INTRODUCTION
Project overview
The problem is looking for a mobile company which has the best practices implementation that will allow an organization to become an active player in the new economy and an opportunity to exploit its good potential in handling and managing business performance.
The goal is to be able to cope up and apply in our hypothetical IT organization the best practices that will be gathered and make the processes even more smartly and efficient.
The criteria for the success are the ability to make critical decisions based on key performances indicator for the project, to quantify the method and measure the practices, and can be aligned to business objectives….
Assumptions are that:
- To be able to gather the best practices
- Team members that are capable to cope up of things that is needed to do in this project
- Has a good connection through internet to communicate about the progress of the project
Risk that might have encounter:
- Less estimated time to finish the project
- Changing of roles and responsibilities
- Poor communication resulting in misunderstanding, quality problems and rework
Current state of the organization
Fueled is a mobile design and development company based in New York, with offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, and London. They provide iOS and Android application development, web design, and strategy. The company has its roots in the New York tech start-up scene known as Silicon Alley. Fueled also offers a co-working office space as Fueled Collective it has 18,000 square foot co-working office space in New York City’s posh SoHo neighborhood.
Founded by Rameet Chawla in 2009 following the release of Apple’s App Store, Fueled began at General Assembly, at the time a startup hub and incubator in Manhattan’s Flatiron district. The team soon grew from a handful of staff to about 45 designers, producers, and developers, split between the company’s three main offices
The company headquarters is on 568 Broadway in April 2012 after expanding its staff. The building, a former sewing factory, now primarily houses tech startups like Foursquare and Thrillist.
Currently the Fueled.com has given awards in the industry such as, The Webby AWARDS, Communication Arts, HIVE Awards, Creative Review, digiday MOBI AWARDS, OMMA Awards , W3 and FWA. This award winning Company creating application for prominent & big companies like QuizUp, Barneys, American Express, Ideeli, Ribbon, JackThreads, CharityBuzz, Discovery Communications, HBO, Matchbook, Uniqlo, Vince Camuto, Copart, Decide.com, Conde Nast, Cancer.net, MTV, UrbanDaddy, Bulova, ICUC, Chatwala, Crayola, Inlist, Happify, Kapture, Elevatr.
Currently rank of fueled.com in alexa.com
- Alexa rank 103,874 (US Rank), 236,111 (Global Rank)
Fueled.com current Projects
- Verizon: in-store mobile
- Dayo : photography social networking site
- QuizUp: Multiplayer trivia game for android.
- Nimble: Paper Less load system.
- Afterlight: Mobile image editing app.
- Barneys: New York in-store fashion app.
Company reviews in other website.
- 73% Recommended to a friend 73% Approve of CEO
https://www.glassdoor.com/Reviews/Fueled-Reviews-E710513.htm
https://clutch.co/profile/fueled
https://www.facebook.com/Fueled/reviews/
Organizational Chart
Scope
At Fueled, they don’t just build apps. Fueled create the kind of apps that people talk about, that they use over and over again. They eat, sleep, and breathe mobile. It’s who they are.
- Vetting the Idea
We don’t just build whatever comes our way. The first step is to hand-pick only the best projects. And then no matter how good the idea sounds or how confident our client is, we put the app through a rigorous vetting process, polishing and streamlining the idea along the way. Only then, are we ready to start designing and building anything.
- Good Ideas Incite Percent Execution
Once we’ve reviewed an idea, it’s time to start designing and building. From designing a logo and brand identity through full design and development, our in-house specialists spring into action. We are strong believers in data-driven decision making, which means that we adhere to an agile, analytics-driven approach. Build, test, launch, gather feedback. Rinse & repeat.
Purpose and objectives
Purpose:
- Fueled are transforming client’s ideas into useful apps.
- Striving to build apps that people actually download and use.
- Bringing cutting-edge mobile apps and web design to the clients, from startups to big names.
Objectives:
- Building successful apps that…
- People will use
- Building the kind of apps that people/users want and what matters to them.
- Apps that make money
- Building apps like building businesses for earning revenue for their clients.
- Apps that top the charts.
- building projects that topped paid and free charts in multiple countries and languages.
