At Hooligan Development, we believe that the best software practices are agnostic to the technology used. Our team of developers and designers use a solid development process for each project they take on, regardless of whether it's an OTT or VOD platform. We believe in well-architected design, domain-driven and test-driven development (TDD), and an agile approach.
Putting the User First
Everyone understands that user satisfaction is paramount. The first and most important practice is to put the user first. Getting caught up in development is easy, but you should always think about how your solution will impact the end user. Many development companies are too focused on the solution, not the user. We take a different approach. We design the entire solution around the user, starting with a proper design sprint and focusing on the user as we advance. We understand that user experience is critical and ensure that every feature we build is essential to the user's needs. This means designing the entire solution around them- from how they interact with your app or website to what kind of loading indicators they see while they wait for content. We often see companies getting consumed with tech buzzwords and the latest trends. However, we believe that the technical aspects of a product are only part of the equation. The user must find the product enjoyable and engaging. That's why we encourage developers to code around the end user, not just the latest technology.
Breaking Down Requirements
The second step to any software project is breaking down requirements. We can do this in several ways, but the most common method is to create a list of features that need to be built and then prioritize them based on business value, critical path and technical complexity. Once you have your list of features and priorities, it's time to start building! We have much experience breaking down these requirements into smaller, achievable chunks. We believe in eating an elephant one bite at a time. By understanding the critical path required to achieve a viable product, we can help our clients create a cohesive, user-friendly product.
Create an MVP
The next step is creating a minimum viable product (MVP), which should include just enough functionality so that users can get real value out of using it--but no more than necessary at this stage in development. Some clients have a vast array of feature sets they would like to include, which can be overwhelming. At Hooligan Development, we understand that some clients have a broader idea of what they want to achieve but don't know how to get there. That's why breaking down the requirements is essential to understanding the critical path to creating an MVP.
Get Feedback
Once your MVP has been built, tested and released into production, it's time for feedback loops:
- Getting user feedback from early adopters willing to try new products even though they might not be perfect yet.
- Measuring critical metrics like retention rates or conversion rates.
- Running A/B tests against different variations of existing features.
Experiment with Different Avenues
It's essential to test and experiment with different avenues, especially when it comes to OTT and VOD development. You'll want to look at your product from a user perspective and see how they interact with it, their expectations, and how they perceive it in general. If something isn't working out as planned or any issues need addressing, you can easily make changes before launching the product into the market.However, we believe that creating a minimum viable product is essential, testing the hypotheses and experimenting with the user in mind. We look at the whole requirement and create a design phase around what's important. From there, we can formulate the correct purpose-built team to achieve the first iteration of the dream product. Then, we experiment with different avenues to offer a viable product that works and test it with the users.
Conclusion
- Good software development practices are essential.
- Focus on user experience.
- Break down requirements into smaller chunks that can be more easily managed
- Create a minimum viable product (MVP) based on those requirements.
- Get feedback from early adopters.
- Experiment and iterate.
Following good software development practices is essential to the success of any software project, especially in the world of OTT and VOD development. At Hooligan Development, our agnostic software development approach and focus on putting the user first sets us apart from our competitors. By breaking down requirements into smaller chunks and creating a minimum viable product, we can ensure that each feature we build is essential to the user's needs. We understand that user satisfaction is paramount, and we believe that focusing solely on the technical aspects of a product is not enough. We encourage our developers to code around the end-user, not just the latest technology, and to experiment with different avenues to offer a viable product that works and can be tested with the users. At Hooligan Development, we pride ourselves on connecting with our clients, understanding their methodologies, and supporting their choices. Our approach is to incubate ourselves in our clients' methodologies and contribute where we can add value. By doing so, we can help our clients understand the critical path required to achieve a viable product.