based framework created by the Facebook team in 2015 and introduced to the public as a solution for reusing the same code. Today, this platform can boast 116k stars on GitHub and the fact that it is at the heart of such world-famous services as Instagram, Facebook, and Skype. 

An interesting feature of this framework is its basis on the Flux architecture, which is based on unidirectional flows. This approach allows data to be passed from one parent component to its child components, making it easier for developers to manage data flows in the application. Also, like in Flutter, there is the Hot Reload feature that simplifies the testing and debugging processes, as well as a rich set of built-in components to boost the development speed of high-performance and visually attractive mobile solutions.

Benefits of React Native

The main benefits of React Native are:

• Ability to reuse code by up to 90% and reduced time to market. The reusability of code written in this framework can be up to 90%. In addition, the created assembly, for example, for Android, will require only minimal configurations in order to function properly on iOS. All these features of this framework speed up the launch of projects.
• Fast update in app stores. Thanks to the CodePush function, applications can be updated within the repeated deployment process without an intermediate step involving uploading updates to the app store. In particular, when the update is ready, its version that has already been presented on the store uploads it itself, without the need for re-communication with Google Play or the App Store.
• A wide variety of libraries and access to native components. While it provides access to native platform components, there are also internal libraries with well-developed documentation and, in some cases, even entire application templates, including Native Base, React Native Elements, and React Native Starter Kit.

Key Differences Between Flutter and React Native

Now it's time to start a more detailed comparison of React vs Flutter.

Entry threshold

Even though both mobile app frameworks are considered to be quite easy to learn, Flutter, due to its abundance of internal development tools, practically eliminates the need for developers to use third-party tools and libraries (unlike RN). This means that its entry threshold can formally be considered lower.

Performance

As for React Native vs Flutter performance, the second one has a lot of widgets based on its own high-performance rendering engine, which makes it suitable for developing applications with complex graphics. At the same time, despite the claims of RN creators, this solution can impose certain problems with the speed of work of resource-intensive projects.

Time ​​to market

In our Flutter vs React Native comparison, RN gives Flutter a head start when it comes to developing applications with different designs for each of the platforms since the latter is aimed at building uniform interfaces.

Specifics for creating user interfaces

While Flutter offers developers a variety of ready-to-use widgets based on the Material (Android) and Cupertino (iOS) designs, React Native refers to the native components of the platforms.

Full list of supported platforms

Flutter supports development for Android, iOS, Windows, macOS, Linux, Google Fuchsia, Web, Tizen for Samsung Smart TV, LG webOS, as well as for embedded devices. As for RN, this framework is compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, MacOS, as well as Android and iOS TV platforms.

Conclusion

We hope that we have answered the essential question: “Flutter or React Native?” and it will be easier for you to choose the best of these two options. At the same time, we would like to note that the future of Flutter is uncertain, as Google has suspended its active development and significantly reduced its team. Therefore, we will keep our finger on the pulse and inform you about all upcoming changes.

Anyway, whichever framework you settled on, an equally important aspect will be the choice of an experienced team of developers. In particular, you can contact us for a consultation and also to find out the cost of development of your project.

There are about 8.93 million mobile apps worldwide, with new ones popping up daily, but not each of them has a good mobile interface design. At the same time, those who have it, win the hearts of customers and earn millions of dollars. So, how can you achieve this goal? Let’s find it out right now.

What Is Mobile App Design?

Mobile app design is the visual identity of an app tailored to the user's behavior. It has two components: UI and UX. UI (user interface) is how the application looks, and what colors, fonts, icons, buttons, or other elements it contains. UX is how an app works, responds to user actions, and helps fulfill people’s needs.

Interface design for a mobile application calls for consideration of the specifics of mobile platforms, such as screen size, data input methods, battery level, and internet connection speed. You should bear in mind that design can have a big impact on the success and popularity of the product, its usability, and its attraction to users.

Key Principles of Mobile App Design

Creating the interface of mobile applications is a truly complex and multi-layered process. It can vary dramatically depending on what project the app is created for, who the target audience is, and what functionality its owner is looking for. However, there are a few fundamentals to keep in mind when designing.

Here are top basic mobile design principles:

1. Prioritize the user’s needs 
2. Focus on visual design
3. Make the app interface convenient
4. Make the content easy to read
5. Add some interaction
6. Optimize the interface for different mobile devices

User Interface (UI) Design Principles

Let’s define the most important user interface design principles.

Simplicity

An eye-catching and straightforward user interface is ideal. There shouldn't be too many interface elements that can confuse a user. Nobody wants to explore a new interface once an application is downloaded – instead, people just want to get what they need or have fun.  All they seek is simple products that “just work”, that’s why, you have to prioritize the main parts for design and remove the unnecessary ones.

