What Are the Best React Native App Examples in 2022?

React Native is an open-source framework that uses JavaScript to build UI for cross-platform apps. While native apps are still important to many companies, hybrid analogs appear to help with time to market and budget. So there’s no denying that React Native contributes to changing app development. Many companies prove successful when adopting this framework across software projects. In this article, Designveloper will list the top React Native app examples and detail what they achieve with the framework.  

Top 7 Popular React Native App Examples

React Native is among the most commonly used frameworks by developers. Since its introduction in 2015, it has received wider adoption across companies of all kinds. Below are some big names in different industries that successfully apply React Native for their digital solutions: 

1. Facebook

The world’s biggest social networking App, Facebook (later renamed Meta) invented React Native to transfer all benefits of ReactJS in web development to mobile apps. Such pros include building iOS and Android apps with a single team and improving app performance. 

The Facebook engineering team first tested how React Native benefited their app performance on iOS. Accordingly, they adopted React Native for the Events Dashboard feature. As a result, they realized the startup time of this functionality was reduced by half. Startup time is the required time of opening an app. And it sets the first impression users have on an app. So shortening this time means boosting user experience and making users stay longer with the app. 

Since introducing React Native for iOS and Android, Facebook has enhanced startup time, ListView scrolling experience, and memory efficiency.

FURTHER READING:

▶ A Bird-Eye View of React vs React Native: Key Points in 2022

▶ Flutter vs React Native: Which One is Better for Business?

▶ Meteor deep dive – Reactive programming with Tracker

▶ React – Structure container component in Meteor

2. Salesforce

Salesforce is a US cloud-based software company. Salesforce’s products are customer relationship management (CRM) apps and software that focus on eCommerce, marketing, sales, and more. 

In 2016, Salesforce developed Einstein AI, a cross-platform app using AI to customize predictions and suggestions, with React Native. Further, Salesforce allowed clients to unify proprietary Mobile SDK modules and React Native to build hybrid apps. 

3. Shopify

Shopify is a perfect eCommerce platform for worldwide customers. The early team at Shopify recognized the potential of React Native. But they refused to convert their native app to React Native mainly due to the lack of first-class Android support.

Not until 2019 that Shopify experimented with three apps (i.e. Arrive, Point of Sale, and Compass) with React Native. Three development teams realized some benefits the framework gave them:

• Over 80% of code was shared between iOS and Android, saving much time in development;
• Team members felt more productive than in native development;
• React Native allowed teams to set a lower CPU threshold than expected.

From the positive signals, Shopify did a deeper dive into React Native. The framework helps them to build high-performing apps and meet the higher requirements of retail merchants.

Recommended reading: Learning React Js With Awesome Free Resources

4. Bloomberg

Bloomberg is a Global Media Conglomerate in Finance. Their development team started building hybrid apps with React Native in late 2016. This framework helps Bloomberg solve their existing problems, typically frequent delays and repetition in building iOS and Android versions simultaneously. Also, it brings the Bloomberg app several benefits as follows:

• Develop a rich mobile UI with multiple new features;
• Offer unified development features that accelerate the process and let developers focus on one feature at a time;
• Automate code refreshes;
• Speed new releases and guarantee continuous updates of the app with market-moving information;
• Allow the app to meet user demands and give personalized content based on a user’s location.

Recommended reading: Why Choose React Native for Your Mobile App Like Bloomberg or AirBnB

5. Pinterest

Pinterest started investing in React Native in 2018. They are one of the most popular image-sharing apps. The biggest positive of React Native at Pinterest is increased developer velocity. 

In particular, this framework allowed the team to share 100% of the code between iOS and Android. So it took the engineering team 10 days to build the iOS version and another two days for Android. This code sharing saved the team more than a week of developing the Android version. 

Besides, it helped cut off overheads and required time for meetings when Pinterest had to establish two separate development teams. Sharing code also helped ensure consistency between the two platforms. 

Another benefit is that React Native enabled Pinterest developers to build completely native-like UI components.

6. Tesla

Tesla is an effective communication channel for electric cars. The US-based company specializes in electric cars and clean energy. Built with React Native, the Tesla app allows users to directly communicate with their electric cars and Powerwall batteries. Below are some benefits users can receive from the app:

• Track charging progress in real-time and start/stop charging vehicles through the app;
• Locate vehicles from afar or follow their movements;
• Heat or cool cars before driving;
• Flashlights or honk the horn to find cars in the parking lot;
• Interact with Powerwall to check how much energy is stored from solar or used. 

7. Walmart

Walmart started focusing on React Native when they found something to boost productivity, accelerate time to market and remain stable. Besides, the World’s Second Largest Retailer Working with React Native, Walmart realized some of its selling points as follows:

• Give the improved feel of the app and offer superior user experiences;
• Improve graphical performance, CPU and RAM usage;
• Allow Walmart developers to speed up bug fixes over the air;
• Reduce labor costs roughly in half;
• Early and continuous releases are very fast. 

Remarkable React Native Apps Built by Designveloper

At Designveloper, we have also deployed some React Native projects and received positive feedback from users. Below are the top 4 outstanding React Native app examples:

8. LuminPDF

LuminPDF is an ongoing project of the Designveloper engineering team. The idea behind this app came up after the team realized the inconvenience of classic PDF files. They wanted to build an online ecosystem where users can quickly access, edit, synchronize, store and share PDF files. It’s when LuminPDF comes into play. 

To deploy this project, we adopted the most modern technologies like React Native, Meteor, or NodeJS. Besides the professional development process, we also hold daily meetings and make updates to ensure the product meets user requirements. The deliverable now has more than 20 million users. 

9. Walrus Education

Walrus Education is a third-party platform where schools, teachers, and students interact with each other. Both web and mobile apps of Walrus Education were built based on ReactJS, React Native, and NodeJS. The whole system including the frontend and backend can be scaled with ease and perform well on different versions. 