- People will use
Benefits to stakeholders
“Fueled served as a sort of incubator at the beginning of the project. The team always made themselves available and we were able to really work seamlessly.” – Arthur Shmulevsky – Founder of CleanCube
“I met with a ton of dev shops. The moment i walked into fueled, Iknew they were the right partner for me. They just get it. After one meeting Iknew they were, to their core, about quality. As you walk through their office, you feel it in the air, in the way everyone’s dressed, in the curated selection of furniture. It’s magical.” – David Spiro – Founder of Elevatr
“Design was critical in my choice of development firms. After reviewing nearly a hundred firms, I chose fueled and the results have been nothing short of world class.” – Tony Alfaro – Founder of Ribbon
“There was a real sense of partnership working with fueled. The team is friendly and accountable, delivering on time and budget. I never felt left in the dark. Better yet, their creativity was incredible, coming up with outside-of-the-box solutions which we really valued.” – Adam Benzion – Portfolio Manager of OtterBox
“Fueled stands for the incendiary fusion of form and function. You can see and feel the difference. They make apps that excite your eyes and set your thumbs on fire.” – Mark Mollé & Felicity Sargent – Co-Founders, Definer
Project team structure
The Fueled team is united by an unwavering passion for quality. They focus on strategy, design, and development as they passionately pursue the bleeding, hair-splitting, cutting-edge of mobile apps. They’re not here to work on just any apps or for any client. They come to work in the morning to build the best apps for the best clients. It’s what makes them tick.
The Leadership Team:
- Rameet Chawla – Mobile Architect
From New York to London, Rameet is known as an expert in mobile design, startups, product strategy, ecommerce, and user experience. Between Fueled and The Collective, The Summit Mountain Project and General Assembly, Rameet is an integral part of the global entrepreneurial community. He often speaks at schools and conferences on the topic of mobile and entrepreneurship, and contributes on publications like Forbes, VentureBeat, and The Next Web.
- Ryan Matzner –Director of Business Development
Ryan started his career with a chain of London based restaurants where he pioneered new uses of social media, including Europe’s first Foursquare offer. More recently, he has done social media strategy for brands including Discover Card, Samsung, & Fashism. He also worked closely with New York’s largest web-development agency to re-launch their website & helped increase traffic to their website by 300%.
- Brian Kaplowitz –Head of Operations
Brian began his career with a D.C. based e-commerce company, in an account management capacity. Over time he migrated to more internal operations and managerial focused roles where he oversaw project flow, supervising personnel, managing strategic partnerships and driving internal analytics. More recently, Brian has helped several startups scale their operations, helping them balance creativity with processes designed to drive efficiencies.
- Rob Palmer – Creative Director
Rob has been at the forefront of design for web since early 2003, starting out with the focus of making accessible web design fun and engaging combining well written markup with rich illustrative design. Presently he has transitioned his passion over to responsive web and iOS app design where he is creating products for a wide spectrum of clients from startups to enterprise brands.
- Sage Young – iOS Development Director
Sage is an interaction designer and technologist specializing in iOS development. He leads the iOS Development practice at Fueled, ensuring that the best methods, tools and techniques are employed to develop apps for the iOS platform. With a background in user experience strategy and user interface design, he also helps bridge the gap in helping facilitate more effective collaboration between Development and the Product and Design teams.
- Yann Wanner – Lead Account Manager
Yann loves building stuff at the intersection of brands, people, and technology – in fact, he’s worked in digital for his entire career. This Swiss guy serves as a trusted advisor to founders and business executives alike. Yann received a M.A. in Marketing and is a passionate advocate for easy User Experience and clean design aesthetic. He can often be found in the Swiss mountains with his family or listening to music (anything other than ABBA).
BENCHMARK
Best practice/s
- Study your Audience Behavior
Before you begin developing or even planning your mobile app, consider your audience. Think about the profile of those who will use the app, their goals and challenges, and how your solution will help them.
- Learn from Competitors
Beyond understanding the profile of your users, mobile app creators must educate themselves about the competitive landscape they are entering. Research similar ideas on the various app stores, test competitors’ mobile apps and note the benefits of each.
- Invest User Experience
Even the greatest applications will not be successful if they are not usable. Aim for a mobile app that is intuitive and user-friendly by investing resources in theGUI of each platform.
- Take Mobile Application Security Seriously
Mobile apps are vulnerable, by definition. Whether your mobile app is in a heavily regulated industry like finance or health care or not, you must take privacy and security measures to protect your users and their data and, if applicable, to comply with industry regulations.
- Test as if Your App Depends on It, Because It Does
Testing is not another step in the development process; testing is a part of each step of the process. You must constantly and consistently test everything about your app.
