Smartphones represent an important part of modern life because they enable us to communicate, access the Internet, check emails, and access social networks. People use these devices for everything in their life, from ordering food to checking the weather and news. The popularity of smartphones is growing. In fact, since 2016, the global number of smartphone users has increased from 2.5 billion to 3.8 billion. This is an increase of almost 50% in a very short period of time and with emerging markets, the expectation is that this will only continue to increase.

We live in a mobile-driven world with millions of apps that are used for various purposes. At the end of 2020, there were around 2.7 million apps available in the Google Play store. It is not necessary for all the applications to be bug-free and boast smooth performance on the Google Play Store and App Store. Low-quality apps rank poorly in both Google Play and the App Store and have little chance of success. Tough competition, crude marketing strategies, and most significantly, poor app architecture lead many applications to failure. Therefore, app architecture is the backbone of any software product and good app architecture is vital for better performance of applications.

What is Application Architecture?

App architecture is a set of structural components that frame the system and its inner interactions. Developers work with this underlying structure to build an application. This foundation describes the tools and techniques that need to be used to ensure that the app is well designed and functions at the highest level. How smoothly and reliably an app runs depends significantly on the quality of its app architecture. Quality architecture helps with risk management and enables cost reductions. An application with robust and well-planned architecture is more likely to succeed in its target market. Any mobile app project starts with the planning and designing phase. An insufficient approach to this step can slow down the development process and lead to various performance issues and system failures.

The Three Fundamental Layers

The multi-layer approach is widely used in mobile app development as it segregates the application-specific operational layers. Developing and executing each component separately allows developers to solve complicated matters quickly without changing the entire application. The number of layers (or tiers) varies according to an app’s business and functional requirements, but the three-tier structure is the most common mobile app architecture pattern. An architect works with industry-specific products while developing an app. The arrangement of three layers is very important to meet the requirements of an app architecture. In this instance, you need to understand your target audience and how they will be using the mobile application. If you are building a rich client, for example, the business and data layers will sit on the mobile device. Conversely, thin client mobile applications will have these two layers sitting on the server.

Data layer

The data layer is the heart of an application in the making and consists of data access components, server communications, and logic. This layer executes connections to the network and enables the storage of accrued information either locally or on the cloud. The patterns chosen for core operations will determine the application’s overall performance. Security and safety of data maintenance are key priorities at this level.

Business layer

At this tier, all domain processes and operations take place as the business layer explains the logic. The business layer drives an app’s core functionalities. Business logic can take many forms, but it’s mainly responsible for business components and the corresponding data flow. Additionally, the business layer includes navigation methods, logging, caching, and other technical processes.

Presentation layer

This layer is about how an app presents itself to the user and includes user interface (UI) elements such as themes, fonts, colours, and UI process components. The prioritization of features and functionalities also takes place on this level. Because end-users should be able to easily navigate the app. The presentation levels should be simple and avoid multi-level menus because end-users should be able to easily navigate the app. With the multi-layer approach, the separately built dimensions function together smoothly as a complex system.

Top Architecture Design Pattern: MVC, MVP, and MVVM

There are myriad architecture patterns to choose from, but among the most popular are Model-View-Controller (MVC), Model-View-Presenter (MVP), and Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM). These patterns are widely used to moderate complex codes and simplify UI code by making it more neat and manageable. MV(X) architectures divide the visualizing, processing, and data management functions for UI applications, which increases an app’s modularity, flexibility, and testability. Let us take a closer look at each model to understand their differences.

Model-View-Controller (MVC)

MVC is commonly used when designing simple applications as it’s more readily modified than the other two and makes implementing changes to the app simple. MVC consists of three components: Model, View, and Controller. “Model” is subject to the app’s business logic and manages the state of an application and handles data changes and manipulations. “View” manages UI elements by presenting data to users and managing user interactions. “Controller” mediates between view and model by processing incoming requests. Depending on an app’s requirements, there may be one or more controllers. This pattern enables a faster development process and offers multiple views for the model.

Model View Presenter (MVP)

MVP is derived from the MVC pattern, and here, the “controller” is replaced by “presenter”. Performance-wise this pattern offers high reliability as there is less hindrance than with the other two models. Similar to MVC, the model covers the app’s business logic and how data is handled while the view is separated from the logic implemented in the process. The presenter’s major function is to manipulate the model and update the view. When receiving input from a user via view, the presenter processes the data and sends the results back to view. Therefore, MVP offers easier debugging and allows code reusability.

Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM)

MVVM is similar to MVC and it is designed for a more explicit separation of UI development. The “model” here handles basic data and the “view” displays the processed data. The View-Model element discloses methods and commands that help maintain the state of view and control the model. Two-way data binding synchronizes models and properties with the view. Due to data binding, this pattern has higher compatibility than others.MVVM’s significant advantages include easier testing and maintenance as it allows developers to readily implement changes because the different kinds of code are separated. MVVM, meanwhile, works well in more complex applications that handle data from elsewhere, be it a database, file, web service, and so on.

The Key Principles of Good App Architecture

A good app architecture leads to better performance. Applications can function properly when these principles are kept in mind.

Efficiency: The application performs the tasks and functions under any condition and handles heavy loads effectively.
Portability: Since frequent environmental (market or technical-specific) changes are natural in mobile applications, good architecture must allow adjustments without crashing the whole system.
Scalability: Post-release updates and further development are a key part of the software development life cycle. Solid architecture results in faster changes and updates because it's developed in separate threads.
Testability: If an app’s architecture is easily tested it reduces the number of errors and increases reliability.

Meeting all these requirements helps accelerate the development process and makes further maintenance easier.

How to Choose the Right Architecture for your Application

Many app architecture patterns are similar, so it’s not always easy to select one pattern in particular. To choose an effective architecture for your app, take the following steps:

Analyze the current state of your codebase to define any issues that need to be resolved or code that needs improvement.
Evaluate various architecture patterns and try a few on for size before settling for one in particular.
Other considerations to keep in mind are the devices your mobile application will need to support. This includes an understanding of hardware specifications like screen size and resolution as well as underlying processing power and memory. Depending on your use case, your application might require a camera or GPS to function correctly which will impact your decision-making.
Another important feature to consider when choosing an architecture pattern is app security. Mobile app security is a measure to protect applications from external threats like malware and other digital frauds that denounce critical personal, corporate, and financial information.
Since loopholes in mobile security can give access to confidential information and also disclose data like users’ current location, banking information, personal information, and more, it is important to incorporate security features in an app’s architecture.

Quality architecture helps with risk management and enables cost reductions. An application with robust, well-planned architecture is more likely to succeed in its target market. Any mobile app project starts with the planning and designing phase, and choosing the right architecture is a core priority. An insufficient approach to this step can slow down the development process and make it more extensive. It can also lead to various performance issues and system failures. For a good app architecture, it is important to take expert advice. You can book a consultation with Alfabolt to learn more about an ideal app architecture for your application.

An Extensive Guide to App Architecture