There is a simple rule of thumb: one main action per screen. Each screen you design in your application should support a single, genuinely important action for the user. This makes it easier to learn and use. One hundred clear screens are better than a single cluttered one.

Consistency 

The interface has to be intuitive and easy to navigate. You can add a great feature or content, but if people can't find it, it doesn't matter. Mobile navigation should be consistent. To ensure navigation doesn’t require any explanation, you should use the right visual metaphors, and check that each navigation item leads to the appropriate place.

Feedback and Response Time

Feedback informs users whether they are doing the proper action or not. It can be audible (the ding of a new message notification), tactile (the vibrating signal for a new email or call while your phone is set to "silent"), or just visual. Feedback should be provided after each operation to show if it was successful. 

Feedback can be useful in responding to problems in four areas:

1. Locating: Where are you?
2. Current Situation: What's happening? Is it still going on?
3. Prospects: What comes next?
4. Effects: What did you get?

Quick, insightful, and observable feedback is essential to let people know their actions were noticed. The link between the activity and its effect should be clear so that users understand what happened, and what to expect next. Feedback is supposed to optimize and complement the user's experience rather than complicate it.

User Experience (UX) Design Principles

Now, we propose to list the key UX design principles.

Usability

Usability measures how easy and convenient it is for the user to interact with the interface of an application. It depends on the ease of navigation, structure, content quality, text layout, mobile app design, and a bunch of technical features. This aspect affects users' time on an app, conversion rates, and customer loyalty. 

Here are five components of usability:

1. Learnability: how easy is it for people to perform basic tasks the first time?
2. Productivity: how quickly can people complete tasks?
3. Memorability: when people come back to an application after a time out, how easily can they recover their skills?
4. Error recovery: how many errors do users make, how serious are they, and how easily can people fix them?
5. Enjoyment: How engaging is it to use the app? Does it help people accomplish their tasks? 

User-Centric Design

User-centered design is an approach that consistently identifies user needs and translates them into a product. The core value is to focus on what people are used to, on what is “easy” for them and meets their basic needs.

Figure out what users want from your mobile application. On a food delivery app, people want to see available propositions, and discounts, place an order, track a delivery, and that’s it. They don’t want to read the history of a local family restaurant and its owners - this information may be kept in subsections. 

Accessibility 

If you want people to use your app, make it easy to reach. First, make sure it’s available on all mobile platforms and devices. Secondly, remember about inclusivity while designing for mobile devices. Partially blind or colorblind people may also use your product. So, you should help them effortlessly use it by adding voice interaction, and alternative text for images and employing color-blind oriented templates. Additionally, let customers change the text size in the app to suit their visual requirements.

Best Practices in Mobile App Design

Creating an interface that is both attractive and user-friendly is a challenge and an art. To achieve a delicate balance between aesthetics and functionality, designers need to utilize best practices. 

User Interface and Navigation 

Navigation in a mobile application must be intuitive. Each button or link has to state its purpose clearly. All icons must be recognizable and standardized. 

Mobile UX design's best practice for icons is to tag them with text. Tagged icons ensure that the purpose is conveyed quickly and easily.  You can see this in the most popular apps like YouTube, Spotify, and TikTok. 

Content Organization and Data Entry

When directing user attention across the application interface, use visual hierarchy. Distinguish important elements from less significant ones by varying size and spacing. Features that stand out attract attention, and clustering related items makes them easier to understand. For better readability and differentiation between titles, subheadings, and body content, designers should use the proper font sizes and styles. 

As for good examples of great content organization, we’d like to pay attention to Airbnb, an illustration of minimalism and simplicity. People love it for its aesthetic graphic design, balanced font sizes and colors, and the absence of flashy elements or bright banners. Airbnb has also made booking real estate clear: users understand what they are paying for.

Input fields and forms are the basic parts of mobile apps and are also crucial in mobile design principles. Improving the total user experience requires making these elements efficient and usable. Make a user type as little as possible by utilizing default values and input masks. Give consumers immediate feedback on validation so they can fix mistakes quickly. To help users fill out forms correctly, provide them with informative error warnings and visual clues.

Usability and Accessibility 

If you choose the right color palette, you can greatly improve the user experience. Remember about color blindness and test how your app looks to users with different types of color perception. Use contrasting colors for text and background to make content easy to read for anyone and anywhere. Add some extra explanations if needed. 

For example, the choice of clothing color in an online store should have a text explanation to be understood by people with a violation of color perception. Also, consider how the interface will look on small screens.

Performance and Responsiveness 

Take into account a diverse range of screen sizes and resolutions. Your design should be adaptive to ensure perfect display on any device. To check adaptability, test your design on a tablet, smartphone, and computer: this way you can adjust the display of elements in the interface and understand what and where to improve. Make sure the elements are not overlapping and are scaled correctly.

