How to develop Bubble app in the right order?

Need help App Organization
1

When you made your Bubble web app design in Figma, and you want to make it in Bubble.

In which order would you develop your web app?:

  1. First make the design in Bubble, than make it responsive, than make the database and then add the logic to the app?

or

  1. Develop the database first, and than you make one page and immediatly after that you add the logic and so on until every page is done?

In which order do you develop your app?

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I create the database for the main data I need, so if I’m building a car marketplace, I make the database structure for the car data type. Then I build out functionality to allow user to signup and login, then ability to create a car listing and so on.

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3

Usually I tackle the databse first, then move on to design+functionality+responsive. The later three kind of work in parallel with respect to user stories/ functionalities.

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4

I agree with @animisha45
With all the visuals available in Figma, I would begin with the database structure & privacy settings. Then, I would segment all the functionalities into logical parts or scenarios, implementing them gradually alongside the design&responsiveness.

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5

Database with privacy rules from the beginning

Add design and add logic at the same time

Some will add logic after completing all designs which is also reasonable, I just find it easier to remain focused in a specific area and get it all done.

Build mobile first (e.g using group focuses in RGs for actions to limit horizontal width) and then everything will naturally expand to desktop without much effort.

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6

None of the above.
Focus on the smallest feature / value-added for the user.

  1. Try to build that.
  2. That might lead to some db work and then design work. Or the other way around.
  3. Record a demo on Loom to try to show it to someone.
  4. Halfway through it realize some glaring problems.
  5. Rinse and repeat from 1 - 4 more times than I’m willing to admit.
  6. Finally get a good enough version so I finish the Loom.
  7. Get feedback from beta testers pointing me to glaring mistakes that I somehow missed.
  8. Rinse and repeat 1 - 8
  9. At some point ask a designer to take a look and see if she can pimp up the look 'n feel.

All of that to say, focus on end-to-end instead of one or the other. Designs with out backend are worthless. Backend with out designs are not great.

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Interesting. On the face of it I like this approach, but I can’t help but feel that if you don’t look at the big picture, you’ll end up rebuilding things to work with each other again and again as the app expands?

This is true, users will use bad looking apps that solve their problem, but won’t use good looking apps if it doesn’t solve their problem.

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Yep, it happens. I’m one of those limited RAM models and I can’t imagine too much in the future. So I need to play with the concept to truly grok it.

I admire you people who can plan ahead of time.

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As a boot-strapping founder with a single app (not yet launched) this was my approach, and I learned so much about the product, the app, Bubble, design, database structure, and more because of it.

If I were to start another app from scratch (got a few ideas!) I think I’d now first work out the UI/UX with an artist (hiring an artist for my current app was the best money I’ve spent), and then use that to structure the database. Once UI/UX was established, and with it, features, and the database behind it, I find I could build it out much faster, since the majority of front-end building is responsiveness and how it links to backend via workflows. I told my wife a few nights ago - if I started my current app from scratch knowing what I know now, I feel like I could’ve gone from idea to launch in 6 months (I’m close to 30 months right now :smiley: )

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