• Read more about Mobomo Named Prime Awardee Of Web Re-Engineering By The United States Geological Survey

Mobomo was recently named the winner of a prime contract at the United States Geological Survey for web re-engineering services, slated to begin this fall.

The purpose of the USGS web re-engineering project is to connect USGS research and science to Internet users through their web presence. The team will consolidate 320+ disparate websites into a single Drupal Content Management System in an Amazon Web Services cloud environment with the objective of continuously improving customer satisfaction and achieving an excellent customer experience by making USGS science and information available, usable, affordable, and accessible in one functional website.

“Mobomo is excited to have been chosen by USGS as their technical partner in this vision. The launch of the new redesigned USGS.gov was a huge accomplishment, and we look forward to continued success ensuring USGS science and information is effectively delivered to website visitors in an engaging and efficient manner.” says Ken Fang, President at Mobomo, LLC.

Mobomo, LLC, headquartered in Washington, D.C., is a premier mobile-first web and mobile application design and engineer company that has extensive experience in working with federal agencies and commercial enterprises.

Mobomo specializes in working with government agencies helping enable technologies and improve the way they serve and engage with users. Not only does this benefit the user but agencies are seeing benefit through cost savings.

• Read more about Mobomo Named Best Places To Work 2016

We are ecstatic to have been named one of the Best Places to Work in DC by the Washington Business Journal!

“The Washington Business Journal is owned and operated by American City Business Journals, the nation’s largest publisher of metropolitan business newspapers. American City Business Journals also includes Bizjournals, the new media division, which operates the Web sites for each of the company’s 43 business journal markets. The Washington Business Journal has been Greater Washington’s leading source of business news and information for 30 years, providing over 150,000 business executives with comprehensive news on local people and their companies, as well as industry trends, tips and strategies and award-winning critical analysis. For more information, please visit www.washingtonbusinessjournal.com.”

Washington Business Journal selects the winners by evaluating job satisfaction survey responses that are filled out by each company’s employees. The winners are split into four lists: Small (10-24 employees), Medium (25-49 employees), Large (50-249 employees), and Extra-Large (250-99,999 employees).

What makes Mobomo Awesome:

Here at Mobomo, it’s fair to say that not one person is the same, we encourage creativity and thinking outside the box, we love hiring folks from different backgrounds and experience that’s what makes our culture ours. We hire people who bring awesome to everything that they do, which in turn makes Mobomo awesome. Each employee brings something to the company which makes Mobomo a great place to work.

• Read more about Project Management: Life Pro Tips

Do you ever wonder how you can stay on top of the newest technology? Or what the next big thing will be? We asked some of our project managers for their recommendations, how they stay on top of technology and how they integrate the changing technologies into their everyday routine. Here are their top agile project management tips and life hacks:

Browser extensions

Browser extensions can be added to make your tedious tasks online into simpler, more efficient and personalized ways of working. Think of extensions as an army of little helpers for your professional and recreational online activity - remember, extensions are here to help you!

Font Face Ninja (Chrome, Safari) - details on any text in a browser screen, mask mode hides anything that is not text

Page Ruler (Chrome) - Measure anything in the browser screen to see it’s dimensions, this is handy for designers and developers

Google Docs Offline (Chrome) - Edit Google docs and sheets offline to then be synced once connection is established

Muzli 2 (Chrome, Safari) - For a new window or tab default page, this loads lots of digital design inspiration and resources

Software and Programs

In Project Management - communication is the cornerstone to high-quality performance. Whether it communication to clients, developers or other teammates, these tools help in every step of the process:

Jira - Clone tool - when working with multiple platforms on a project this tool can help replicate the same stories to different components, or platforms.

Slack - This communication program is incredibly useful to help speed up quick communication between teams, client user integration in specific channels, and easy file sharing.

Google Hangouts - Need an impromptu chat or video call? A quick scrum? Jump on a hangout to keep communication going.

Appear.in - Great impromptu conference call and video chat service hosted completely in the web browser. Provides a common web address, such as appear.in/mobomo that can be forwarded quickly and even password protected if needed.