10. Joyn’it

Joyn’it is a social media platform where the community can create events easily and be informed of approaching events. We had to implement the project with external developers in the middle of the development phase. Upon re-building the workflow, we started to handle existing technical problems (e.g. bad-structured codebase). And we also used such modern technologies as React, React Native, and Angular to build the app. 

11. Bonux

Bonux is a crypto wallet in which traders conduct transactions, and store and manage their accounts. The app aims at minimizing the chance of facing scams and increasing the win rate among new investors. We developed the backend with NodeJS and MongoDB. Meanwhile, ReactJS is used for web portals, and React Native is an ideal option for mobile development. 

The Bottom Line

React Native is a powerful, efficient option that allows companies to approach customers through cross-platform apps. It uses JavaScript, the most popular coding language, and has a massive community of developers to support it. So there is unsurprisingly a wide range of impressive React Native app examples since its introduction in 2015. Because of its benefits, more companies will focus on the framework, and demands for React Native developers will increase accordingly.

The post What Are the Best React Native App Examples in 2022? appeared first on Designveloper.

April 28, 2022 at 06:28PM

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A Bird-Eye View of React vs React Native: Key Points in 2022

React and React Native are two popular technologies for front-end development. They all come from the same creator, Meta Platforms, Inc. (previously called Facebook).

But many newcomers in this domain feel confused between React and React Native because of their similar names.

Do they have the same format, syntax, and usage purposes? Or is React Native an upgraded version of t React? In this article, Designveloper will help you interpret the questions.

What is React?

React (React.js or ReactJS) is an open-source JavaScript library that supports building interactive, flexible UIs for web apps. 

Jordan Walke, an engineer at Meta, released the prototype of React, JaxJS, in 2010. Developers deployed this technology for Facebook’s News Feed and then Instagram in two following years. 

The introduction of React Native derived from one problem Mark Zukerberg mentioned in TechCrunch Disrupt SF 2012. That is, companies were depending too much on HTML5 for mobile versions. Facebook created ReactJS to reduce heavy reliance on HTML/XML.

Not until 2013 that Walke announced React as an open-source JavaScript library in JSConfUS. This technology has made a big leap in building dynamic, performant user interfaces for web apps.

FURTHER READING:

▶ Why Choose React Native for Your Mobile App Like Bloomberg or AirBnB

▶ Meteor deep dive – Reactive programming with Tracker

▶ React – Structure container component in Meteor

What is React Native?

React Native is an open-source JavaScript framework that appeared for the first time in 2015. The framework aims at building native-like apps across different platforms. Based on this concept, companies can minimize investments in separate development teams for iOS and Android. Instead, they focus on creating hybrid apps that seamlessly run on multiple devices.

Recommended reading: 10 React Native Tutorials And Courses For Beginners

How React Benefits Your Business

React provides your business with the following advantages:

1. Update UI Elements Fast with Virtual DOM

Updating React UI elements is considered fast due to the presence of virtual DOM (VDOM). Modifying and operating the full DOM refresh consumes much time and money as changes in DOM can calculate unnecessary re-renders. 

To solve this problem, ReactJS comes with VDOM which understands what needs updating. VDOM gives developers a feeling of writing the code as though they are re-rendering a whole web page. They talk about what they want and let VDOM/ReactJS work out how to build a page in that way. That’s why you can have a faster build and deployment with ReactJS.

2. Adopt Reusable Components

ReactJS comes with independent, reusable pieces of code. Such components can be combined with others without you rewriting or modifying the whole UI. For this reason, this feature of ReactJS saves developers much time to build web apps. 

3. Provide a Massive Ecosystem of Tools

ReactJS is an open-source library. So it receives huge contributions from both Facebook and the community. Thereby, you can access a huge ecosystem of developer tools, libraries, and more to save time and resources on the development. That also makes ReactJS become the most common web framework, according to the 2021 Stack Overflow Survey. 

How React Native Benefits Your Business 

From a business perspective, React Native comes with major benefits as follows:

1. Build Cross-Platform Apps

Working with React Native, companies don’t need to hire two separate development teams for iOS and Android devices. They only need one team to build cross-platform apps with React Native. 

React Native has a module to discover which platform apps are running on. Then the framework automatically implements the right code for that platform. That’s called “platform-specific code”. In other words, React Native mimics some behaviors of its native equivalents and supports developers to build native-like apps. Besides, you can unify JavaScript and native code to better optimize apps. 

2. Save Development Time With Fast Refresh

In React Native version 0.61 and above, the Hot Reloading feature is removed. The concept behind this feature is adding new versions of files to running apps. For this reason, developers don’t need to wait for a full build and deployment, discover and go back to what they screwed up. But this feature received many complaints from developers as it was too unreliable. 

Therefore, the React Native team decided to combine Hot Reloading and Live Reloading into Fast Refresh. This new feature inherits Hot Reloading’s traits and faster recovers after developers discover and fix mistakes. 

3. Come with Available UI Libraries, Tools, and Databases

The React Native ecosystem comes with a diversity of available libraries, tools, and databases. Besides saving much time in developing apps from scratch, ready-to-use libraries and tools help build seamless UIs and give end-users the best experiences. 

Such libraries and tools come into different categories like performance monitoring (i.e. Firebase Crashlytics) or debugging (i.e. Reactotron).  

Understanding Key Differences Between React vs React Native

When it comes to similarities, React and React Native is open-sourced by Facebook and use JavaScript for front-end development. Both technologies enable you to reuse code and components to save time on UI development. 

Facebook obtained much inspiration from React to build React Native. That’s why their workflow and syntax are alike. But with the combination of native capabilities, React Native is diverted towards hybrid apps instead of websites. That’s why their components are different. 

