How to Design a Web App That Works For You

One of the best ways to improve the level of engagement with your business and the work it does is through web applications. 

Think of your website as a two-dimensional experience packed with great content but ultimately a static property. With a web app, you can add that precious extra dimension of action and interaction. However, you and your team may not know how to design a web app. 

At Steadfast Collective, we have extensive experience in the design and development of web applications. We build membership platforms, video platforms, learning management systems and internal tools. If you are wondering how to make a web app from scratch, we can definitely help you. 

However, the question to which many people want to know the answer is, quite simply, how to design a web app. What really counts is the amount of thought, planning and research that goes into the process before you even start constructing wireframes and building a prototype.

How to Design a Web App – The Three Key Steps

Identify what you need your web app to do

Your first step in designing a web app is clearly defining what you want to achieve by building the application in question. 

Why do you need this platform? What gap is missing in your organisation’s current proposition that will be filled by this solution? How many different devices will your web app have to work on?

If this is an application for external use, conduct detailed customer research to find out what it is your marketplace requires. Likewise, when you are building an internal web app, talk to your teams to see what it is they want this new functionality to deliver. 

By going through this essential part of the process, you can design the ideal user journey, one that is smooth, streamlined and responsive – and that, crucially, delivers the results you seek.

We believe an interactive, collaborative approach that takes on board the concerns of your users, and listens to their ideas so that they can be incorporated into your design, is the most important part of the creative process. 

Without it, your web app will not be fit for purpose – no matter how well-built it is.

Create an MVP

Once you have completed your research and identified precisely what you want your new web app to achieve, you are ready to move forward with the next stage of the design process.

Start by creating mock-ups and wireframes to build a prototype that can be exposed to the priceless feedback of colleagues, trusted customers and potential users. 

That feedback should be incorporated into your design process so that you can revise and enhance your web app until you are ready for the final step. 

Launch – and keep testing

Even when you have launched your new web application, the process of refining and enhancing it should continue. 

Monitor the relevant metrics to ensure user engagement is at your desired level and address any shortcomings. Talk to the people using your app to identify any issues and address them. And keep addressing them. That way, you'll continually improve your web app to meet the user's needs exactly.

If you want more detailed advice on how to design a web app, speak to Steadfast Collective. Our expertise in web app creation ensures we are perfectly placed to assist with your project.