As a product designer with a background in front-end development, I've always been super duper interested in how things work beyond the scope of just design. In this case, I'll explain how a mobile app design file is implemented and served to users for different platforms.

Building an already-designed app usually starts with determining what platform best suits the app's requirements - Which is what I'll be talking about. There are three major mobile development platforms you should know about plus one extra, ranked in order of which provides the best experience to end users (I know that's what you care about):

**Native Development Platforms**

These allow developers to build mobile applications for a single operating system using the most preferred programming languages and frameworks of that OS.

Get a better understanding of the major native development platforms below:

✦ **iOS:** Developed using Swift or Objective-C and built with Xcode. iOS development is tailored for iOS devices and allows direct access to the features provided without any third-party interference making it the perfect choice for a seamless experience for iOS users.

✦ **Android:** Developed using Kotlin or Java and built with Android Studio. Like iOS, Android development provides the best performance and access to the latest features of Android devices. It's the go-to for targeting many Android devices with varying specifications.

However, you should note that while native development offers an almost unmatched level of performance, user experience, and access to the device's features, it has a very high development cost and is also quite resource-intensive since you'd have to separately develop for both operating systems.\
\
And that takes us to…

**Cross-Platform Development Platforms**

These allow developers to build mobile applications that run on multiple operating systems (iOS, Android, etc.) using a single codebase. Meaning, reduced development time and cost by enabling code reuse across different platforms.

Here’s an overview of the popular cross-platform dev platforms:

✦ **[Flutter (created by Google):](https://flutter.dev)** Developed using Dart. Flutter offers near-native performance and a lot of pre-designed widgets that make it easier and significantly faster to create beautiful UI across both platforms. My personal favorite.

✦ **[React Native (created by Facebook)](https://reactnative.dev):** Developed using JavaScript and React. This is used by a lot of developers worldwide because it utilizes JavaScript which is a globally well-known language among other technical reasons.

✦ **[Xamarin (currently owned by Microsoft)](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/apps/xamarin)**[:](https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/apps/xamarin) Developed using C# and .NET. A major perk is that it allows for high code reusability (less code - you get what it means).

**Hybrid Development Platforms**

Apps are built using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript (mostly web technologies and frameworks) and then wrapped in a native container to be served as native apps on various platforms (iOS, Android, etc.). They provide a bridge for communication between created web components and native functionalities (all tools and features provided by your phone).

Popular hybrid dev platforms include **Ionic, Cordova/PhoneGap, Framework7.**

**Then, there's PWAs (Progressive Web Apps)**

Ever been to a site that asks you if you want to add it to your home screen? Yep, you guessed it correctly. PWAs are built using standard web technologies (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) and can be installed on mobile devices to function like native apps. PWAs are a great choice for apps that require a broad reach across devices without the need for app store distribution. They offer good performance but might lack some native capabilities.

Now, you have base knowledge about how mobile apps you design are built for different platforms. You’d use this knowledge to be able to recommend which platforms are best suited for a project you’re to work on based on the app’s requirements, target audience, existing resources, and desired user experience. \
\
I’m using this stage to announce that I just enrolled in a Mobile development internship program facilitated by HNG Internships. Check them out here: <https://hng.tech/internship>, they also have a freelance talent collective: **<https://hng.tech/hire>.**\
\
This is me exploring my curiosity and a full-effort attempt at having the superpower to be able to single-handedly build amazing products, now I just have to see this through. Wish me luck 🍀

Base knowledge: For designers curious about how mobile apps are built.

20, Software product designer

Heuristic evaluation in UX design

How I approached designing for Arionna — a child with a learning disability

Looking to explore layouts and experiment with crazy animations >>>

Portfolio Design for a Software Engineer friend 😊

* I worked as a major team member on the design team. We designed the brand identity for the community and used the visual identity to create multiple graphic designs for the first and largest conference for Flutter developers in Africa.

* I also designed the Flutterbytes Community Website (currently in development 🙂)

* I also worked on sponsorship decks that raised funds from the likes of Google, Invertase\
  \
  [Flutter Bytes Conference (@flutterbyteconf) / X (twitter.com)](https://twitter.com/flutterbyteconf)

Samson Tobi

2024