Below are some major differences between React vs React Native:

ReactJS	React Native
Focus on web development Note: ReactJS tags are called JSX. But this syntax still has some HTML-like tags like <p> or <div>. Further, ReactJS adopts DOM which functions as an API for web documents. So, ReactJS is used for web development.	Target cross-platform app development.Note: In reality, React Native doesn’t use HTML-like tags nor interact with DOM. In other words, React Native still uses JSX but its JSX tags are renamed, for example, <div> replaced by <View>. Such tags are compiled into other languages and tools. So, it’s not used for building mobile web apps, but rather everything else (e.g. mobile apps or VR).
Use virtual DOM to render ReactJS components on browsers	Use native APIs to render React Native components on mobile
Use CSS to build styling	Use a JS stylesheet to build styling
Use CSS to create animation	Use an animated API to create animation

Recommended reading: Flutter vs React Native: Which One is Better for Business?

React Native vs React: Which One is Better to Work With

It’s hard for Designveloper to suggest the best technology to work with. This is because React and React Native navigate you in slightly different directions. As already mentioned, ReactJS focuses on web development. Meanwhile, React Native is designed for cross-platform apps. 

Coming from the same creator, Facebook, these two technologies all use JavaScript and show many similarities in information flow. Thus, learning React Native will become much easier if developers already know React. 

But it’s not compulsory for developers to excel at ReactJS before learning React Native. Even in job descriptions, many outsourcing companies, for example, Designveloper, never require React Native developers to own ReactJS-related skills. Instead, they should focus on JavaScript concepts and have experience with React Native development. Understanding ReactJS is a bonus for developers to get accustomed to the React Native process faster.

So, you don’t need to master both of them. Nor do you consider which option is better. Instead, you should consider your career path and then spend time mastering what you long for.

The post A Bird-Eye View of React vs React Native: Key Points in 2022 appeared first on Designveloper.

April 25, 2022 at 10:46AM

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Flutter vs React Native: Which One is Better for Business?

Cross-platform software development is among the highlights of the year 2021. And it will continue to become a cost-effective solution for many companies. 

The growth of hybrid frameworks, typically Flutter and React Native, encourages its wider adoption. Anthony Main, a managing director at The Distance, shared that opinion with Business of Apps. He indicated that these frameworks tend to “gain market share over their native equivalents”.

So what are these frameworks? Is there any difference between Flutter vs React Native? You will find answers in this Designveloper article.

Flutter: Definition and Uses

Flutter is an open-source toolkit used to build UI (User Interface) for cross-platform apps from a single codebase.

Google developers first released it in 2017. But because it’s a free framework, both Google and the community participate in developing Flutter further. 

Some of its notable components include:

• Developers build Flutter apps in Dart, a proprietary programming language of Google for client-side development. Besides Dart, Flutter developers also build hybrid apps with the support of C, C++, and Skia (a 2D rendering machine).

• Dart null safety helps mitigate bugs in code and compiled code size. This feature improves the codebase quality and helps in building easy-to-understand code. 

• Flutter comes with Hot Reload. This feature enables developers to inject code into running apps and modify UIs in a minute.

• Flutter exposes developers to two types of widgets: Material Design for executing Google-style designs and Cupertino for implementing Apple-style designs. Such widgets allow Flutter apps to behave as naturally as other native counterparts.

Recommended reading: Top 10 Best Flutter App Development Companies in Vietnam 2022

Typical Flutter Apps

Below are some popular cross-platform applications developed with Flutter:

• Google Pay – a Google digital wallet to facilitate online, in-app, and contactless payments;

• Xianyu – the largest eCommerce second-hand marketplace in China developed by Alibaba Group;

• Beike Zhaofang – the leading tech-driven housing service platform in China;

• eBay Motors – one of the world’s largest marketplaces for trading vehicle parts and accessories;

• BMW & Mini Connected – the navigation and technology system developed by BWM to improve customer experience with Mini Cooper;

• Supernova – a design system platform for developers and designers;

• Hamilton Musical – the official app of the Hamilton brand that helps customers approach Hamilton shows.

React Native: Definition and Uses

React Native is also an open-source framework. It combines React, a front-end JavaScript library, with native capabilities to build interactive UIs on hybrid software. Accordingly, developers can reuse code and components to save much time and money for development.

The framework was first released by Meta Platform, Inc. (formerly known as Facebook) in 2015. Like Flutter, both Facebook developers and the massive community contribute to React Native growth.  

Some of its outstanding components include:

• React Native developers use JavaScript, the most popular programming language. This helps React and JavaScript developers quickly adapt to the React Native ecosystem. 

• In React Native 0.61, the creators built Fast Refresh, a new feature combining live and hot reloading. This feature enables developers to receive near-instant feedback for modifications in React components. 

• Besides built-in core components and APIs, React Native allows developers to integrate third-party libraries and frameworks. Say, they can either adopt CocoaPods for iOS-related projects or use Gradle to monitor the native dependencies of Android projects.

FURTHER READING:

▶ 10 React Native Tutorials And Courses For Beginners

▶ Why Choose React Native for Your Mobile App Like Bloomberg or AirBnB

▶ Learning React Js With Awesome Free Resources

▶ Meteor deep dive – Reactive programming with Tracker

▶ React – Structure container component in Meteor

Typical React Native Apps

Below are some common hybrid applications built with React Native:

• Facebook – one of the world’s largest social networking sites;

• Skype – a VOIP telecommunication app for messaging, calling, and file-sharing;

• Coinbase – a US-based cryptocurrency exchange platform;

• Shopify – a specialized eCommerce platform for building online stores and trading goods;

• Bloomberg – the leading media company in financial news, data, and insights;

• Salesforce – the world’s leading customer relationship management platform;

• Wix.com – the global cloud-based platform for building websites. 

