How to Plan a Mobile App Development Project (Without Writing a Single Line of Code)
- Glodin Mulali
- Jan 6
- 7 min read
Updated: Feb 20
Bringing your app idea to life doesn’t have to start with endless lines of code. In fact, a careful, engineering-first approach—planning out the functional and non-functional requirements, choosing an architecture, and deciding on a software development life cycle (SDLC)—can save you from big headaches later on. Here’s a detailed, step-by-step guide that folds in best practices from both non-developers and professional software engineers.
Nail Down Your App Concept & Requirements
1. Identify Your App Concept
• Start with a clear problem: Are you building a Budgeting App to track income/expenses? A Fitness App to log workouts and progress?
• Example: For a budgeting app, you might want features such as expense management, income tracking, and analytics for spending habits.
2. Functional Requirements vs. Non-Functional Requirements
• Functional Requirements (FRs): What the app should do.
• E.g., “The app must allow users to add new transactions,” or “The user must be able to filter expenses by category.”
• Non-Functional Requirements (NFRs): How the app should behave in terms of performance, security, usability, etc.
• E.g., “The app should load the home screen in under two seconds,” “All sensitive data must be stored securely,” “The UI must respond smoothly to user interactions.”
3. Brainstorm Your Feature List
• For each feature, note whether it’s functional (part of the user’s direct needs) or non-functional (behind-the-scenes quality attributes).
• This list becomes your project blueprint.
Example Planning Flow:
Create a High-Level Model (Flowcharts or UML)
Flowcharts are popular because they’re easy to understand, but if you want to be more precise and formal, you can use UML (Unified Modeling Language) diagrams. For instance:
• Use Case Diagrams: Show which features each type of user can access (e.g., Admin vs. Standard User).
• Activity Diagrams: Depict the flow from one activity/screen to another, similar to a more structured flowchart.
• Class/Component Diagrams: When you’re ready to think about data models, responsibilities, or how components might interact.
Either approach (flowchart or UML) is valid; it all depends on how detailed you want to be. For non-developers, flowcharts remain the simplest visual tool.
Example Flow (Budgeting App):
Consider Your Software Architecture (MVC, MVP, MVVM, etc.)
Before you start thinking about file structures, step back and decide which architectural pattern might guide your code’s organization:
• MVC (Model-View-Controller): A classic approach, but in modern frontend frameworks (like React Native), we often adapt it to more component-driven ideas.
• MVP (Model-View-Presenter): Separates concerns more explicitly, with a “Presenter” that manages UI logic.
• MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel): Very popular in mobile dev (including React Native and iOS/Android) because it keeps “business logic” in the ViewModel, simplifying your Views (screens/components).
Even if you’re using React Native with Context and Hooks, thinking in terms of an architecture like MVVM can help you keep your business logic out of UI components and in dedicated “view models” or “contexts.”
Decide on an SDLC Approach (Feature-Based, Bottom-Up, Top-Down)
Your Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) determines how you tackle building features:
1. Feature-Based Development
• Build features one at a time (e.g., “transaction creation” → “transaction viewing” → “stats/analytics”).
• Great for agile teams that focus on delivering user value in increments.
2. Bottom-Up
• Start with the backend or data layer (database, APIs), then work your way up to the UI.
• This makes sense if your data model or backend constraints are well-defined and you want to ensure the “foundation” is correct before UI polishing.
3. Top-Down
• Start with UI/UX and broad “skeleton screens,” then plug in the data flows.
• Good if the user experience design is key, or if you need quick prototypes for stakeholder approval.
Some projects combine approaches: for instance, building a minimal backend skeleton first, then designing the UI, and iterating in small steps to keep everything aligned.
Gather the Right Tools & Setup
Even if you’re not coding, you need a basic environment in place:
1. Node.js & npm (or Yarn)
• So you can run any React Native or JavaScript-based tools.
2. Expo CLI
• Speeds up React Native setup, handles builds, and provides easy device/emulator testing.
3. Cursor (or another AI code assistant)
• Automates repetitive tasks and boilerplate setup—no coding expertise needed, but you still need to issue clear prompts.
4. Expo Go
• The smartphone app to preview your React Native project instantly.
Plan Your Folder Structure (with Expo Router)
Expo Router offers file-based routing, meaning the folder structure is your navigation definition. This approach is simpler for many beginners (and also powerful for advanced teams).
Example File Structure: ├── app
│ ├── (onboarding)
│ │ ├── _layout.tsx // Defines stack layout for onboarding screens
│ │ ├── welcome.tsx // Welcome screen for new users
│ │ ├── login.tsx // Login screen
│ │ ├── register.tsx // Registration screen
│ ├── (tabs)
│ │ ├── _layout.tsx // Defines tab navigation for main screens
│ │ ├── home.tsx // Home screen
│ │ ├── transactions.tsx // Transactions screen (budgeting example)
│ │ ├── settings.tsx // Settings screen (theme toggle, profile settings, etc.)