Strategy

Project Stacks - It can be difficult to work outside of our comfort zone on some projects. However there are often new technologies, techniques, programs, and methods available to be utilized in a project. It is important in the industry to push limits and be on top of emerging technologies and techniques. In order to explore these opportunities in a timely and organized/structured methodology, projects can be run specifically and purposefully using these technologies and/or techniques. Little microcosms of experimental project setups that explore these potentially beneficial project components.

An example could be utilizing a new project management tool like Trello to run the project stories and sprints, while simultaneously utilizing a complementary tool like Wunderlist that integrates. This could become a very nice strategic stack and otherwise may not have been explored.

In short, keep pushing boundaries and stay agile; not only in your projects, but in your approach to projects.

Did you miss tips to keep a project on budget?

• Read more about Why Your Company Needs A Mobile App

If you think that businesses like Uber or Walmart are the only ones that benefit from a mobile app, you may want to think again!  More and more small to mid-sized businesses are incorporating mobile apps into their digital strategies, after all there are many benefits of mobile apps for businesses.

Smartphone usage has been on the up and up. Nearly three-quarters of Americans check their mobile phones at least once per hour, according to a Gallup survey.  Almost all – 90 percent – of that mobile-phone time is now devoted to using apps, analysis reveals. Americans now spend more time looking at their mobile phones than they do watching television.  A recent study by mobileinsurance.com has revealed that the average person spends 90 mins a day on their phone. That figure may not sound like a lot but that amounts up to 23 days a year and 3.9 years of the average person's life is spent staring at their phone screen.

Let’s discuss some of the advantages mobile apps can have on your company.

Benefits of Mobile Apps for Business:  

Your company is visible to customers at all times:

By your company having a mobile app you are visible to your customers 24 hours a day 7 days a week. If a user want’s to purchase and or see what’s new they are a click away no matter the day or time.

Provide value to your customers:

People tend to use apps as part of their daily routine. For example, users like to visit retail apps to see if there are any special offerings or sales. The advantages are open, two-way and ongoing communication, including push notifications that enable on-demand- you are giving users updates and or special incentives for having your app.

Improve customer engagement:

Having a help desk feature within your app can really make a difference in the way you communicate with your customers. For example, OpenTable, built its entire business model around this principle. Instead of calling a restaurant for a table, you can book it with less than five clicks on their platform. Now think about it- how many customers would prefer to communicate with you via text than via a phone call? Most people nowadays prefer all communication at the touch of a fingertip. Remember by having this convenience you are allowing users to engage, enjoy the easy use which provides customer loyalty.

Brand Recognition:

By being visible to users 24/7 this allows you to build your brand and company through the mobile app. How do you want users to perceive your company? When you design and develop your app, it is truly a blank canvas that you can do anything with- think of a mobile app as an extension of your brand. Making sure that your users still see the same value that you have on different platforms but on a mobile app. With users having your app on their phone, they will more than likely go to your company whenever they need your services next- you will be top of mind because you are already an active user/ app on their home screen.

Let us know if you can think of more benefits of mobile apps for businesses!

• Read more about Things To Consider Before Migrating To Drupal 8

First things first, what is Drupal 8? Well, Drupal 8 is the biggest update in Drupal history. It is said to be way easier to create content and every built in theme is responsive design. With over 200 new features, Drupal 8 has made its appearance. Drupal 8 is an improved suite of tools and features not seen in Drupal 7 and can be the application backbone for your projects. A few months ago we discussed how you can benefit from Drupal 8 . But now, let's talk about migration and things you may want to consider. 

Drupal 8 Migration:

Apple comes out with a new iPhone every how many months? Joking, but we all know that it seems like they are constantly creating a mad rush for people to upgrade to the next best thing. Same is true with Drupal, there is no right or wrong time to migrate to Drupal 8, however, if you want to be up-to-date with the latest cutting edge technology you typically choose to migrate just as you would get the newest version of the iPhone.

Things to consider whenever migrating to Drupal 8:

What are your Drupal needs? Feel free to get in touch so we can discuss your next Drupal project.