- Respond to Analytics and Feedback
Into your mobile app, build in analytics features that will monitor and track users’ activity, interactions, crash logs and other events. Users will provide feedback and ideas that will help you improve your product, so stay attentive and responsive.
Companies implementing the best practices
- ArcTouch
- OpenXcell
- Sourcebits
- Techahead
- Qburst
- Contus
How implemented
By the help of a Senior Business Manager, Senior Front end Developer, Senior UI Design, Senior IOS Developer, Senior Android Developer, Senior Python Developer, Senior Product Manager, Senior Account Manager, and Mobile Architect.
The Senior Business Manager focuses in power significant selection and revenue growth. They are the responsible for the definition and execution of strategy for growing selection. They are working across teams to set strategy and determine which products to pursue in order to maximize value and selection for Buyers. They will engage directly with key software vendors to bring their products to marketplace and build marketing plans in order to drive customer adoption and revenue.
The Senior Front end Developer is the one who create responsive designs for websites and web/mobile applications actively involved in creative user interface solutions through front-end development, maintains and push the agency benchmark for quality of work output for existing and new clients, responsible for the day-to-day management of sub team members, progress, and deadlines, works with the Production Department and other members of the Design Department, reports directly to the Creative Director, and they’re involved in Senior management meetings to discuss team-wide and industry-related topics.
The Front end Developers work is just like the job of a Senior Front end Developer. The only difference between them is the junior developer works with the Production Department and other members of the Design Department. And he reports directly to sub team lead.
The Senior UI Design focused primarily on iOS or Android native application design using their skills and talent. Their skills are extending creative for Web, UX, branding, and iconography work. They’re confident working with Strategists and Design team peers to create project architecture documents including Sitemaps, Workflows, Schematics, Wireframes, and Blueprints. They’re understood and have worked in an agile team environment. They’re the source of inspiration internally and externally, always overachieving and driving the Fueled benchmark for quality. They are collaborating with the Fueled Development team to deliver projects and ensure that vision is carried through to final product launch. They are working with the Product team to ensure the best user experience solutions are being produced and actively involved in securing new business leads via creating pitch decks, networking, or supplying direct leads.
The Senior IOS Developer are experts at developing apps for iOS, are intimately familiar with Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines, and stay current on changes to the App Store Review Guidelines. They provide guidance to Interaction and Visual Designers as well as Producers to ensure that applications follow best practices and meet requirements. They are great in solving complex engineering problems quickly and smartly. They contribute their ideas at various stages of the project, including having a strong voice in application architecture, investigating solutions, and finding ways to innovate. They have great communication skills.
The Senior Android Developer design and build advanced applications for the Android platform by collaborating with cross-functional teams to define, design, and ship new features. They work with outside data sources and API’s. Working on bug fixing and improving application performance and continuously discover, evaluate, and implement new technologies to maximize development efficiency.
The Senior Python Developer is a lead backend developer with a strong background working with Python in the Django framework. He leads the development of Restful APIs, backends, and web applications that are used by mobile apps. As lead developer, he makes decisions on the technologies being used that support the development of apps that embody Fueled’s commitment to build excellent products, and understands mobile development at an expert level. He runs all developer operations for Fueled. Is working with a team of highly skilled people, and stand out as a mentor to his fellow team members, whether they are in the office or working remotely.
The Senior Product Manager understands what makes a strong digital product. Knows what a mobile phone is capable of and how we can push it to its limits and what makes a compelling, interesting idea for a mobile product. His role is to sit down with potential new clients and hear about their idea at a very-high level, and then turn around and present implementation vision. They up with a broad vision for a concept right off the cuff. The reason why they come up with solutions on the fly is because they know best practices and how to solve problems through technology. In minutes, they come up with ideas that took clients weeks or months to put together.
The Senior Account Manager is asked to do a range of tasks ranging from managing client deliverables to meeting regularly with clients and leading them through the Fueled process. They coordinate with many different members of the Fueled team to be successful with design and develop a flawless product. They work with a dynamic team structure led by the Director of Accounts, helping to support and deliver on ability to help clients bring their products to life quickly and effectively. They have a vast knowledge in mobile and tech industry best practices and the platforms, as well as know the unique Fueled approach and take on each project. Senior Account Managers consistently manage client expectations, client communications, schedules, budgets, assets and scope detail. Organization and an attention to detail is essential. Senior AMs work closely with creative, strategy and tech teams to produce amazing digital products.