│ ├── _layout.tsx // Global layout for the entire app (root stack)
│ ├── index.tsx // Entry point screen; checks auth & redirects user
│ ├── +not-found.tsx // Fallback screen if route is not found
├── components
│ ├── CustomButton.tsx // Reusable button component
│ ├── TransactionCard.tsx // Example component displaying transaction info
├── contexts
│ ├── AuthContext.tsx // Handles global user authentication state
│ ├── ThemeContext.tsx // Handles global theme (light/dark) state
│ ├── BudgetContext.tsx // Example context for budgeting or financial data
├── hooks
│ ├── useAuth.ts // Custom hook to access auth logic, e.g., useContext(AuthContext)
│ ├── useTheme.ts // Custom hook to access theme logic
│ ├── useBudget.ts // Custom hook to manage budgeting data
├── services
│ ├── firebase.ts // Config & functions for Firebase backend
│ ├── api.ts // API calls to external services or custom server
├── .env // Environment variables (API keys, secrets)
└── package.json // Project configuration & dependencies
Key Points
• (onboarding)/_layout.tsx might define a stack for login flows.
• (tabs)/_layout.tsx defines the bottom tab for Home, Transactions, Settings.
• contexts/ is ideal for MVVM-like “logic containers” or global state (Auth, Theme, etc.).
• hooks/ can store custom hooks that you’ll re-use across components.
• services/ for external APIs, database connections, etc.
Build Step by Step (with AI)
1. Generate Screens
• Have AI create your Home, Transactions, and Settings screens automatically.
• For each screen, specify the functional requirements you want (e.g., “The Home screen should display total balance,” etc.).
2. Refine Navigation
• AI can create or refine your _layout.tsx files so that each screen is properly tabbed or stacked.
• If you prefer a manual approach, you can still do so, but AI saves time if you’re new to coding.
3. Add Contexts & Hooks
• For example, AuthContext for login state, BudgetContext for transactions, or useBudget custom hook for shared logic.
• This is where you might incorporate an MVVM idea: your “Context” or “ViewModel” handles the logic, while your screens (Views) just display data.
4. Implement Backends
• If you’re using Firebase, have AI scaffold a services/firebase.ts to store user data, transactions, etc.
• For a custom server on AWS/Heroku, let AI set up basic CRUD operations in services/api.ts.
5. Iterate & Test
• Use Expo Go to see changes in real time.
• If you find a problem, refine your AI prompts or manually tweak the code.
Example Flow:
Validate Non-Functional Requirements
Once you have a working prototype, check whether you meet your NFRs:
• Performance: Does the Home screen load under 2 seconds?
• Security: Are you storing sensitive user data securely (e.g., using HTTPS, encryption, or Firebase rules)?
• Usability: Is navigation consistent and intuitive? (E.g., “Home” tab always leads back to your overview screen.)
This is the engineering side of app planning that ensures quality, not just functionality.
Polish UI/UX
1. Styling & Theming
• Use your ThemeContext or a styling library (e.g., React Native Paper) to maintain consistent colors, spacing, and typography.
2. Feedback & Validation
• Provide clear error messages if users leave required fields blank.
• Show success messages or toasts when actions (like “Add Transaction”) complete.
3. Responsiveness
• Test on different screen sizes (small phones, large phones, tablets).
• Optimize performance by lazy-loading data or caching frequently accessed info.
Wrap Up & Next Steps
By integrating functional and non-functional requirements, using flowcharts or UML to model your screens, choosing an SDLC and architecture pattern (MVC, MVP, or MVVM), and employing AI tools to scaffold your code, you create a solid foundation for your app—before development.
These steps de-risk your project significantly. You’ll have clear requirements, an easy-to-follow file structure, a well-defined architecture, and an organized plan for iterative development. Happy building, and let me know which step has helped you the most in your planning process!
Final Takeaways
• Functional vs. Non-Functional Requirements: Don’t just list features—describe performance, security, and usability needs, too.
• Flowcharts or UML: Visualize the app’s flow or structure in a way that’s easy for everyone (including non-developers) to grasp.
• Architectural Patterns: Decide if you’ll use MVC, MVP, or MVVM early; it will shape how you separate concerns and handle logic.
• SDLC Approaches: Feature-based, bottom-up, or top-down—pick the one that complements your team, timeline, and product scope.
• AI Automation: Tools like Cursor can generate screens, contexts, and services, letting you focus on product vision over boilerplate code.
By blending these software engineering practices with a user-centric focus, you’ll have a scalable, maintainable mobile app that meets both functional goals and quality expectations.