• Read more about How To Make A Mobile App In 7 Steps

As a mobile application development company, we get a lot of questions around the processes required to create an app. One of our director's had the privilege to speak at a recent event, LEAD, which was created by local entrepreneurs and youth sports experts Steve Sclafani and Rob Naddelman, who turned their passion for sports and helping kids into Factory Athletics – a company that holds over 1,000 camps across America in a variety of sports (Baseball, Softball, and Volleyball) that has helped over 100,000 athletes earn 1 billion dollars in college scholarships over the past 20 years.

We were able to give an overview on the process that it takes in order to make a mobile application, these are just basic guidelines that can help you define your process.

Establish your goals: 

In order for companies and successful entrepreneurs to solve their problems, they first need to establish goals. When you look around you, every product and service you use were all created to solve a problem. You wanted to get from one place to another faster, you have a car. You want to get from one country to another faster, you fly.

Do your research: 

Before you start your app design, look at the market and see what's already out there. How will you compare to others? How will your mobile app stand out versus your competition? This is the point in the process that you can really start digging in and looking for inspiration and design ideas.

Start sketching: 

By developing sketches you are laying the foundation for your future interface. In this step you visually conceptualize the main features and the approximate layout and structure of your application.

Create a storyboard: 

While you are working on your wireframes you should also create a storyboard for your app. The idea is to build a roadmap that will help you understand the connection between each screen and how the user can navigate through your app.

Revert to your wireframes and ask friends, family, colleagues, and experts to help you review your prototype. Grant them access to the wireframe and have them give your app a test run. Ask them for their honest feedback and to identify flaws and dead-end links. If possible, invite them to your studio and have them try out the prototype in front of you. Monitor how they use the app, taking note of their actions and adapting your UI/UX to them.

The goal is to concretize your app concept before it goes into the design process! Once you start designing it is much harder to change things around, so the clearer the prototype from the start, the better.

Design the "skins":

"Skins” are what designers and developers call the individual screens needed for the mobile app. Your app designer’s job is now to come up with high-resolution versions of what were previously your wireframes.

In this step it is crucial to include all comments from your prototype testers (see Step 6). After all, you are trying to build an app your target audience is actually going to use, therefore their feedback should guide you toward to the perfect UI - User Interface.

Develop: 

App marketplaces have very different policies when it comes to publishing a new app. Android, for example, does not review newly submitted apps right away. They’ll pass by at some point and check it out but you are able to instantly add your app to Google Play.

iOS, once again, is different here. Apple reserves the right to review and approve your app before it can go live. There is no set timeframe for this, but you can expect at least a week before you hear back from them.

Test & Release: 

As you continue to build you will want to constantly look at your new app to make sure there are no bugs or major issues with it. For example, on Android it is easy to install your app file on a device to test its functionality in a live environment. IOS is different, you will have to get a platform like TestFlight to download and test your app as it proceeds.

Tell us about your major pain points - are you in the market for a new app? Be sure to let us know your ideas, we love helping companies create awesome. In the meantime, check out the presentation so that you can think through your process.

[slideshare id=63783361&doc=howtobuildanapp-160706160637]

• Read more about Native vs. Hybrid vs. Web Apps

When you want to create a new product for mobile devices, you need to choose between a native, a web or a hybrid application. To make the right choice you should know the pros and cons of each option before making a decision with your mobile application development company. There are three main factors to consider:

Native Apps

Native apps are developed specifically for a mobile operating system, Android uses Objective-C or SWIFT for iOS and Java. They can interact with and take advantage of operating system features, including the camera, microphone, compass, accelerometer, GPS and the list of contacts. Native apps can also incorporate gestures, have the ability to work offline and use of the device’s notification system.

Native apps offer the fastest and most reliable experience to users. However, you will need a higher budget is needed to build across multiple platforms and keep native apps updated.

Web Apps

Web apps are not real applications; they are really websites that have more interaction so it feels like an app on mobile devices. They run in different browsers, like Safari and Chrome; they are typically written in a combination of HTML5 and Javascript.

