With the web becoming more interconnected and entangled, the amount of integration is quickly growing and becoming overwhelming. The market share for API management is anticipated to reach $13.7 billion by 2027. There are hundreds of services that you can use to bolster your app.

Do you want detailed user metrics? There is surely an integration that can handle that. Do you want to add ads to your app? That’s another integration. How about a payment solution? You guessed it, another integration. Creating an app in the modern era isn’t just about the app itself, it’s about interconnectivity. 

Each business ally speaks its own language, with APIs that range from cleaexr and well-documented to obtuse and arcane. You have to review the documentation, test, check for compatibility, debug, and, in some very infuriating cases, try each endpoint to figure out what the API wants from you.

If your company’s name isn’t Meta or Microsoft, then your API is your business card. Startups have the arduous task of proving to their users that their services are good, reliable, and pleasant to use. That’s why we are going to talk about API-first design.

The Basics: Understanding APIs

APIs, or application programming interfaces, are the digital doorman of our modern world. They connect a myriad of software applications and systems together, creating a symphony of data exchange. Those handy little share buttons you see on every webpage? Yep, those are powered by APIs. 

Let’s talk about why APIs matter so much in today’s digital landscape. APIs are behind some of our most frequently used applications and services across various industries. In their 2022 State of the API Report, Postman addresses 1.13 billion requests created within a year. Where does this growth come from?

Ever shared content across Facebook, Instagram, and X? Thank an API for that seamless experience! What about logging into websites with your social media credentials? That’s also thanks to APIs simplifying our online experiences.

What about online shopping? Giants like Amazon and PayPal rely heavily on APIs for secure payment processing and efficient order fulfillment. Even your voice-activated smart assistants (Alexa, we’re looking at you) use APIs to manage and control smart home devices.

A leading technology solutions provider in the food and beverage industry approached us with the challenge of integrating multiple complex data streams into one platform. The larger product to develop was a centralized time-tracking system for various applications. We successfully created a multi-approach environment, incorporating and centralizing complex data using expertise in API creation, Azure Cloud, and database development.

It’s not just about who uses an API—it’s also about who has access to it. In March 2023, X started charging a wider range of users for access to its data API. This particular API allows users to collect large numbers of tweets (or X-posts), enabling businesses to conduct market research or track trends. However, this change also affected individuals with limited resources, such as developers of free apps and social science researchers.

APIs are even paving the way for artificial intelligence (AI) accessibility. Companies like Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI offer APIs that allow software developers to incorporate AI into their products—making what once seemed like sci-fi a reality.

Now, end-users very rarely, if ever, will get to see or interact with an API, but developers? APIs are their bread and butter, and when each API is in its own language, one has to become a polyglot to keep up with this ever-expanding market.

The API-First Design Approach Explained

In the ever-evolving world of technology, we’ve come to appreciate the value of an API-first approach. In it, APIs are considered “first-class citizens.” This means that every aspect of a project is built around the understanding that the end product will be consumed by mobile devices and client applications.

With data consumption now being a shared responsibility, organizations need to ensure their apps work well across all devices—smartphones, laptops, tablets, you name it! An API-first strategy allows us to build applications efficiently for all platforms and operating systems. Think of it as creating a universal remote control that can operate any device.

The benefits of adopting an API-first approach are numerous. 

• Development teams can work in parallel.
• It reduces costs by reusing code on different projects 
• It also speeds up time-to-market.

API-first minimizes failure risk. In the digital era, APIs are integral to various business processes. The process involves identifying services, stakeholders, designing contracts, style guides, governance, automation, portfolio tracking, and an internal developer portal—similar to planning a complex banquet for a successful outcome.

Interested in hiring API developers for your web projects? Contact us to know more about our team of experts. 

The Developer as a Client

An API-first approach also ensures positive developer experiences (DevX). Here is a little secret:

In API-first design, think of the developer as your end-user.

Maybe the developer is not the decision maker, but trust us when we say that their opinion matters a lot. Unless your market strategy provides a benefit that outpaces the developer experience, odds are the decision maker will take into account the impact your product has on their team. 

Imagine you tell a developer that you want to build an engine and that the instructions are in Russian, Chinese, and Spanish. If your developer is focused on time-to-market but is only a native English speaker, which of three manuals do you think they will take? 

This role reversal is beneficial because it helps us understand our product from a user perspective. We can ask questions like: Is this API intuitive? or Would I enjoy using this if I were on the other side? If our answer is No or even Maybe, then Houston, we have a problem.

When designing APIs with an API-first approach, remember that, as developers-turned-clients, our primary goal is to create user-friendly products that all developers can grasp with ease.

To develop for developers, your best bet is to look for teams who have experience in developing APIs. It’s not just about the code, it’s also about understanding workflows, patterns, and the needs of other developers.

So there you have it! Five steps to an API-first design that even a junior developer can wrap their head around. Remember: define, design, simplify, secure, and test. Now go forth and create APIs that are the talk of the digital town!