Table of contents
- Why choose Flutter development?
- 5 essential Flutter developer skills to check while hiring Flutter developers
- Conclusion
- Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Google’s mobile app development framework Flutter has completed 5 years, and it’s one of the popular mobile app development technologies these days used by big brands like Toyota, BMW, New York Times, SpaceX, Philips, and many more. You can find various Flutter developer skills in this blog.
Flutter is cross-platform, allowing developers to build the mobile application with a single codebase, unlike the native app development where it used to be coded separately on iOS and Android devices.
Many startups and enterprises are looking to hire Flutter developers for their app development, enhancements, and maintenance requirements. Still, they do not have the data on what skill sets and other attributes to look into while hiring a Flutter developer. In this blog, you will get the idea and some points you need to consider while hiring them to make your project successful.
Why choose Flutter development?
Google created the open-source UI toolkit called Flutter. It is designed to develop cross-platform mobile applications with a single codebase, meaning developers can write once and deploy on iOS and Android platforms. Flutter has gained popularity recently due to its many advantages over other development frameworks. Here are some of the top reasons why one should choose Flutter app development:
Flutter enables developers to develop high-quality native interfaces easily, saving time and effort. Flutter’s hot reload functionality allows developers to make real-time modifications and view the results immediately, speeding up the app development process.
It allows experienced people to build applications for multiple platforms with a single codebase, which saves time and effort. This is because the same code can be used to create applications for both iOS and Android platforms.
Flutter’s impressive performance provides fast and smooth animations and transitions. Flutter uses a reactive programming model, meaning user interface changes are automatically updated in real time.
Flutter delivers a set of pre-built widgets that can be customized to develop beautiful and highly functional user interfaces. These Flutter widgets follow the Material Design and Cupertino design systems, which give a consistent look and feel across different platforms.
Flutter’s growing community of experts contributes to its development and supports other development teams. It also helps them find solutions to their problems quickly and easily, and they can get help from the community in case of any issues.
5 essential Flutter developer skills to check while hiring Flutter developers
1. Flutter use cases
Flutter is Google’s open-source and free software development kit for mobile, web, and desktop applications. It is widely popular among startups and enterprises as it offers a great app development experience within time and budget.
Flutter, having a cross-platform framework, is a single codebase that can run applications in multiple operating systems like iOS, Android, Windows, and Mac.
We at Flutter Agency have a team of 30+ Flutter experts, so we have complete knowledge of what one should look for while hiring a Flutter developer for their app development requirements. I will explain what we look for when we interview our Flutter developers, and it will help you choose the right developer or team for your app development requirements.
2. Advantages of hiring a Skilled Flutter developer
Flutter engineer's hiring gives an edge to the product owner to efficiently deliver the development goals of development, enhancements, and maintenance of the application.
1. Development speed
Flutter development is not only faster compared to native app development, but it is also faster than other cross-platforms like React Native, Ionic, Xamarin, etc.
Flutter offers a Hot-reload feature that helps the developers achieve development goals faster as they can do real-time changes to the application.
Upgrading Flutter applications and shipping more features to the existing application is also easier as Flutter doesn’t use any native components for deploying the application.
2. Single codebase
Flutter, having a cross-platform framework, is an obvious advantage for product owners of maintaining a single codebase rather than having native code for iOS and Android.
Being in the app development business for a decade, we experienced the hassle of maintaining two separate codebases before Flutter made it convenient for us and our partners.
3. Native performance
We also have expertise in native development and provide native support in technologies like Swift and Kotlin, apart from Flutter. We have delivered many successful migration projects from Native to Flutter with the same native performance.
It was a no-brainer for the Flutter shift from Native as it provides the same native experience cost-effectively. If Flutter developers follow good coding practices and Flutter state management to centralize the UI, you will not face any hanging or lagging problems in Flutter.
4. Reduced testing time
Flutter is a cross-platform, which reduces the testing time automatically to half. Flutter agency is a pioneer in Flutter and follows the best development practices. That’s why we have reduced testing time to 65-70% compared to Native app testing.
3. Flutter developer’s experience and Flutter developer skill sets
It’s been 5 years since Google launched Flutter, so there are a lot of experienced developers who used to work with native or other cross-platforms but now working on Flutter. There are also Junior developers who started their careers with Flutter. Let’s understand their experience and skills.
1. Strong command over Dart programming language
Flutter framework uses Dart as a programming language, so Flutter coders must have good experience and understanding of Dart language.
2. Work experience with agile development
Agile methodology in development practice is based on the Sprint delivery model, where projects will be divided into small clusters, and progress is measured in every sprint delivery.
We have bi-weekly sprint delivery scheduled for each of our partner’s projects.
3. Experience working with design tools
Flutter being a front-end framework, the developer needs to experience modern design tools like Figma, Adobe XD, Sketch, etc.
4. Knowledge of version control best practices
Version control is a tool for source code control. With the help of version control, you can track and manage app codes.
Some version control tools are GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, etc. Flutter programmers must know of this to efficiently manage the codebase.
4. Flutter developer’s roles and responsibilities
1. Active involvement in the app development process
Flutter developers must coordinate with product owners, designers, backend developers, and testers to ensure that app development objectives are achieved within a budgeted timeline.
2. Best coding practices
The Flutter development team must follow the best coding practices and write clean codes. It helps the product owner and other team members maintain the application’s health.
3. Developer’s experience with app deployment
Apple app store deployment is critical, and most mobile developers struggle. When hiring, checking the developer’s past deployment experience becomes very important.
4. Firebase expertise
Firebase is Google’s backend as a service for app development which can be used to reduce development timeline and cost. Firebase provides pre-written backend functions to integrate with an app and a pay-as-you-go hosting solution. The Flutter developer must persist in Firebase expertise for cloud function integration.
5. Agency vs. Freelancer: Which one to choose
If your project is small and not very complex, you could depend on a reliable freelancer, but if you have plans for your app/product, I suggest you hire an agency as they can provide you with end-to-end solutions.
Conclusion
Flutter has changed the app development landscape and offers a very rich user experience to the end users. That’s why it has emerged as one of the best cross-platform technologies in recent years. Product owners must look for talented Flutter developers who can achieve their vision within a reasonable timeframe.
This blog gives tips that help you evaluate potential candidates or agencies as app development partners.
Flutter Agency is a pioneer in adopting Flutter. We have a good team of Flutter developers and offer a dedicated Flutter developers/Team on a full-time/part-time basis to work closely with Product owners, CTO, and Founders. If you are looking for any help with app development, you could reach out to us at hello@flutteragency.com or call us at +1 (850) 780-1313, and we would be delighted to help.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. Which is the close language to Flutter?
Dart programming language is near Flutter as it is simple to learn and allows you to create high-quality, feature-rich apps. However, Flutter hot reload feature will help you make the app changes without restarting it.
2. How can I assess a Flutter developer's skills?
To assess a Flutter developer’s skills, you can start by reviewing their portfolio and past projects. This will give you an idea of their level of experience and expertise. Finally, consider conducting a coding test or asking them to complete a sample project to measure their abilities.
3. How can I determine a fair salary for a Flutter developer?
The salary of a Flutter developer may vary depending on various factors such as location, years of experience, skill level, and the complexity of the projects they have worked on. To determine a fair salary, it’s recommended to research the average salaries for Flutter developers in your region and adjust based on these factors.