Developing a web app can be simple and quick. It is the best and most inexpensive option for applications that require minimal native gestures and don’t require access to operating system features. However, they are slower and less intuitive and cannot be distributed through native app stores like the App Store or Google Play.

Another disadvantage is that you won’t have the app’s icon on the user’s home screen as a constant reminder that that they have the app and you can’t send the user notifications to remind them of your product.

Hybrid Apps

Hybrid apps combine elements of both native and web applications. Like native apps, they can be distributed in an app store and can take advantage of the operating system features, they also have similarities in their look and feel. They are similar to web apps because they use cross-compatible web technologies.

One of the advantages of building a hybrid app is that it’s faster and easier to develop than a native app and it is also easier to maintain. However, a hybrid application depends on the browser speed, it’s key to note that it will never be as fast as a native app.

Although this is a less expensive option in the native development, deciding whether to build a hybrid app or not is dependent on the type of project. If applications require a complex level of features and design, a hybrid app will not offer a good user experience as a native app would.

Which one should I get?

As mentioned, in order to make the right choice you should know the pros and cons of each option, consider the different factors related to your project and know your users needs.

In the table below, you will find the main advantages and disadvantages of each type of application.

To summarize, native, web and hybrid apps are great options to create mobile solutions. Each type of application have their strengths and weaknesses, the final choice will depend entirely on each project’s unique needs and priorities.

Want to see more? View some of our app development work here.

• Read more about Ways Modular CSS Benefits Your Enterprise

Modular CSS has established itself as a crucial part of modern web projects. You may have heard of methods like BEM, SMACSS, OOCSS, and Atomic CSS. At Mobomo, we put the best of these approaches into practice, and we’ve seen impressive benefits. The larger the app or website, the more important role modular CSS plays. How can modular CSS benefit your enterprise? Let’s take a look.

Structuring your CSS in a modular fashion has three main benefits:

Performance has an enormous impact on revenue and growth. This is magnified substantially on mobile devices. If you decrease your page load time by even milliseconds, you will see improvements across the board. CSS is one of the pieces of that puzzle, specifically the weight or overall file size.

Over the course of time a project has multiple redesigns, features, and developers working on it. With enterprise projects, the number of developers contributing can be extremely large. In one recent project we completely refactored the CSS architecture to be modular, and saw a 26% decrease in overall file size. This was a refactor, but when you start from scratch with a modular CSS setup, the file size will be much smaller, further contributing to performance gains.

One of the reasons you see performance gains with modular CSS is that maintenance is vastly improved. When your CSS is encapsulated, and organized in separate files, it’s much more straightforward for a developer who is new to a project to feel confident in first locating the files they should be working on, and further ensuring the additions or edits they make won’t adversely impact an element somewhere else in the project that they didn’t intend to change. Again, for enterprise apps, you can extend the application quickly to see how beneficial modular CSS is to decreasing time spent on maintenance.

When you put it all together, modular CSS increases development speed, which goes hand in hand with lowered cost. When you write modular CSS, you’re allowing developers to avoid reinventing the wheel with each new feature that’s added to a project, simultaneously making the components reused more consistent. It helps you locate old, unused CSS rules. Modular CSS helps brand consistency, by ensuring your brand colors are managed from a single location, and you don’t end up with slight variations of your company’s brand colors that look off for some reason (secret: not using modular CSS is the reason!).

Speaking in terms of enterprise projects the benefits are huge. If all developers contributing to a project have direction from the start, an organized structure and examples of how to keep things organized during the development process you can scale your app or website while retaining the benefits in performance, maintenance, and cost. If you have a project that could benefit from Mobomo’s experience, get in touch!

• Read more about Design: UX vs. UI

Being a designer is a very broad term in which many can misuse and confuse easily. You could be an industrial, print, interior or tech designer, all have different job descriptions in different industries. Speaking in terms of the tech industry there are two commonly used types of web and mobile app designers, UX and UI.

You often hear the terms UX and UI, but what do they actually mean? UX stands for User Experience and UI is User Interface. While they are two distinct concepts and have different actions in the design process they are both closely intertwined to the point one cannot exist without the other.