Pros and Cons of Flutter and React Native

Flutter and React Native is the most common hybrid platforms by developers worldwide in recent years. Their significant development is believed to help reduce the difference between native and cross-platform applications. But there’s still a long way to go for hybrid applications to perform as seamlessly as their native counterparts. 

In this section, Designveloper will focus on the pros and cons of Flutter vs React Native. From then, your development team can consider the best situations for these frameworks.   

Flutter: In Which Cases You Should and Shouldn’t Use

Flutter facilitates cross-platform software development for iOS, Android, interactive PWAs (Progressive Web Apps), SPAs (Single Page Apps), and desktop software. 

Further, developers can build Flutter apps on embedded devices, for example, Toyota’s in-dash infotainment systems built with Flutter.

Flutter’s package ecosystem also supports highly branded designs, pixel-perfect experiences, and other advanced functions for apps (e.g. payments). 

However, Flutter isn’t a sensible solution if your company is in one of the following cases:

1. Your apps demand 3D design

Based on the official announcement, Flutter now supports no 3D API like OpenGL ES or similar. Instead, the framework almost targets 2D designs right now. Having said that, Flutter creators also have a long-term plan for exposure to this functionality.

2. Apps require rare device-specific functionality 

Developers often use third-party plugins and libraries to add more functionalities to Flutter apps. But if the plugins don’t exist in Flutter’s repository (i.e. GitHub), developers need to build them natively by themselves. And this can cost much more time and money than building native apps. 

3. App size is among the biggest concerns to your company 

As found on GitHub, the too big size of Flutter apps is still a worth-considering issue for developers (March 2022). The framework’s team thereby suggests using Flutter’s tooling to measure your assets (e.g. APK or app bundle). In case you want to make the app smaller, you can consider:

• using the –split-debug-info tag when building apps;
• eliminating unused resources;
• compressing JPEG and PNG files; 
• minimizing imported resources from libraries. 

4. Your company requires Flutter desktop apps on macOS and Linux

Unlike mobile and web platforms, the desktop analogs for macOS and Linux haven’t received stable support from creators. Only Windows versions are in alpha. 

React Native: In Which Cases You Should and Shouldn’t Use

React Native allows users to build across multiple platforms including iOS, tvOS, Android, AndroidTV, websites, UWP, desktop-based operating systems (i.e. macOS, Windows), and virtual reality. 

But React Native isn’t the proper choice when:

1. Your company aims at small-sized apps

Not all React Native apps are criticized to be big. But compared with native apps, they still consume more download time and more space on devices. 

To resolve problems regarding the size of React Native assets, the React Native team has introduced Hermes. This open-source JavaScript engine helps improve app performance and decrease download size. 

But you should note that your React Native apps can become large for many reasons. The same issue arises in October 2021 after a developer upgraded to a new React Native version. Another cause behind the large app size derives from the creation of a Universal APK required to support different ABIs (Application Binary Interfaces) on Android devices. Each element that increases the app size demands different solutions. 

2. Your apps require complex UIs

In reality, you can build React Native apps with complex User Interfaces. But the apps cannot process such complex components as video/audio processing or animations as well as their native counterparts. 

Besides, the framework’s team also advises against complex and heavy components which lead to your app’s slower performance. 

3. Your company always expects the same behavior on both iOS and Android

You can build cross-platform apps with React Native from a single codebase. This holds true in most cases. But components sometimes don’t behave in the same way for iOS and Android devices. That’s what happened to Reflectly. The team confronted failing overflows on their Android app although there was nothing wrong with the iOS app. 

Flutter vs React Native: Which One is Better For Studying and Working on?

We don’t say which option is better because there’s no one-size-fits-all framework. 

There are multiple critical factors behind your final decision such as your company’s directions, objectives, and even the team’s capacity. Accordingly, you should consider several key aspects of Flutter vs React Native to determine which technology benefits your app projects. For example: 

• Programming language: For many developers, working on Flutter is much harder than React Native. This is because the former uses Dart, which is considered harder to learn and less known than JavaScript. So, if developers get used to JavaScript and gain more experience with React Native-based projects, React Native is better. 

• Native components: React Native allows developers to use essential, ready-to-use native components in hybrid software development. 

However, whenever your app requires native platform APIs that are by default unavailable in JavaScript, you must self-develop native components. 

Shopify engineers discourage developers from writing native code unless it is necessary. This means that if you write native features for a specific platform, it may fail to work on other platforms. This can cause some trouble experienced by Reflectly, for example. 

Meanwhile, Flutter doesn’t depend much on native capabilities. This framework has widgets that are adaptable to any platform. That’s why developers can share the same widgets between operating systems without hassle. 

Also, Flutter allows the AOT (ahead-of-time) compilation of the Dart code into ARM, native and x86 libraries. Meanwhile, React Native isn’t compiled into native code. That’s why Flutter apps are considered better performant than React Native equivalents. 

So if native components are not your top priority, Flutter is a better choice. 

Apart from these aspects, we Designveloper advise you to consider other important factors as per your projects. Therefore, it’s time to stop comparing Flutter vs React Native.

The post Flutter vs React Native: Which One is Better for Business? appeared first on Designveloper.

April 20, 2022 at 09:50AM

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Top 6 Types of Agile Methodology to Consider in 2022

Agile is a set of high-level principles and values that support software projects to run faster and more effectively. Today, companies can either adopt available lightweight frameworks or develop proprietary solutions to manage Agile projects. In this article, Designveloper will elaborate on the top 6 common types of Agile methodology you can ponder in 2022.

Closer Look at Agile Methodologies for Non-IT and Digital Businesses

What methodology do you pick for project management?

Answering this question, some organizations can show their loyalty to traditional approaches (e.g. Waterfall or PRINCE2), while many either describe themselves as pure agile or lean toward lightweight methodologies. Beyond that, 24% of companies opt for a blend of more than one methodology to optimize different projects enterprise-wide. 

