Developing an application means choosing the right team:

• A Product Owner (or PO) with the business vision of the project and business expertise.

• A production team (Developers and UX-Designer) developing a functional and testable product every week by users

• A Scrum Master who coaches them on monitoring the method

Within this team, the role of the UX-Designer is key: to ensure that the application meets the needs of the end user, and therefore the expectations of the PO.

Here are the 5 reasons that make it essential to have a UX designer on the mobile application development team.

1 - Ensure that the product will be used

Conquering a market is first and foremost about understanding and knowing potential users. Investing thousands of euros in an application without worrying about the opinion of potential users is extremely risky. To limit this risk, the solution is to Start an MVP (Minimum Viable Product), and to have it tested. It is up to the UX-Designer to help the Product Owner set up these tests on a weekly basis and to draw points for improvement for the rest of the project.

2 - Challenge the user experience of your product

Even if you have a precise idea of UX and UI to define on your project, it is essential to have it challenged by an expert. Having a taste and being sensitive to UX practices does not make you an expert in the field.

Moreover, agile methods allow the PO to make decisions not only before but especially during development. This is why it is all the more essential to be supported by an UX designer throughout your project.

3 - Increase retention

When creating an App, UX takes into account the needs of future users. He is an expert in user behavior, able to create a fluid, pleasant and reassuring environment in order to encourage navigation on the application.

According to Magnus Revang's infographic a good UX is determined by 5 key points:

• The application should be easy to find on the blinds: This requires SEO work.

• A good Getting started: The interface must be clear and intuitive so that it is easy to find your way around.

• Giving confidence and the desire to navigate the App: A work of ergonomics and consistency in the choice of graphics is necessary. The user must want to come back to the App, to use it.

• Effectiveness of the App: The user should easily find what he is browsing the application for.

• Credibility of the App: The latter must comply with the brand image to convince users.

A user experience that meets these criteria ensures a high retention rate.

4 - Make the application attractive

UI is defined by the organization of the graphic and textual elements of the application in order to offer an attractive product. To do this, strict rules must be respected: The UI is based on technical standards that must be respected. As you will have understood, the UX Designer is the guarantor of these standards. Balance, visibility or even the game of proportions are essential data for the good design of your screens. I invite you to read This article on UI-Design to understand the principles.

Making the application attractive is therefore not limited to achieving an aesthetic design. Amazon is a great example of this, combining simple design with a clear and fluid user experience.

5 - Optimize the value creation process

The job of the UX-Designer is to formalize the needs of the Product Owner. During a cooperative workshop, he will define the application tree with him, create the wireframes, define the graphic charter and create precise models of the application. The technical team is also present during this workshop and challenge for both the PO and the UX-Designer.

These mockups have a great added value in the process of creating the App. They not only make it possible to materially validate the customer's needs, but also to facilitate the work of translating the needs of developers. The contribution of the UX-Designer is thus to make interactions within the team more efficient and therefore to accelerate the development process.

In short, the role of the UX-Designer allows you to define an application that is more useful, more usable, more usable, more desirable, more navigable, more accessible, more credible, more credible, more...

To better understand UX principles, I invite you to read this article.