Planning to make a new mobile app? You might be struggling to come up with a “blue sky” idea. Feeling restless as you need to get that new app out the door in the next few weeks? Relax. You are going to make a mind-blowing app. All you need is just the right approach to brainstorming.
Ideas just don’t come out of the blue as we all used to say. In fact, ideas are kind of connections among countless existing data in our minds. It requires a bit of work and brainstorming for app innovations to come to life.
If you are falling short of inspiration for developing your new app, don’t fret. Here are some great ways to brainstorm unique yet useful app ideas to help you out.
Look for the problems you can solve
“Usually, the best ideas come from having to fix a really hard problem.”- Jesse Schell
It is a rule of thumb to follow while brainstorming new projects. Looking for a problem to solve can give you great app ideas that can strike a chord with the target audience. Do targeted research and listen to your audience. Also, study the market to look for some problems that are not approached by your competitors. Once you find a problem, next, you will analyze how feasible it is to develop a solution with your capabilities.
Observe the reality
All ideas come through some sort of observation. Sometimes just sitting in your cabin and waiting for ideas to come to your mind may not work. Observe the real world to look for the problem. For instance, suppose you are travelling in a bus, and you observe people getting frustrated while waiting for the bus. This may trigger an idea in your mind to develop an app that can notify people how long they need to wait for the next bus. Keep observing who knows you might develop the next angry birds or uber.
Don’t over complicate your idea
Complex apps soon wind up as too many features can be challenging to learn and use, and of course costly to maintain. So think of something simple and useful. If you think of some successful apps, it is often some simplest ones that come to our mind. For instance, apps like Dropbox and Evernote are simple apps that just address a pain point for the user and are effortlessly easy to use.
Try to find outdated or underperforming apps
There are some apps that are a total shot in the dark and need to improve. So, look for such gaps in the market and analyze the existing solutions to see if you can build an app to fill that gap. Try to find out some underperforming or outdated apps in the market and create it with a better UX design than the existing one to make a difference.
You can look for some popular iOS apps that don’t have an Android counterpart. Even if it is not a unique app idea, still you will have plenty of room for creativity. You can think of offering the Android user what iOS users already have and even create a better version of that app.
But don’t be too focused on just filling the gap. In fact, extend outside the gap and make it in the best possible way otherwise someone can also do the same with you in the next few months.
Take quick notes
Don’t restrict your brain to some specific time to think of ideas. Train your brain to come up with some specific number of ideas each day. Jot down all of your ideas in an organized way. Develop a habit of creating solutions on an on-going basis. Ponder over all the ideas you came up with at the end of the day, and there will be some brilliant ones for sure.
Expose yourself to app development environment
Exposure to tech environment can also trigger some great ideas. Try to spend enough time in the app store and see what others have developed. Observe what is missing and need to be developed. Communicate with people and figure out what features they want for an app to have? You can even go through various inspirational blog posts, videos on this realm.
Be futuristic
With new technologies evolving at a fast pace, you need to think ahead of time. As the need for people keeps expanding, there will be a need for more app solutions. The best brainstorming technique is to figure out what is popular now and imagine what kind of apps will be needed by people in 1 year, 5 years, or 10 years down the line.
A head start on technologies like apps is a great way to stay sharp and up-to-date. Even if you have a relevant app idea, considering it with future perspective can be an eye-opening experience.
Lastly, figure out if your idea has legs
Brainstorming doesn’t end up when the new ideas rain down. There is still more to go to make ideas happen truly. Once you got the idea for your dream app, the next step is to articulate the idea execution plan and ask hard questions.
Yes, you need to play devil’s advocate to develop a successful app. When you outline a basic idea challenge yourself by answering a series of questions to prove it’s viable. You should be clear about why the world needs your app. Send it to others for review after defending your idea to yourself.
Wrapping up
To sum up, creating a mobile app is all about finding a solution to a problem and offering fun and entertainment. With these tricks up your sleeve, you are sure to come up with some amazing ideas for your app.
Don’t stress out as stress can reduce your ability to think. The artistic part of the brain only responds to the calm state of mind. A great idea can pop up in your mind while taking a shower or even while having a cup of coffee. Just give your mind a chance and results will soon start to appear.
Looking forward to seeing your idea materialized in the app store soon! Happy brainstorming!