Agile was originally developed for IT-driven products and services, its 12 principles and values are now being adopted by other departments. 84% of companies apply agility-driven strategies for software development and operation projects in 2021, a significant increase compared with the previous year. Meanwhile, Agile adoption in non-IT lines of business, mostly in operations, marketing, and security, doubled in the same period.

If you’re finding some ways to penetrate the Agile world, you should first identify which agile framework best suits your company. 

According to Henny Portman, the owner of Portman PM[O] Consultancy, there are more than 40 lightweight frameworks in the Agile world. The figure below is the shortened version of all the best-known light solutions in his book Scaling Agile In Organizations published in 2017.

Thereby, Portman mapped out all Agile methodologies only used for software development in the dark blue box. Meanwhile, those in the light blue box can be popular in either IT or non-IT application development. Also, types of agile methodologies are positioned in different categories based on which level companies work on and how long projects last. 

Of which, Scrum and Kanban prove the most prevalent methodologies with 84% of users, as surveyed by KPMG in 2019. These frameworks are considered the best basics to start with if companies plan for Agile transformation.  

Top 6 Common Types of Agile Methodology You Should Know

Despite a wealth of Agile tools and frameworks, only some of them are widely used for projects of all kinds. In this section, Designveloper will focus on several most prevalent types of agile methodology that all project managers should know. These lightweight approaches work around the Agile Manifesto, hence showing some similarities. However, they have various features. 

1. Scrum

Scrum is the most recognizable Agile framework by professionals, according to the 2019 survey by the Federal University of Technology in Paraná, Brazil. 

This Agile framework enables companies to manage projects at a team level and conduct timeboxed tasks. Accordingly, the whole work will be split into small, manageable chunks that are carried out in a flexible order of priority. Each iteration, or called sprint, often lasts from one to four weeks with the involvement of the product owner, the Scrum Master, and developers. 

This PM solution is considered suitable for the first stage of the product life cycle. Particularly, when companies plan to launch a new product for the first time, uncertainty and competitiveness are high. So to mitigate unexpected consequences (e.g. user dissatisfaction or failure to compete), teams target on-time delivery and quick feedback from customers. Scrum is among the best options for Agile teams to work on the core functionalities of deliverables and release them early in the market.

Recommended reading: Project Estimation: An Important Step before Starting Every Software Project

2. Kanban

Kanban is another fundamental Agile framework that teams should consider if they want to visualize their workflow. Using physical cardboard or software, teams organize manageable pieces of work in named columns (i.e. To Do, In Progress, and Done). This allows teams to track where each item of work is located in the workflow. 

Described as a team-level PM approach by Portman, Kanban is still widely adopted at other levels because teams working on Kanban mainly focus on making work in process (WIP) as small as possible. Teams optimize the product development process to minimize the average time to complete a task (or called the “lead time”). 

Kanban mostly drives teams toward limited WIP rather than commitments to iterations. So teams can make good use of the framework when facing fewer changes and uncertain factors. 

3. Extreme Programming (XP)

Like Scrum, Extreme Programming (XP) enables the project work to be implemented over short development timeframes, called “iterations”. Accordingly, it helps Agile teams adapt to changes in user requirements, even in the advanced stage of the product development cycle. And it also contributes to improvements in a product’s quality. 

But what sets it apart from other types of Agile methodology is its main focus on technical aspects – that is, high-quality code. Accordingly, developers get instant feedback and improve their code by working in pairs and testing code (both manually and automatically). Project managers hold daily standup meetings to receive feedback on work progress and impediments. Meanwhile, product owners and other stakeholders base feedback on acceptance tests and a product’s performance in each iteration. 

These traits of XP encourage productive teamwork and constant compliance with important rules to enhance code quality and deliverables. 

4. Scaled-Agile Framework (SAFe)

Once again, Scale-Agile Framework (SAFe) continues to become the most prevalent approach for scaling with 39% of users in 2021. This PM approach provides companies with guides, practices, and tools to streamline their development and operation processes at an enterprise level. One of the focal features of SAFe is an Agile Release Train which gathers multiple Agile teams sharing the same business and technology missions. 

5. Scrum of Scrums (SoS)/ Scrum at Scale (S@S)

Recommended reading: Agile Sprint Cycle: Definition, Execution, and Steps Explained

Following SAFe, Scrum at Scale (S@S) is the second most widely used method for scaling organizations and projects. Based on fundamental Scrum principles, Jeff Sutherland (also the father of Scrum) and Alex Brown developed S@S that focuses on building a scaled network of Scrum teams to develop high-fidelity deliverables. 

The flowchart above illustrates how important components are arranged in two key cycles: the Scrum Master Cycle and the Product Owner Cycle. These cycles are essential in defining “what” (the product) is created and “how” (the process) to develop it.

FURTHER READING:

▶ How to apply Scrum into your Software Development Company

▶ The Importance of Scrum to a software product

6. Spotify

Spotify is an Agile scaling model that is successfully developed and applied in Spotify, the world’s largest audio streaming service provider. It’s a team-oriented model that drives multiple teams towards business agility by paying more importance to business culture and networks. Thereby, the Spotify methodology encourages companies to organize around work instead of performing certain practices. 

From Spotify’s technical and cultural standpoints, teams will be autonomously structured into Squads, Tribes, Chapter, Guild, Trio, and Alliance.

Which Agile PM Approaches Fit Your Digital Transformation and Projects?

Agile project management is on-trend. This methodology is predicted to thrive in the future. This is attributable to digitalization which opens more avenues for changes and new trends. However, newcomers to Agile may find it confusing to choose the right framework for your business. So how can you select the most suitable Agile PM approach for your companies?

