In a way, we could see software development project as a form of art. Any developer would know that each project comes with its own peculiarities and every good development team should have a structured way of accomplishing this. However, here are three steps they could when starting a development project:
- Begin initial dialogues: When the software development team get acquainted for the first time with their clients; it is important to make sure that they have the same approach and vision. This will ensure an efficient collaboration and the initial dialogues could lead to getting early pieces of information. This may include goals, required platforms, devices to be used, means and others. Clients may also require the involvement of professional consultants, so the project can start more smoothly. This is particularly true if clients are yet to form their ideas and concepts into much more coherent documentation. The next step would be to analyze the early gathered information and it can be performed by project manager, software designer and the rest of the developers. This allows them to come with preliminary estimations. The contract is signed only when clients and companies have to an early agreement. It is worth noting that we should accomplish this stage as soon as possible. The actual work should begin when clients confirm that they have chosen the professional contractor for their projects.
- Requirement analysis: We can hardly understate the importance of this step. Early in the project, the cost of error should at an all-time low for both clients and developers. Changes in requirements will get progressively harder to tackle as we are progressing to other stages of the development. We should discuss all the possible risks and problems with the help of a dedicated project manager. At first sight, this step may seem to be time consuming, but it could actually prevent misunderstanding and mistakes, while saving more time in the long run. All requirements and features should be documented and structured. Companies and clients could then agree on the proper requirements and solutions. It means, it would be much easier to estimate the required time to complete each step precisely. Requirements and features should be documented and structured well. If clients need additional consultation, creative experts from the development project should be able to suggest possible alternatives and solutions to increase the viability and quality of the product. During this stage, the team usually perform the testing of requirements. Hopefully, all major mistakes can be prevented at this stage.
- UX Design & Specification: This is the time when software designers begin working on user interaction scenarios. They create sketches and check all possible interaction contexts. They should be able to find solutions to likely limitations and problems. This should allow the, to understand how the interface must be structured and how should interrelate to meet specific functional requirements. Under the approval and guidance of the client, they can create prototype and wireframes.