Picking top frontend development talent is crucial for businesses that rely on well designed interactions with users. Today’s consumers expect apps to be functional, responsive and attractive. Additionally, users’ expectations shift depending on a number of factors, which need to be taken into account when building UIs. If your app fails on any of these fronts, it is likely to be abandoned by customers in favor of the competition.

What a frontend developer does

As the digital world became more and more important to business, frontend developers emerged as specialists in bridging the gap between design and technology. They take the backend of a software product - the ‘engine’ that completes the core operations needed for an app to function - and wrap it into an attractive, usable package. To do so, they make use of technologies such as HTML, CSS and JavaScript, combining technical expertise with a solid understanding of user behavior. The result of their work should be satisfying user experience (UX), which translates into engagement, sales and customer loyalty.

The key competencies of a frontend developers

One could say that the front end side of your product or service is a showpiece - it represents your business and, importantly, becomes what interacting with your business means to the user. That’s why every frontend developer should have a good grasp of several key concepts, as well as the skill and experience needed to apply them in practice.

Functionality

A functional app is one that is easy to navigate and enhances user experience by how it conveys information. This is often achieved by matching existing user expectations through intuitive design. ‘Intuitive’ is a bit of a misnomer here. Many modern designs wouldn’t be at all intuitive to a person with no prior experience interacting with digital applications. Instead, they are based on what modern users have learned about the digital world and its rules.

Another important aspect of functionality is balance between minimalism and number of features. The more features an app provides, the more complex and difficult to use it becomes. On the flipside, too few features may mean that the application won’t meet users’ needs. Even for software tools that need to have numerous features, it’s important to make accessing the most important ones easiest. Caveat: ‘important’ can mean a priority for the user, but it can also mean a priority for your business (e.g. features that drive sales).

Examples of functional design include:

• Menus that prioritize access to the most important features,
• Minimalistic UIs that don’t distract users with too many options.

Attractive design

While it’s designers’ responsibility to create beautiful designs for an app, frontend developers must then implement it. This can be easier said than done, particularly in the case of more ambitious designs. Additionally, attractiveness - which can involve animations, embedded media, and large images - can come at the price of performance.

Performance

Users have learned to be impatient. They expect instant access to the tools and information they need. Often, when a website takes one second too long to load, users will abandon the session and search for what they need elsewhere. That’s why performance optimization is so important. Frontend optimization (FEO) involves getting into the nitty gritty inner workings of an application, ensuring faster loading times and better overall UX. Frontend developers use tools and procedures like reducing HTTP requests, file compression, cache optimization, code minification, and image optimization to achieve these goals.

Responsiveness

Apps should instantly respond to user actions in order to create the experience of the user directly manipulating elements of the application on the screen. This helps users determine whether a software tool is working correctly, or whether they are providing the correct input. When there’s a delay (a hang) or jumpy movement on the screen (a hitch), users can be confused and discouraged. In general, 100 ms is the threshold for delays, while 5 ms is the threshold for achieving fluidity of motion on the screen.

Usability and accessibility

Aside from working well in laboratory conditions, apps need to be built with real world situations in mind. For example, an app with a very dark interface may be very difficult to navigate if the user goes outside on a sunny day. With smartphones becoming the main medium through which people interact with the online world, frontend developers have to consider all kinds of scenarios, such as:

• Using the app while driving, which requires voice control,
• Using the app while multitasking, which requires one-handed control,
• Changing location, which affects the quality of users’ internet connection.

Not all apps need to be made ready for every possibility, but it’s important to keep the user base in mind. For example, if your target audience are people with cheaper, older devices, make sure your app won’t exceed their device performance limits. Another aspect of accessibility is considering the needs of people with disabilities. This may be as simple as not relying on color to convey crucial information to accommodate color bling people.

Context match

Finally, knowing your user group will inform certain frontend-related decisions. iPhone users have been conditioned to expect apps to look and behave in certain ways. A mismatch in this area can put them off your product very easily. Conversely, Android phones come in a variety of screen dimensions, which means that your app needs to adapt to look good for all users.

Bringing frontend development expertise into your business

Almost every software solution requires high quality UIs and UX. These aspects of an app can help users achieve higher productivity and satisfaction, drive sales, and build trust between your company and your customers. If you’re interested in talking about creating or improving the frontend of your product, let’s get in touch - our frontend experts will be happy to offer advice and answer your questions.