Recommended reading: 7 Software Project Management Methodologies Besides Agile

Your choice depends on various elements. To facilitate your selection of the proper PM solution, Designveloper suggests some important questions as follows: 

• What is your Agile ambition? Every path to agility is different and challenging. So setting a strong goal and well-defined plan is advisable. Your Agile ambition should derive from your company’s practical needs instead of blindly following your competitor’s strategies. Also, you should realize how impactful Agile transition is for the company’s culture and operating model. 

• Is your Agile ambition realistic? Becoming agile and developing enterprise-level agility are two different stories. Various leaders are under heavy pressure of making whole companies agile while they are in the kickoff phase of agility. The sound advice is they should start small and smart first with some basics (e.g. Scrum or Kanban) and then move organizations up to high-level agility.

• Which level does your company work on? As demonstrated by Portman, Agile methodologies are mapped out into three levels with Team Level as the most basic one. When companies scale up toward Product or Program Level and Portfolio levels, they will adopt extended or advanced versions of fundamental frameworks. 

• Is the Agile PM approach adopted temporarily or frequently? Also according to Portman, some Agile methodologies developed from traditional PM analogs (i.e. AgilePM or PRINCE2 Agile) are primarily used for one-time projects. Meanwhile, for business-wide or long-term projects, Agile project management (PM) solutions can be based on your ultimate target (i.e. product, team, and culture).

FURTHER READING:

▶ Agile vs Traditional Project Management: Key Points in 2022

▶ Agile vs Scrum Methodology: Major Differences to Consider

Designveloper’s Final Words

Today, whether to drive project work, albeit partial or entire, towards agility is no longer the common question for many organizations. Instead, when and how to implement that ambition provoke more concern among business leaders. There’s no the same path to business agility for all companies. Depending on your company’s strategic vision, goals, and other important metrics, your business can apply and customize standard frameworks. 

But when going agile, multiple organizations confront existing challenges such as resistance to changes or inconsistencies in Agile practices. Therefore, no matter which types of Agile methodologies are applied, it’s advisable to develop the Agile mindset beforehand.

The post Top 6 Types of Agile Methodology to Consider in 2022 appeared first on Designveloper.

April 14, 2022 at 10:28AM

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Agile vs Waterfall Project Management: What to Pick in 2022

Agile and Waterfall are the two most popular methodologies to manage projects, especially software-related ones. Which approach should you pick for your business? In this article, Designveloper will provide you with basic information as follows to answer this question:

• What are the pros and cons of Agile and Waterfall?
• What are the key differences between Agile vs Waterfall project management?
• What should you consider to pick up the right option?

What is the Agile Development Method?

Agile is the umbrella term that was coined to refer to fluid project management methods. 

In some certain industries, a project can last months or years. But during these times, new market trends emerge and user demands also change accordingly. Therefore, companies confront the high possibility of failing products or services which hardly catch up with ever-changing user needs. 

So Agile methodology was developed to help businesses promptly respond to changes in direction and requirements even late in the process. To do so, Agile teams conduct projects over an iterative agile sprint cycle of development by flexibly prioritizing and building essential features. and making frequent deliveries. They then integrate feedback from stakeholders (e.g. real customers or business people) and make frequent deliveries to meet changes. 

There are various lightweight frameworks (e.g. Scrum, Kanban, or Spotify) you can apply for Agile projects. Each of the frameworks has a slightly different mechanism of action. Agile acts as a philosophy to strengthen such frameworks and make them work better in the agile world. 

Today, Scrum accounts for 78% of organizations using Agile methodology, according to the 2019 KPMG Global Survey. So today, documentation and resources regarding Agile methodology are mainly revolved around 12 Agile principles and values.

Recommended reading: Agile vs Scrum Methodology: Major Differences to Consider

Pros of Agile Project Management

• Short-term deadlines allow team members to estimate which tasks they can handle within each iteration, hence encouraging their productivity and morale. 
• Members are flexible to changes because Agile allows them to receive feedback and make continuous improvements. 
• Time to market is expedited because teams first produce MVPs that contain the most basic features and then make frequent releases based on user responses. This also helps teams focus more on a product’s core values. 
• Agile encourages communications between developers and stakeholders throughout the iteration. Accordingly, development teams can identify problems early and share work progress while stakeholders can contribute their ideas during the work.

Cons of Agile Project Management

• The project timeline is hard to define because its final outcomes depend much on market changes. If user demands continuously change, the project can last more than estimated.
• Agile has no well-defined processes or tools. So new participants in this domain may get the wrong way to become truly agile. 
• Despite flexible prioritization, Agile teams can be demotivated if they miscommunicate right at the beginning and choose unnecessary features to develop.

FURTHER READING:

Agile Software Development Life Cycle Guide

6 Agile Project Management Tools That You Should Know in 2022

The Agile Mindset: What do you need to focus on?

Agile Sprint Planning: Definition and Generic Guides in 2022

Scaled Agile Framework: The Optimal Approach for Scaling Enterprises

Story Points in Agile and How to Estimate Them Effectively

How to apply Scrum into your Software Development Company

The Importance of Scrum to a software product

Agile methodology topic

What is the Waterfall Development Method? 

Contrary to Agile, Waterfall is better suited for hands-off projects and organizations where changes are negligible. Waterfall teams often follow the sequential process of development in which documentation, expectations, and final deliverables are well-defined in the beginning. 

Waterfall is the most common model of traditional project management. One noticeable feature of the Waterfall development method is that one stage’s work depends on the deliverable of the previous phase. 

Recommended reading: Agile vs Traditional Project Management: Key Points in 2022

Pros of Waterfall Project Management

• Waterfall teams work on a solid project plan from scratch to end.
• Waterfall allows team members to determine clear project requirements early, hence saving time for frequent coordination. 
• Having deliverables required to advance towards the next phase makes the work more systematic and structured.

