What is SDLC? – Phases of Design and Development

Software development life cycle, or SDLC, is an application of building software applications. It includes the phases of software design and development that is typically categorized into phases like planning, defining requirements, design, building, documentation, testing, deploying and management. The number of stages depends on the project managers as they are the once combining, splitting or omitting steps, based on the scope of the concerned project.

SDLC is the method of improving and measuring the application development process. It enables the development team to track and analyze each step, helping companies with maximum efficiency at each phase/stage. With higher computing power, developers are in high demand. So, software development companies need to implement reduced costs, meet all the customer needs, and ensure faster end-product delivery. SDLC is the key to achieving these goals by determining areas of higher costs and fixing them for smoother running of the software.

We have got you the different phases of SDLC that contribute to developing a software application successfully.

Phases of software design and development

Planning

The first phase is planning, which includes the project managers evaluating the terms and timeline. From calculating material and labor costs to framing milestones for target goals to developing the team and leadership structure for the project, everything is done shrewdly before presenting the strategy to the client.

It also involves feedback from the customer to ensure it suits their requirements well. This stage should cover defining scope and purpose of the software application clearly. With the course and provision plotted smartly, the team gets a clearer idea of creating the software. It also builds boundaries to help in keeping the project from shifting or extending from the original purpose.

Requirements

Defining requirements is included as a part of the planning process. It determines what the application is supposed to do, and accordingly, the requirements are outlined. Suppose it’s a social media application and requires the ability to connect with another individual. The inventory program will need a search feature.

At this stage, the project manager also ensures of defining the required resources to develop the application. In case a customer wants to have software designed to control a manufacturing machine, the machine is the project’s requirement.

Design and prototyping

The design and prototyping phase shows the working of the software application. Some of the significant aspects of designing include:

Architecture: It covers programming language, overall design, industry practices, and use of any boilerplate or templates.

User Interface: It defines how the customers interact with the application and how it responds to their input.

Platforms: It includes the platforms on which the software application will run, Such as Android, Apple, Linux, Windows version, or even gaming consoles.

Communications: It talks about how the application interacts with other assets, such as the central server or various other instances of the software application.

Programming: Other than the programming language, it includes the methods of [erforming task and solving problems in the application.

Security: It outlines the measures implemented to secure the application, such as SSL traffic encryption, secure storage of the user credentials, and password protection.

Prototyping is a part of the design process. A prototype is one of the previous versions of the software, which explains the basic idea of how the application will look and work. The hands-on design can be displayed to the customers, and the feedback is used to enhance and improve the application. Modifying the prototype os less expensive than rewriting code to alter the development phase.

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