The Mobile Architect is responsible for overseeing the design of wireless networks. They’re working with a variety of vendors and customers to research and implement appropriate technology and network infrastructure. They develop design models and completely test their functionality and usability prior to implementation. They’re also in charge of staying current with wireless technology trends and finding ways to improve existing network infrastructures.
The Director of Business Development is responsible for developing and implementing a comprehensive internal and external marketing plan that would increase revenues and profits. This position is expected to uphold the mission and values established by the organization.
The Head of Operations is responsible for overseeing data entry, payroll, managing the HR function, helping and creating organizational and program budgets in collaboration with the CEO and other team members, and undertaking other miscellaneous tasks as and when they arise. Also the role of Head of Operations is to ensure that the strategic and business objectives as well as the values of A4ID are put into practice. In conjunction with other members of staff they will ensure business growth through directing and managing business operations activities to ensure they are delivered in accordance with the strategic objectives.
The Creative Director is a vital role in all of the arts and entertainment industries. In another sense, they can be seen as another element in any product development process. The creative director may also assume the roles of an art director, copywriter, or lead designer.
Implementation Challenges and Results
- Creating Apps which Get Noticed
- Most of their recent favorite apps are specifically interesting for kids, teens, and adults who are interested in gaming, photo editing and even to check the weather of another country, useful app for those who are purchasing goods in certain convenience stores worldwide, and also for the athletes.
- Their aim is to build successful apps that people move out to their home screen, knows a thing or two about branding, websites, and user acquisition. They create apps which are known as people talk about that they use over and over again.
Results:
- QuizUp – the award winning multiplayer trivia game and it hit #1 on Google Play within 24 hours.
- Afterlight is the world’s best-selling mobile image editing app. It became the #1 paid app in the Google Play store within 48 hours of launching.
- Dealing with the Screen Real Estate
- Apps with responsive design based on screen sizes, OS requirements, embedded technologies, pixel intensities.
- Apps working on iPhone, iPad, Android, and web-based
Results:
- Verizon asked Fueled Enables customers to digitally interact with products and discover exclusive mobile content as they explore the store and pass through Bluetooth-powered geofenced zones within the store.
- Dayo (app) allows you to capture their life in vivid moments through photography that are combined chronologically. Don’t just share a photo, share your day.
- The team behind QuizUp – the award winning multiplayer trivia game – approached Fueled to create the Android version of their game. Our ability to translate iOS designs to Android while maintaining a beautiful and intuitive interface, along with our quick development turnaround time, allowed us to launch QuizUp Android in record time. It hit #1 on Google Play within 24 hours.
- When Barneys (fashion store) sought to create a native e-commerce presence on iPad, they came to Fueled. We fashioned an app that maintains the elegance and beauty of their in-store experience on a new digital platform.
- Third Party Services Works
- The ultimate key to a successful app is to “always think 6-8 months ahead of where you’re currently at.” says Emilie (Fueled).
- Developers tend to cross the obstacle of lack of flexibility when it comes to using pre-existing backend such as Parse and Heroku, seeing that they hold limitations for specific features.
Results:
- Try to find a happy median with 3rd party services. See where your app can expand to and figure out whether or not the third party is flexible enough to work with the full extent of your apps features.
- Testing, Monitoring and Applying
- Proper testing through active participants is crucial for gathering relevant feedback and data.
Results:
- Gaining support from different analytics companies will help specify the exact issues and inform you on what to apply and take out of your app.
- Keep up with changes in the platform or specific to your app. By staying up to date with different movements in app platforms you can always be up to date and moving forward in the app game.
- “Don’t make assumptions about what potential users want. Do your research, and see where your beta testers think the app should evolve.”
- Testing the core of your product with beta testers, then through research, coming to terms with what the other features should be involved in the app before its launch.
Benefits
Base on the Program/Apps that are made…
- World class design
- Budget price yet their creativity is incredible
Base on the Developers that client encountered…
- Friendly team
- Delivering on time
PROJECT METHODOLOGY
Service Strategy
- The first step is to hand-pick only the best projects.
- The app put through a rigorous vetting process, polishing and streamlining the idea along the way.
- Ready to start designingand building anything.
Service Design
- From designing a logo and brand identity through full design and development, our in-house specialists spring into action.
- When it comes to data-driven decision making, we adhere to an agile, analytics-driven approach.
- Build, test, launch, gathered feedback. Rinse & repeat.
Service Transition
- Feature Set: designers use to come up with a designs and developers use as a guideline for coding. Building the foundation.