Cons of Waterfall Project Management

• No modifications can intervene in the Waterfall development process. This makes development teams unlikely to adapt faster to unpredictable changes than rivals. And consequently, they may fail to satisfy end-users. 
• Due to the linear nature, Waterfall teams cannot revisit a stage once it has been completed. If they want to make any adjustments, they have to come back to the first stage. This proves time-consuming and costly.
• As one stage depends on the previous one, any incurred problems (e.g. missed deadlines or technical debts) can have profound influences on subsequent deliverables. This is because they have to be completely solved so that the project can continue moving forward. 

Comparison Between Agile vs Waterfall Project Management

The summary table below will give you a thorough understanding of the major differences between Agile vs Waterfall project management.

Comparison Factors	Agile methodology	Waterfall methodology
Approach	Iterative	Linear
Scope	Any size with a well-defined scope	Small to medium scope
Planning	Low-level	High-level
Preferred organizational structure	Multi-disciplinary, self-organizing team	Hierarchical structure
Project timeline	Flexible because Agile teams can frequently produce improved releases of working software	Fixed
Approach to identify need-doing tasks	Critical Path Analysis (CPA)	Review and retrospective
Progress control	Burndown chart	Earned value management
Involvement of Stakeholders	Stakeholders (e.g. business people and customers) get involved in different iterations to provide feedback.	User feedback or the product owner’s involvement is excluded from the process until the work is completed.
Communications	Frequent communications through daily meetings and communication tools. Accordingly, stakeholders can contribute their ideas whereas other members can understand requirements and track their progress.	Fewer communications are required in Waterfall methodology because it involves a low level of collaboration with stakeholders.
Project manager (PM) roles	PMs establish plans, manage progress and follow up on tasks throughout the project.	PMs, mostly called Scrum masters, act as facilitators who clear impediments and ensure all requirements are understood to get the work done well.
Flexibility	High	Low
Budget	Flexible because it depends much on changes of direction and adaptation	Fixed because parameters and goals are clear at the beginning of the project and no additional requirements can interfere halfway

Recommended reading: 7 Software Project Management Methodologies Besides Agile

Hybrid, the Perfect Combination of Agile and Waterfall

Project Management Institute first mentioned the term “Hybrid” when learning about how organizations selected between Agile vs Waterfall project management in 2015.

Hybrid project management is a blend of more than one methodology to plan, monitor, and execute projects. On most occasions, Hybrid is understood as the combination of Agile and Waterfall approaches. That is, it’s the process of using Waterfall methodology to conduct different project phases in which tasks will be carried out in Agile ways. 

The 2019 HP online survey concluded that 24% of development and IT experts were using Hybrid for their projects. Over the past 5 years, Hybrid project management (Hybrid PM) has been developing and becoming one of the top trends in the software segment. According to the 2021 Project Management Interview of Teamhood, this methodology continues to be a common norm for some following benefits:

• Hybrid PM can be applied in projects with any scope or size;
• A project manager builds and monitors tasks. But that PM still gives team members space to be self-organized and collaborative to get jobs done during an iteration; 
• Internal and external stakeholders get involved in the workflow but not daily.

Major Factors to Consider When Choosing the Right Method for You

Although Agile is on an accelerating trend, it doesn’t mean your company should adopt the methodology. Leaning towards any methodology (i.e. Agile, Waterfall, or Hybrid) without thorough consideration can accompany devastating consequences. Therefore, you should ponder several major factors to find the best option for your business:

• Are projects bound by strict requirements? In Waterfall, deliverables are required to carry out the next phase while team members need to follow a strict procedure to get jobs done on time. Meanwhile, plans and input parameters in Agile are likely to change based on stakeholders’ feedback.
• Are projects susceptible to changes? Waterfall is best suited for projects in which requirements are fixed and no significant changes can interfere. Meanwhile, Agile is mainly designed for ongoing projects or projects going through predictable changes.
• Can product owners and other stakeholders engage in the process? Agile is a customer-centric, adapt-to-change approach, so it allows frequent communications with stakeholders. Meanwhile, Waterfall shows opposite patterns. 
• Do projects require high-level or low-level team coordination? Waterfall is a more methodical form of project management that determines every requirement in the beginning. So low-level team collaboration is required. Meanwhile, Agile teams need regular communications to respond faster to new situations.

In recent years, Hybrid has emerged as a new candidate in the battle between Agile vs Waterfall project management. But Hybrid PM itself has different pros and cons you factor in before deciding whether it’s the best bet for your company. 

Through this article, Designveloper expects you to have a comprehensive insight into common PM solutions. The choice of suitable PM methods is of strategic significance to any company because the chosen methodology will come with your projects for a long time. So picking up the proper one requires much effort and dedication right at the beginning.  

The post Agile vs Waterfall Project Management: What to Pick in 2022 appeared first on Designveloper.

April 10, 2022 at 04:45PM

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Agile vs Scrum Methodology: Major Differences to Consider

Agile and Scrum are two familiar names when it comes to software project management. Today, these lightweight methodologies are no longer limited to IT segments, but rather increasingly adopted in other business functions. If you want to find out the key differences between Agile vs Scrum Methodology, this Designveloper article is the right place for you.

What is Agile?

The Agile methodology is a philosophy that instructs companies to conduct projects in small increments. Working in Agile settings, teams break whole projects down into iterative chunks or tasks that are carried out within short timelines. 

Unlike traditional methodologies which aim at having a one-time launch, the Agile analog allows companies to produce continuous releases. This lightweight approach accordingly encourages the speed of feedback and adaptation to new market conditions. Also, it promotes the involvement of not only development team members but also business people and other stakeholders in the process. This mitigates misunderstandings about client requirements and ensures the high quality of final outcomes.

Recommended reading: What is Agile Software Development?

