A Complete Guide on How to Develop Software in 2024!

Building your own software can be overwhelming for beginners, but the proper steps and a streamlined process can help you make one in a hassle-free way. Any digital product’s software development life cycle begins with concept & ideation and ends with launch & maintenance. 

Every stage is crucial in the development process, but the most vital is the ideation phase, where we research the idea 360 degrees to gain valuable insights into possible innovations.

This helps to create a well-defined strategy and roadmap for the end-to-end development process of the project. 

Here are 7 Simple Steps of Software Development Process

Step1- Brainstorming Ideas

The foremost step in developing software is to inspect the idea’s feasibility with the stakeholders. You can analyze competitors & similar products to review essential features, monetization strategies, product popularity, and scope for innovation.

Additionally, you need to identify the target audience and check whether the software idea holds viable market demands. Further, at the end of this phase, you must enlist the features the software must deliver to the target audience.

This stage is popularly referred to as the planning phase of the project, as it involves creating a well-defined roadmap for the project.

Step2- Feasibility Study 

The next stage of the software development life cycle model is to conduct an in-depth feasibility study of the project. This will help you determine whether the software venture will prove profitable or fail to deliver high returns on investment. It involves evaluating several economic and technical factors that influence the project roadmap.

You need to connect with various development team members, like designers, programmers, and testers, and determine the total time and costs involved in making the project a digital reality. At the end of this phase, you can integrate timelines into the project roadmap and calculate expenses.

Step3- UI/UX Designs

At this stage of the SDLC, designers create outlooks via wireframing tools. Depending On the number of pages, the designs also showcase different page transitions. The designs are developed according to the specifications and can be refined to achieve flawless user experiences. This helps to achieve a viable prototype for further project development. Once you approve them, the UI/UX designs are further passed on to the software engineers. 

Step4- Coding

This is the programming phase of the software project. Each software application has two major parts that require coding: the front end and the back end. The front end concerns only the visuals, while the backend coding constitutes the functionalities and database handling of the software. 

The frontend and backend programmers synchronize to create a robust code for the software application. This is the most time-consuming phase of the entire software development operations and is controlled mainly by the project manager. 

Step5- Integration

The software is integrated with multiple third-party solutions, APIs, authentication & authorization systems, payment gateways, and more at this phase. External data sources required for the proper functioning of the software are also established and checked for proper functioning over different planned devices. 

Step6- Testing & QA 

Testing & QA engineers run various tests to check whether the code performs optimally or suffers from bugs. The code is subjected to manual and automated testing operations to detect and eliminate bugs. Testers create test cases to detect and report bugs to the concerned code developers. Conducting software testing takes less time compared to coding phases but plays a pivotal role in the success of the project. 

Step7 – Release & Maintenance

The end stage of the software development involves launching the software over staging versions, which is further followed by the final launch. Once the software product is available for the live audience, you may receive feedback on improvements. The software maintenance team can work on this feedback to create new versions and relaunch them for the target audience. Software maintenance can help you stay ahead in the race by integrating user demand & latest trends.

Different stages of the SDLC have a significant role, but successful web development also involves choosing the suitable model and understanding the roles and responsibilities of the development team.

What are the Top Software Development Methodologies?

Source

Agile Model

The agile software development model follows an incremental approach where each release is focused on providing better quality. The iterative approach offers scope for parallel development and testing cycles that help to create a robust code in less time. Custom software development teams can go agile to create high-quality software with maximum transparency in the process.

Waterfall Model

This is the traditional model of creating software and systems, but it wastes time and resources. The drawback of the waterfall model is that the next stage can be started only after completing the ongoing stage. So the testing team can work on the code after it is complete. 

RAD Model

The rapid application development model works by dividing the tasks into small groups who work simultaneously to bring visible results in less time. The disadvantage to this model is that it requires multiple members to create software, but on the bright side, the project can be delivered in less time. 

Key Roles of the Software Development Team

Do you know the key roles and responsibilities of various software development team members? It’s vital to understand as it can help you handle the project seamlessly.

Project Manager

They are responsible for making and executing software development project plan, testing, and launching the product online. The project manager also identifies the ideal programming languages and technology tools the software developers require to complete the project. They can ensure a streamlined flow of tasks and activities among the team and resolve any issues or challenges. They focus on driving the projects toward the goal while monitoring progress and keeping the clients involved via meetings, calls, live chats, etc. 

UI/UX Designer

User Interface & User Experience (UI/UX) designers create appealing designs that offer intuitive navigation to the application users. They craft UI prototypes and define UX with clear and scannable items like navigation buttons, scrolling bars, etc. 

Frontend Developer

The frontend programmer is an expert in HTML, CSS, and JavaScript programming language and its relevant technologies like Angularjs, ReactJs, etc. They are responsible for coding the visual interfaces of the software application and collaborating with the backend developer for the site to function properly.

Backend Developer

The backend developer handles the server-side code, databases, and APIs. Their primary tasks revolve around creating robust code and debugging the application.  

Quality Assurance Engineer

They check the code for performance and quality via several testing strategies like unit testing, integration testing, etc. They also collaborate with the developers, informing them about the presence of bugs and retesting the code after bug elimination. This helps to produce a code that aligns with the user’s expectations. 

What is the Cost of Developing Software?

The overall cost of commercial software development can start from $20K and go as high as several thousand dollars. It depends mainly upon the complexity of the project, the time frame, and the strength of the developer’s team. 

Simple software ideas take less time and can be built with smaller teams. In contrast, highly complex ideas can take several weeks or months to complete, increasing the development cost.

Wrapping Up

Software consulting services can help you identify the feasibility of ideas and transform them into successful IT solutions. At JS Panther, we have industry veterans as part of our dedicated consultation teams. Our consultants can help you identify the best technology stacks to craft software that is free from bugs and issues.