- Branding and Design: the perfect design will help your product stand out
- Developing and Launch: developing a perfect app is figuring out its architecture. We loop in our lead architect and a team of senior developers to pick the perfect technology stack for your product.
- Development and Launch: When it’s time for developmentto actually start, we assign specialists that match with the technologies selected during the architecture phase.
Service Operation
- When it comes to marketing, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. And so Fueled has built a robust network of in-house and partner marketing experts.
- Assess the marketing goals and opportunities for your app, and then introduce you to our hand-picked roster of experts.
Continual Service Improvement
- Offers maintenance packages that cover everything from the occasional checkup all the way up to ongoing feature expansions and whole new versions.
IMPLEMENTATION STRATEGY
Branding
When we create a logo, we aren’t just creating an identity–we’re creating a whole new language.
Absorbing your spec, we create draft concepts. Of those, we select the best and explore further. After strict review and reflection with you, we narrow down the direction to a single concept. We then explore and refine until your brand is perfect.
User Experience
It’s easy to know what elements you need on the screen. But laying them out is the tricky part.
Have you ever had an app react perfectly on cue and feel totally natural? That’s the sign of an expert UI. Achieving this means taking our work beyond mere wireframes. At the end of the UX phase, we will present you with your app’s blueprints.
User Interface
Once wireframes & blueprints are created, we formulate the UI. The UI extends upon the language of your brand to create a fully fledged identity.
We select key screens from the blueprints to begin our creation process. Once the UI is finalized, most developers would move on to development. But at Fueled, that’s when we get started with polish.
Polish
Your app comes to life during UI and UX, but our round of polish is where the magic happens. It’s where we add that extra little something that is Fueled’s signature style.
Notice how this site you’re on is a bit slicker than the others you’ve visited lately? That’s polish. We perfect animations, transition states, and add all the fine details and special touches that make an app a Fueled app.
Concepting & Strategy
From fully fleshed-out concepts to one-sentence pitches, this is where our team stress-tests every project that comes through Fueled’s doors. We want to know why your idea makes sense, why it’s going to be successful, why anyone would care about it. This is where our expert strategists will challenge assumptions and overhaul business plans.
Working hand-in-hand with our clients, we take your initial concept and merge it with everything the Fueled team knows about mobile, about startups, about what does and doesn’t work. We turn ideas into actual products.
Once we all agree on a general direction, Fueled’s team fleshes out all the details. One of the great benefits of this process is that minutes in strategy translate to an hour in wireframing, a few hours in design, and days or even weeks in development.
Deliverable: The Feature Set
The feature set is your project’s bible. It’s a plain-English, written description of how your app is going to work. It’s what our designers use to come up with designs and our developers use as a guideline for coding. It is the foundation for all the steps to come.
SUCCESS MEASURES
Android and iOs apps developer know that developing and releasing a mobile app is just the first step in the long journey to make it a successful app and 5-start mobile app. If you have to make your app successful you need to measure the right metrics, and optimize and iterate your apps to your target goals.
There are 4 broad buckets of metrics you need to track to your apps to become your apps successful and gain a 5-star.
- Acquisition Metrics
- Performance Metrics
- Engagement Metrics
- Business Metrics
- Acquisition Metrics
- Acquisition Metrics is used to measure the number of download that the app getting. This is important to have a large number of downloads. In addition to the number of downloads, the acquisition metrics also features the “Discovery” method. For example it is important to understand where the users are discovering the application. It will help you on marketing in a better way.
- Performance Metrics.
- It calculates the quality of the app using factors of automatic crash report, manual user feedback and app store review. When the app crashes, the issue should automatically be emailed to the developer. Also, the user should have an option of giving manual feedback and finally, app store is the most important place where you must get positive reviews for your app.
- Engagement Metrics
- Engagement Metrics is divided in 4 parts. Active users, Session length, Goals completed, and User Loyalty. An active user is generally the one who has use for more than 10 times. Session length refers to the amount of time that the user has spent using the app. You may also need to measure whether or not your app has achieved the goals specified and user loyalty that it has earned.
- Business Metrics
- Focuses in the revenue, profit or sales and cost of advertising the app.
LESSONS LEARNED
When I visit their website of our chosen company Fueled, I really admire the designs of their site. It was really creative and amazing; your eyes will never get boring. Their team is deeply experienced a lot of things in making apps and well-trained. The way they attract their customer by dealing them a great done job their passion in good designing and strategy for how being mobile applications and websites coded. The Best Practices to know what are the important things you need to remember when you started to develop mobile applications.
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