Platform Conformance

Research iOS and Android operating system guidelines. A guideline is a set of rules that determine how mobile apps are designed within an operating system. The iOS and Android systems have recognizable elements that users expect to see, so the guidelines help to create optimal UX and UI. Also, it will speed up the development process and reduce bugs.

Tools for Designing for Mobile Devices

As for the most popular tools designers use to implement solutions for mobile devices, we can consider the next four.

Figma 

Figma is an application for all kinds of graphical works: from creating website layouts to developing mobile interfaces and prototyping. Its biggest advantage is an opportunity to work directly in a browser, allowing access to projects from any computer or platform. You don’t have to buy multiple licenses or install the software. Another plus of the application is the collaboration feature that allows simultaneous changes to the project design by several users without the need to upload files locally.

Adobe XD

XD is designed from scratch to meet the requirements of modern UX/UI design with many features not available in other graphic applications. It solves the main problem that competitors can't cope with: it provides interaction with non-static elements and allows you to implement thoughtful dynamics on the page. Adobe XD is ideal for vector UI design, wireframe modeling, implementing engagement with interactive elements, and prototyping.

Sketch

Sketch is a simple vector tool. Designers and front-end developers use it to create UX/UI components. Sketch is simple and easy to learn, has an intuitive interface, and offers cross-platform design tools. It has a preview feature to see how the project will look on different devices. It has many good plugins and resources, plus some useful functions for working in the cloud.

InVision

InVision is a versatile design tool that focuses on maximizing UX for apps. It can be used to create automatically customized interactive prototypes for different devices. InVision Studio has tools for working with vector drawing, interactive design, and built-in animation. The application can be installed on macOS and Windows.

Mobile Application Design Process

UI UX mobile app design is a complex process that requires a thorough approach to ensure it is visually appealing and compatible with various devices and operating systems. You also need to make sure it’s handy for both experienced users and newcomers and meets modern trends in app design. So, what are the stages of mobile design?

1. Gathering data and design requirements. Research is a crucial part of the design effort, guiding the development of a product concept that accurately defines the market niche, functionality, monetization, and usage scenarios. 
2. Planning the architecture and navigation of the application. UX specialists create architecture based on application usage scenarios, ensuring navigation and consistency. This design stage is crucial for the end-user, as it directly affects the app's navigation and overall user experience.
3. Development of prototypes. Mockups are created for prototyping a mobile application, allowing for easy modification and identification of best solutions. This process involves discussing the architecture with the team and client, and later involving a team of developers to evaluate the technical design.
4. Testing the prototype. Interactive prototypes allow testing the app design to ensure it is suitable for the target audience, allowing for detailed feedback and understanding of user behavior patterns. This stage of development helps identify non-obvious patterns and improves the product's overall functionality.‍
5. Final refinements and development. Next, the agreed prototype is handed over to designers to make the product more attractive, refine the styling, and improve small user interactions, taking into account the final UI of a product. The final design is passed to developers who do the technical part.

Get Some Inspiration with Our Case Studies

Below, we invite you to check out some of our projects where we have successfully implemented all the ideas described above:

• Booking beauty appointment platform
• Takeout food delivery app
• Social network
• Advertising placement system
• Vehicle rental mobile app
• Smart city mobile app

Conclusion

Creating an aesthetically pleasing design is not enough. You also need to make it user-friendly and inclusive, bearing in mind mobile device demands.  Your target audience will be captivated and delighted by the appealing, highly engaging, and intuitive mobile applications if you carefully adhere to mobile app design principles and never stop learning from real-world examples of great mobile applications.

If you have an efficient booking app, it brings your business to the 21st century. Nowadays, a website reservation system or a mobile booking app is a must-have for most industries.

Let’s look at the statistics

• E-Travel industry grows by 7.5% every year. Accordingly to this fact, the researchers conclude that the market will reach $1.5B by 2023. In addition, the revenue share of sales channels of the global travel and tourism market will increase up to 72% by 2025. This includes only websites and applications for hotels and transportation. Other online scheduling software like appointment apps and scheduling websites are planned to see a similar boost.
• More than 80% of bookings are made via mobile applications if are talking about travel booking. Because of that, mobile apps are the first choice for people to book tickets and organize the trip.
• According to Statistic Brain Research Institute, every year people spend an average of $148 million on travel bookings online.

What is clear: this is a promising prospect for everyone that thinks about creation a booking website or app.

What are the benefits that can be delivered?

• Gathering information on the clients – with the growing number of clients that like the idea of using online scheduling software, you have collecting data for personalization. It is a great opportunity to come up with special offers and increase sales.
• Building the brand – booking is the first point of contact with your company and your chance to make a first good impression on the clients. If the service and online booking system are user-centricity and convenient in use, have high-quality standards and security, users will have positive feedbacks that increase the number of users and, consequently, promote your band.
• Multiple revenue streams – with an online booking system, you can multiply profits via additional monetization models, such as income from fees, commissions, subscriptions, affiliate programs, ads, etc.