“User Experience” tends to be used as a broad term and often times different things can be grouped under the larger term but speaking in the realm of digital it is the inception of a product dedicated for a User always defined as the user or group of users and it’s goal is to establish the best form of engagement between the product and it’s user within a designated goal. The UX focuses on all the processes required to build this product which is ruled by purpose.

Once the User Experience is determined, “User Interface” or UI comes into the picture. Since the UX defined the clear goal, and a purpose for the interface, guides the interaction with the user has to be created for the product, it is now time to figure out how the layout will work. This will not be a random array of controls and style choices, but custom made efforts that target the specific needs and behaviors of the user, and will achieve the overall goal and purpose of the product. UI designers are responsible for creating a cohesive style guide, as well as ensuring that a consistent design language is carried out throughout the product. The UI designer must be able to make sure that the screens they are creating communicates clearly to what the UX designer has laid out.

Can one exist without the other? No, UX without UI is a plan, a thought, a strategy. UI on it’s own is just a graphic anecdote that lacks clear purpose. Be sure to check out our design page.

• Read more about Tips For Keeping A Project On Budget

As a project manager at a mobile app development company, we talk a lot about the “iron triangle”, or “triple constraint.” Both of these terms directly relate to the scope, cost, and schedule of a project. Think about the scope, cost, and schedule as the three edges, surrounding quality. When one edge lacks the triangle becomes incomplete, resulting in quality drastically suffering. Easy enough, right? One of the easiest ways to break that triangle and for a project’s quality to be negatively impacted is through budget; it is crucial for the project manager to control budget from an internal and external perspective.

Let’s take a look at what that actually means, and how you can effectively manage your project’s budget.

Define & Forecast

This will likely occur during the discovery phase of your project, this is when your project manager discovers what your company (or your client) can afford in terms of budget. This phase goes hand-in-hand with the estimation process. Combining a variety of estimating techniques will help in order to provide the most accurate estimate. First, you must define your project and the deliverables you will provide at the end of the project. When estimating line items, we recommend getting technical expert judgment from someone who has worked on a similar project, comparing and learning from other projects, estimating core costs first (team, equipment, storage, servers, etc.) and then moving up to those more abstract items afterward.

Choose a Program for Budget Management

Thomas Carlyle says that “without tools [man] is nothing” - and in this case, it’s true. As humans, we’re prone to all sorts of errors especially when it comes to number crunching. Choosing the right tool, such as Harvest, Liquid Planner, SmartSheet, Punchtime or even a fancy Excel/Google Sheets with all sorts of formulas will do the trick! We recommend a program such as Harvest or Punchtime to track employee hours and plan for upcoming work.

Update & Review Allocations Regularly

That’s right - review, review and review again. Not even the most meticulous software project managers will be able to accurately forecast hours and keep a team on track throughout a project without a regular review of budget and resource allocations. Say one team member worked an extra 10 hours last week to finish a task.. Whoops. There goes your budget for the month! Without a regular review of schedule, scope and budget, you’ll lose track quickly. If you notice your project is regularly going over-schedule, it might be time to chat with your client and/or project stakeholders about increasing budget.

Manage Scope & Schedule 

There is no better way to blow a budget than by scope creep and consequential schedule changes. Project managers must be vigilant from the beginning of the project, and they should understand the client’s vision and requirements for the project. Project managers should include a process for any changes in scope, if any changes occur the project manager should communicate to the client how any changes will impact the budget. If you monitor scope and the project schedule, you will be more in control of your overall budget.

Communicate to your Project Team

Communication is KEY to any piece of agile project management., communicating allows project managers to set and maintain expectations so that there are no surprises. If you are going to be a bit over budget due to client requests, new features, etc., you must communicate to avoid a surprise when it comes to invoicing. If your team is consistently working over-time, meet with your project team to find out the root of the problem. You’ll be amazed at what can come out of a simple conversation with your project team. By your project team being in the same page in terms of communication, stakeholders of the project will feel they’re in the loop when it comes to budget- and there will be no surprises. 

These are just suggestions that some of our project managers have found to be helpful in terms of keeping a project on budget, feel free to tell us about your agile project management tips!