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Design Phase In Software Development Life Cycle

How Design Phase Plays A Crucial Role In SDLC – A Guide For You To Know

Hey guys, today in this article, we are going to discuss the Design Phase In Software Development Life Cycle and why it is crucial. So keep reading.

Have you ever encountered a situation when you purchase something impulsively just after taking a look at it? It generally happens with many people. If something draws your attention and appeals to the eye then people tend to be inclined towards buying it. Design plays a very important part in catching someone’s attention.

It is believed that we humans first tend to enjoy things with our eyes. If it is liked by your eyes you are motivated to touch it and explore it further. Now, why do such situations occur? Because, it is human psychology to go after what pleases the eye, one of the primary reasons that design holds an important place in any solution developed. Good design also adds to a feel-good factor that, some beautiful color or usability of some product adds.

Designing doesn’t mean throwing some random colors at anything, it requires proper planning. There are three responses to a piece of design – Yes, No, and Wow. Wow is the one to aim for. “Style comes and goes. Good design is a language, not a style.” – Massimo Vignelli – Italian Designer.

Design is a process that helps your idea meet its objectives. The market is flooded with many kinds of mobile apps, web apps, off-the-shelf software pieces, gadgets, etc. But a great design is what makes your product or app win the user’s heart. Similarly, while developing software, the designing phase plays a very important part.

Design Phase In Software Development Life Cycle:

Why Design Phase Is Crucial In Software Development Life Cycle?

The Software Development life cycle, which is known as (SDLC) can be divided into 4 phases: planning, designing, development, and deploying. Every phase is very closely linked and any problem with any one of them affects the whole SDLC process.

This stage also includes requirements gathering what the client wants to achieve, what are the objectives of the software, and what challenges are to overcome with the software.

The designing phase is where the client requirements are given a virtual face by preparing the design architecture, a blueprint of your software, etc. Basically, the look and feel of your software are decided at this stage.

There are various aspects that are required to design perfect software keeping in mind its targeted users. It is for this reason there is a planning phase wherein there is an in-depth research on various parameters that will affect the software. So when the process of software development starts with planning where software development team members decide on;

  • Which technology they will be working on?
  • What methodology will be adopted?
  • What challenges do they want to overcome with the software?
  • Who will be the end users? A brief idea about user persona.
  • What is the objective of the client?

Now, let’s understand the importance of the design phase in detail taking into consideration 2 of the most vital factors that software development depends on.

Get The Perfect Look and Feel

A good design is about both form and performance; so it is beneficial that it not only looks good but also is easy to understand and performs equally well.

“This is not what I wanted”

Since this is the phase when software designers create the blueprint and wireframes based on the requirements shared by the client. It is the perfect time when clients can clearly share what resonates with their idea. If not, designs could be modified and recreated to meet the expectations of the clients. If there was no software design phase in the SDLC process the outcome could be havoc and different from what the customer originally required.

Increases Client Satisfaction

Once the designer and the client are on the same page and agree to the wireframes; the design is moved to the next phase which is development. As the design of the software has been approved by the client it increases the client satisfaction and project success ratio.

Software Design Phase: Factors To Consider

The design phase may be a little longer with trial and error from software designers and developers but it is really worth it for the success of the project.

Here are some steps performed by top custom software development firms in the design phase of the software development life cycle.

Understand The Objective Of The Software

The first thing designers do is go for brief research. It is important to first understand why the client is creating that software. This question helps to understand what challenges he/she is trying to get solved or what output is expected.

Define Audience

Another important thing to take note of is to define your audience or users. The designers try to understand the mindset of who will be using the software. For e.g. if a software application is created for kids but has complicated terminologies it will become difficult for the kids to use it independently. Hence designers need to consider the persona of the software users.

Define Navigation Road Map

It is very important to give a perfect navigation experience to your users. Your software design should be such that it offers them minimum clicks to reach the desired page. Further, your design should be such that it connects one page with another or offers equal opportunity to reach the previous page easily.

Create Mockups

Finally when the above points are well thought out the design team is now in the process to create the perfect design that helps to achieve the desired output. Mockups are created by the design teams so as to develop a more refined design of your software. These include having a full set of icons, color themes, number of pages, buttons, etc. All of them will just be offering a visual appearance and will not be clickable.

Final Thoughts

Top software development companies have their own process and methodology for the software development life cycle. So break it into even smaller parts but whatever the case, the designing phase is something that cannot be neglected by them. A design phase sets a solid foundation for software development. Thus the designing phase is one of the very important parts of the software development life cycle. I hope you like this article on the Design Phase In Software Development Life Cycle.

About Yashwant Shakyawal

Yashwant Shakyawal is a creative, open-minded, and passionate digital marketing expert with expertise in brand marketing, content creation, SEO, and business management.

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