The article demonstrates a detailed guide on how to make a booking app that walks you through all of the essential points.

8 practices for your online booking system

Go through the following list of features to focus on some important aspects regarding how to make a booking website and app successfully. Choosing features that are essential not just for you but also for your customers is the next stage of the production cycle.

Convenient navigation, searching and reservation

User doesn’t like to waste time and wants to make a reservation, so your app should be as intelligible as possible. For better convenience, your app can also include a geolocation option, various spelling options and enable searches by different categories and filters. Good advice to eliminate zero search results by adding suggestions on locations, dates, services etc. – depends on your business.

User’s personal profile

Account page provides access to reservation history and enables custom settings, like currency, language, etc. Because of that, user page is a great place for marketing – it allows you to collect statistics, send newsletters about upcoming events or special offers and many others. However, the user registration process is a pitfall for many businesses. Here’s why: it gives the first impression and users decide if they will stay or drop the app. Make this process as easy as possible and require users to fill out only the key information. It is a great idea of authorization via social networks, for examples Facebook and Instagram, and allows a user to register with only one click.

Multi-language & global currency support

These days, online payment is a required functionality on the booking app. Before considering how to make a booking app, think over payment methods to include. It must be a safe and convenient way to book rooms, tickets, services, tours directly through an application or website. So, the process must be fast, flexible, and transparent, so be sure to include all possible payment methods, such as PayPal, credit card, cash, and design a user-friendly one-page checkout system. A reservation system that offers a secure payment portal will exactly improve your business performance. Also, auto-detected language can increase the user experience.

Data security

During the booking process, app collects a lot of sensitive information like personal information (email, phone), payment information, etc. This data can become a source of immense possibilities for hackers. One thing is clear: invest in security!  

Auto-replies  

Currently, automatic emails are seen as additional and mainly useful tool for business owners in various fields. Email reminders, feedback requests or tips are just a few examples of how companies improve communication with clients using modern technologies.

In-app messenger

In-app messenger is an excellent feature for any booking app, whether it is a travel booking website or appointment scheduler. For the best results, you need to have a support team shooting responses or a pre-programmed chatbot to cover customer questions. By utilizing AI and machine learning technologies, it is possible to provide instant and qualified feedback. However, note that this functionality may take a considerable amount of time and cost to implement.

Push notifications

A well-thought-out notification system makes life easier for users. Check-in and check-out alerts, friendly reminders, or recommendations can increase the level of customer satisfaction. As well, you may include weather notifications, price discounts, and other relevant notifications.

Create a booking website

For making your app perfect and increase prospects for success, the experienced business owner might want to also create a booking website. Usually, a properly built website extends the functionality and offers clients possibilities like access to information on success stories, high-resolution images, reviews, etc. When considering whether to create a booking website, think of the benefits you can get:

1. Presentation of the brand
2. SEO and digital marketing practices for promotional strategies
3. Insight information about user behavior and broad data collection for company strategies
4. Wider audience outreach that provides increasing sales because of cross- and up-selling.
5. Collect customer base via browser searches

So, the idea to create a booking website makes a lot of sense. It is possible to build a web platform in the first product version along with iOS and Android apps. Alternatively, you can plan to launch the booking website in a subsequent version.

Generally, any app functionality, simple or advanced, should be in line with customer expectations.

Talking a little bit about app development

It’s important to discuss and figure out what tech stack of your app, based on your requirements. Tech Stack is the group of technologies used to build mobile or web applications. It is a combination of programming languages, UX/UI design, development environment, framework, utilities, servers, tools, and services used by the development team.

Before designing an application, it is important to think about scope of your project, time to deliver the market, security perspective and scalability. Depending on these factors, you need to choose the technology solution that has the potential to solve these problems.

Important backend development

Building a stronger back-end helps to enhance your front-end as most of the tasks in the front-end are fully dependent on the back-end. Here are some important back end tasks:

• API designing and documentation
• API implementation
• Building business logic
• Database retrieval and storage
• Defining permissions
• Creating test script
• Deployment

Keep your Front-end design simple and intuitive

Your front-end application must be clean and appealing. Here are some tips to build an amazing front-end application.

• Use professional graphics designing tools
• Keep the entire application design relevant and should match the concept.
• Ensure there are no typography errors
• Ensure relevant content should have the same design
• Focus on quality rather than quantity
• Try to match the original design and make the design pixel perfect
• Create an app landing page showcasing the value of your application and encouraging people to download it.

That’s it

The development of a booking system is a complicated process that requires multiple details. Forward-thinking brands have applied these strategies to their campaigns to deliver the best user experiences while achieving high brand promotion. Drop us a line, and we’ll be glad to discuss your idea.

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