FNB App Academy Lesson 4

This is part of Week 2 of the FNB App Academy 2025. In this lesson, you were guided step-by-step through how real apps are planned, structured, designed, tested, and launched — using a relatable analogy: preparing a meal. If you missed the session or felt overwhelmed, this article will walk you through each concept in a way that’s easy to understand and apply.

👨‍🍳 Cooking Up an App – A Developer’s Journey

Instead of just listing software terms, Bilal (your instructor for this lesson) used something familiar to explain the process: cooking. Just like a good meal requires ingredients, recipes, plating, and presentation, a good app requires planning, design, and refinement. Your goal isn’t just to write code — it’s to create an experience that users enjoy and recommend.

To do that, you’ll follow the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), which includes these phases:

• Analysis
• Design
• Development
• Testing
• Deployment
• Improvement

Let’s break each of those down with examples from the fictional Pine City Zoo app you’ll be building.

🔍 Phase 1 – Analysis: Who Are You Cooking For?

Just like a chef must know their guests’ preferences, a developer must understand their users. In this phase, you:

• Identify your client (e.g. Pine City tourism board)
• Understand the user (e.g. kids and tourists visiting the zoo)
• Define pain points (low tourism, poor info, hard-to-navigate attractions)
• Research needs (what users want to see, find, and learn inside the zoo)

Bilal showed how skipping this step leads to apps that flop — not because they aren’t beautiful, but because they solve the wrong problem.

Key Questions to Ask:

• Who is going to use this app?
• What is their goal when using it?
• What frustrates them about the current experience?
• What should the app help them do better or faster?

🎨 Phase 2 – Design: What’s on the Menu?

Now that you know who you’re building for, it’s time to design the experience. In this phase, you create:

• A feature list based on the analysis (e.g. map, zoo info, places tab, feedback form)
• A layout that prioritises usability
• A wireframe or sketch of your app’s structure
• Sample UI screens to test with real people

Example: Pine City Zoo App

• Top menu: Animals | Map | Places
• Bottom menu: Weather | Feedback
• Center panel: Main content changes by screen (e.g. animal profiles, contact forms)

Bilal reminded you that good design is simple and consistent. Don’t hide key features behind tiny buttons or confusing gestures. Menus should be visible, buttons should be large, and the interface should be intuitive — especially for children and older users.

💻 Phase 3 – Development: Time to Start Cooking

This is the part many new developers rush into too early. But by now, you’ve already analysed your users and designed a UI that meets their needs. Now it’s time to:

• Code your screens and menus
• Build the navigation logic
• Integrate any external APIs (e.g. maps or weather)
• Keep testing each component as you go

Bilal showed off a working version of the Pine City Zoo app with a rustic wood design, sticky menus at the top and bottom, and clear callouts for the map and content. This is where your app starts to come alive — but you’re not done yet.

🧪 Phase 4 – Testing: The Taste Test

Before you serve your meal, you let someone taste it. The same goes for apps. You must:

• Test the app on multiple devices
• Check functionality (does each button work?)
• Check usability (can users find what they need quickly?)
• Perform stress testing (simulate 10,000+ users at once)
• Repeat the tests multiple times

Bilal quoted Steve Jobs:

“If you need a manual, you failed at design.”

Users should instantly know what your app is for and how to use it — without needing instructions. If testers are confused, it’s your job to refine the experience.

🚀 Phase 5 – Deployment: Time to Serve

Once you’re confident in your app’s performance and polish, it’s time to launch. Just like plating a dish beautifully, deployment is about the presentation and timing. You’ll:

• Upload the app to a store or platform
• Monitor user feedback and reviews
• Be ready to patch bugs or roll out fixes quickly

🔁 Phase 6 – Improvement: Keep It Fresh

Even after your app is live, your work isn’t done. Like a great restaurant, you need to evolve:

• Release small updates to improve performance or design
• Add features based on real user feedback
• Refine UI and fix anything that’s hard to use
• Prepare for future growth by keeping your code clean and modular

Bilal also cautioned against building every feature from day one. Instead, start with an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) — a simple version of your app that’s functional and focused. Once it gains traction, add features that real users want.

🐾 What You’re Building: Pine City Zoo App

You’ll be using this lesson to start building a real app inside the LMS. Your app will:

• Help visitors navigate a zoo
• Provide info about animals and attractions
• Offer feedback and weather features
• Use menus that are visible, intuitive, and future-proof

Check the LMS for instructions and next steps — and make sure to start sketching your wireframes now if you haven’t yet.

✅ Key Takeaways

• Build apps that solve real problems, not just apps that seem cool
• Start with the user’s needs — not your assumptions
• Follow the software development life cycle in full
• Design with usability in mind: simple, consistent, and accessible
• Always test, refine, and listen to feedback before and after launch

This is the lesson that shifts you from “learning code” to thinking like a builder. Don’t skip the strategy. Don’t underestimate the design. And always keep the user in focus.