When you design an application using the ONEWEB platform, they can be of different types.

• UI/ UX Applications to provide static web pages.

• Process Apps - Applications which use ONEWEB only for managing the business process.

• Interface Apps - Applications which use ONEWEB for integration between different systems.

• Complex Apps - Applications that consists of a combination of the above three types of application.

Design is the most important part of creating any application. To get started with the design, you need to follow the below steps.

Set the goal for your app.

Setting a goal is very important as it acts as a reference to come back to throughout the entire process. It will keep you on track.

Make a plan.

Go deeper into your application capabilities and define the scope. It should include the road map of your app, its functionalities, how to achieve them and who is the targeted audience?

Research the market and the segment.

Research is an integral part of app design.

Create wire frames of your application.

The wire frame is the visual architecture of the application. It shows how the application is going to look and how it will function. It helps consolidate the application flow.

When creating a new application in ONEWEB you need to select the type of application you want to develop according to your project's requirements. For each development scenario, different tools and features are available.

What is a Web App?

A Web App is a browser-based application that has a responsive interface and displays user experiences optimized for all screen sizes and devices. Users do not need to install a Web App on a device, but only a URL to open it in their browser, in a desktop, laptop, mobile device or any device with a browser. Most of these types of apps are used to display large amounts of data, such as tables and constraints when targeting web pages, desktops, and apps.

What is a Mobile App?

A Mobile App is a hybrid app shell, developed using a mobile application framework like Apache Cordova. The app has mobile-optimized user experience and can access the device capabilities and features using plugins. It can work offline and have data caching features to access the local storage of the device. The code is mostly developed as cross-platform, which means you only have to develop one project and that application project works on both supported mobile platforms (iOS and Android).

Mobile App or Web App: which to choose?

Mobile apps and web apps should be utilized for different purposes, to maximize the advantages in each case. Below we will list several focal points to let you make an informed decision when choosing to develop a mobile app or a web app for your project.

Process Apps are apps which use ONEWEB for managing the business process. There can be different types of business processes depending on the user business. Given below are some of the most common business process design patterns.

Design Pattern 1 - Sequential

Most common type of process flow

Tasks follow one another

Tasks only start when the preceding task completes.

Design Pattern 2 - Parallel

Multiple activities are active at the same time.

Tasks are performed in parallel.

Different users/groups need to work on the same workflow at the same time.

Design Pattern 3 - Hybrid

Design Pattern 4 - Parent Child

Design Pattern 5 - Loop

Use a loop to recreate the same activity infinitely until a certain condition is met.

Either there would be a start rule to delay start of the activity, or a destination rule to move the task forward.

Interface Apps are apps which use ONEWEB for providing integration service among the different components of the application or to provide an interface for external systems to interact with their application. ONEWEB has built in integration for interacting between its components. It can also use Microflow to expose a service to another system to interact. Given below are some of the most common types of integration using Microflow.

• Web Service Integration

• Integration using Files

• Integration using Java

• Integration through Database

Complex Apps are apps which use ONEWEB to generate a mixture of web and mobile UI, web forms, business processes and integration services to create an enterprise application. ONEWEB provides different designers to create each of these components and they can be integrated using ONEWEB Microflows.

UI Apps are apps which have only a User Interface with no back-end processes, or Apps which use ONEWEB for generating UI's and may use back end systems from another vendors. Users can also consider the following UI Design Patterns while developing UI forms. These patterns can apply to the user interface section of any application type.

Design Pattern 1 - Structured Format, can be used when

Data should adhere to predefined structure.

Limit the format of input data.

Split large input fields into smaller parts.

Give attention to the order of input fields.

Design Pattern 2 - Morphing Controls, can be used when

Some controls on UI form are not required to be displayed always.

Present user with selective controls.

Declutter the screen.

Design Pattern 3 - Inline Editor, can be used when

Edit in the same place as displayed.

Edit without redirecting.

Quick and Easy.

Hover effects are used to invite editing.

Design Pattern 4 - Good Defaults, can be used when

Pre-fill form.

Default with data most likely to match.

E.g. signing up to a newsletter / accepting the terms and agreements.

Design Pattern 5 - Module Tabs, can be used when

Content separated into sections.

Accessed via a single content area using a flat navigation structure.

Each tab can be viewed separate from each other.

Design Pattern 6 - Categorization, can be used when

Categorize content into a hierarchical section using Tabs / Modules.

Categorize contents to groups.

Categorize to main category or section (nested)

Design Pattern 7 - Progressive Disclosure, can be used when

Present minimum data required.

Move complex and less frequently used options out.

Manage confusion by decluttering.

Maintain Focus & Attention.

Design Pattern 8 - Adaptable view, can be used when

UI to fit the specific needs.

Compatibility on multiple devices/ themes.

Switch/alter between different styles.

Tailor usability and the experience to their specific need.

Design Pattern 9 - Pagination, can be used when

To view subset of sorted data.

Dataset is ordered.

All Data cannot display on a single page.