When to Use Agile

The Agile methodology is best suitable for companies that frequently confront new situations and predictable changes. Therefore, it’s commonly adopted in ongoing projects or ones that don’t require detailed plans and documentation.

FURTHER READING:

▶ Agile Software Development Life Cycle Guide

▶ 6 Agile Project Management Tools That You Should Know in 2022

▶ Pros and Cons of Agile Methodology: Which Team Should Apply This Model

▶ 12 Agile Principles and How It Looks in Practice

▶ The Agile Mindset: What do you need to focus on?

▶ Agile Sprint Planning: Definition and Generic Guides in 2022

▶ Agile Sprint Cycle: Definition, Execution, and Steps Explained

▶ Scaled Agile Framework: The Optimal Approach for Scaling Enterprises

▶ Story Points in Agile and How to Estimate Them Effectively

▶ Agile vs Traditional Project Management: Key Points in 2022

Agile methodology topic

What is Scrum?

Scrum is a set of principles and tools used to provide customers with business values within the shortest timescales, commonly called “sprints”. This framework helps companies handle unknown or able-to-change requirements. Thereby, parts of deliverables are released based on market changes to meet immediate needs. 

In the Scrum setting, one sprint often lasts from one to four weeks, typically two weeks. And a whole project is divided into smaller builds that are continuously conducted over a series of sprints. For this reason, a Scrum team is relatively small, around ten people. They include the product owner, a Scrum Master, and those in charge of development tasks. These members constantly communicate during such important events as Sprint Planning or Daily Standups to track work progression and fast adapt to changes.  

Recommended reading: What Is SCRUM And How Does It Work?

When to Use Scrum

Scrum teams are established to conduct projects that are susceptible to changes. If requirements are fixed or clearly defined right at the beginning of the project, Scrum is not a good option. Instead, your company should consider traditional methodologies such as Waterfall or PRINCE2.

FURTHER READING:

▶ What Is SCRUM And How Does It Work?

▶ How to apply Scrum to your Software Development Company

▶ The Importance of Scrum to a software product

SCRUM methodology topic

Are There Any Differences Between Agile and Scrum Methodology?

Here are some noticeable differences between Agile vs Scrum methodology:

Concept

Agile is a philosophy of managing projects in a state of flux. It doesn’t define certain processes, events, or tools. Meanwhile, Scrum is a framework that teams follow to conduct agile projects.

Core Values

Looking at the table below, you will see how Agile’s core values are distinguished from that of Scrum:

Agile Methodology

Scrum Methodology

▶ Individuals and interactions over processes and tools ▶ Working software over comprehensive documentation ▶ Customer collaboration over contract negotiation ▶ Responding to change over following a plan.

▶ Courage: Team members have the courage to do the right thing and solve challenging problems ▶ Focus: Everyone focuses on sprint increments and the team’s goals ▶ Commitment: Members commit themselves to achieve the team’s goals ▶ Respect: Members show respect for each other and strive to become independent, capable people ▶ Openness: All members and stakeholders are open about requirements, work, and difficulties over the sprint.

Accordingly, Agile focuses on interactions between members and collaboration with end-users. Hence Agile teams are encouraged to produce frequent releases to get quick feedback from customers. 

Meanwhile, Scrum teams pay more attention to workflow, ultimate objectives, and adaptation to changes. Thereby, they concentrate on rules, artifacts (i.e. Product Backlog), and events (i.e. Sprint Planning or Retrospective) to help them do so. For this reason, Scrum is considered more restrictive than Agile. 

Team Members

A Scrum team typically includes a product owner, a Scrum Master, and developers. Of which, a Scrum master acts as a servant leader who helps everyone understand input parameters, responsibilities, and workflows. A Scrum team is self-organizing and has no leaders accordingly.

Meanwhile, various Agile teams now have project managers plan, organize, execute and monitor the work. They function as team leaders who ensure all members understand requirements and follow instructions. Such teams either follow other Agile frameworks (e.g. Kanban or Spotify) or have been experiencing Agile transition enterprise-wide.

Facts Behind Scrum: Is Scrum Truly Part of Agile Methodology?

Based on the given definitions, you may find various similarities between Agile vs Scrum methodology:

• Have short-term delivery cycles;
• Facilitate quick responses to changes;
• Emphasize communications and interpersonal cooperation.

So, is Scrum an Agile framework, as believed by various people? 

Coming back to the history of these two methodologies. Scrum was originally developed in the early 1990s by Ken Schwaber and Jeff Sutherland. It acts as a lightweight process that helps minimize production costs and maximize effective development time. 

Until 2001, representatives in “light” methodologies (including Scrum, XP, and more) gathered and coined the umbrella term “AGILE” to refer to those approaches. So, in superficial terms of definition, Scrum can be seen as an Agile framework. 

But reality seemingly doesn’t support that statement. “Scrum is not agile,” said Steven A. Lowe, a Product Technology Manager at Google. Dennis Weyland, a software engineer at Google, also shared the same point on his private blog. 

Looking at Agile values, we see they primarily concentrate on individuals and interactions over processes and tools. In comparison, the Scrum Guide highlights how roles, artifacts, and events are bound together to build expected deliverables for the market. Besides, its values mainly focus on workflow and goals. Members’ commitments to Scrum rules help shape their relationships and communications. 

Moreover, Agility is defined as the ability to “move quickly and easily”. But one problem of such lightweight approaches as Scrum is that teams find numerous projects hard to be conducted fast or with ease. Therefore, the Agile Manifesto was introduced to give high-level instructions to help “lightweight” teams avoid its potential pitfalls. 

So given the nature of Agile vs Scrum methodology, the former is understood as a philosophy that supports Scrum teams to work more productively and deliver values faster in changing, complex environments.

The post Agile vs Scrum Methodology: Major Differences to Consider appeared first on Designveloper.

April 07, 2022 at 10:07AM

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