Creating Software: 10 Steps from Concept to Launch

Today, almost every company is dependent on technology and cannot do without various software products. According to Statista, by the end of 2024, global IT spending will exceed 5 trillion dollars, which is 8% more than in 2023.

So, let's take a look at how to create software and what the important steps are to get a quality product.

Software Development: What You Need to Know

The essence of development is the consistent creation of a digital solution using a certain technology stack and based on a methodology that is chosen based on business goals, project scope, time and budget. The specifics of how to make software and how to manage processes depend on it.

The most popular methodologies are Waterfall and Agile. With Waterfall, the implementer adheres to a clear plan, while Agile relies on the flexibility of development with the ability to make changes at each stage of the project.

The waterfall model is used for small projects with a fixed set of requirements.

We will tell you more about each methodology in detail in one of the following paragraphs.

The Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) involves a series of steps, from gathering ideas and analyzing requirements to deploying and launching updates.

To understand how to create a software program, you need to consider each step that leads to a quality product that meets the needs of your business.

Gathering Ideas and Analyzing Requirements

When conceptualizing a new product, you need to identify your target audience, review the existing offerings in the market, and evaluate competitors.

When the requirements analysis is done, the following questions should be answered:

• Who is the main consumer?

• What is the competitive difference of the future product?

• What functionality will the software have?

Now that you have a clear idea of the initial features of the new product and the goals of its launch, you can move on to the next step.

Planning and Resource Allocation

Strategic project management involves planning, prioritizing, and controlling to achieve a specific business goal. Effective management creates a direct link between the end goal and the day-to-day work, resulting in faster delivery of the desired outcome.

You should also optimize the use of all available resources and engage specialists with the appropriate skills to avoid downtime and organize the workflow correctly.

UX/UI Design

UI (User Interface) focuses on the appearance of the software: color combination, fonts, icons, buttons. UX (User Experience) provides user-friendly and understandable navigation.

Working on UX/UI involves analyzing the audience, creating a prototype for testing, and implementing the finished design. The main principles of this design are clarity, consistency, flexibility, design aesthetics, and user feedback.

Choosing a Technology Stack

The technology stack is the programming languages for creating front-end and back-end, i.e., client and server side, as well as frameworks and libraries. They should be approved in advance, as it directly affects the cost of development.

When choosing a stack, you should take into account the following aspects:

• Project specifics.

• Experience and resource potential.

• Scalability of the product.

• Security of user's personal data.

• Convenience of software maintenance and support.

• Timing of application development.

Among popular stacks, we can distinguish LAMP, MEAN, and MERN:

• LAMP includes Linux, Apache, MySQL, and PHP. The following programming languages are used: PHP, PERL, Python.

• MEAN stands for MongoDB, Express, Angular.js, Node.js, and the programming language is JavaScript.

• MERN stands for MongoDB, Express, React, and Node.js. The programming language is JavaScript.

These stacks are great for developing medium to large-scale solutions.

Team and Role Selection

The team that implements the IT project includes the following:

• project manager;

• backend developer;

• frontend developer;

• UI/UX designer;

• tester;

• DevOps specialist.

Their number depends on the scale of the project, its complexity and deadlines, and the programming methodology.

Any team should have its own team lead, who distributes tasks, monitors the achievement of goals and solves organizational issues in the team.

Architecture Building and Development

Working on the architecture of the project involves creating:

• the main components and functions of the software,

• interfaces and interactions between components,

• data and its flows,

• communication protocols.

Key principles of reliable software architecture development:

• Modularity. Simplification of testing and maintenance of the solution.

• Scalability. Meeting growing demand and maintaining performance.

• Reliability. Ensuring fault tolerance and service continuity.

• Flexibility. Developing software solutions to meet rapidly changing requirements.

• Security. Increased protection of user data, including financial data.

• Simplicity. Ensuring that the solution is understandable and accessible for each user.

• Testability. Guaranteed solution quality and ease of debugging.
  

Integration and System Testing

The main purpose of integration testing is to confirm that the various software components, modules, and subsystems work together as a cohesive system.

Some objectives of integration testing are:

• to verify the interaction of modules;

• ensuring compatibility;

• early detection of problems.

Integration testing improves the overall reliability of the system and verifies the required functionality and performance.

Quality Assurance

Quality assurance includes not only detection and correction of errors at all stages of development, but also checking software compliance with requirements, its compatibility with various devices and others.

The product goes through the following main testing stages:

• Modular or component testing.

• Integration.

• Complex.

• Performance testing.

• Regression.

• Acceptance.

QA is a must for every project, as it helps software engineers ensure the quality of the product before it is released.

Deployment and Commissioning

Deployment refers to all the activities that make the software ready for use. Every product created is unique, so it is quite difficult to predict how it will be put into operation.

During deployment, one should take into account:

• security;

• consistency;

• operability;

• problem detection.

Secure deployments are complex, so it is important to deal with experienced developers.

Post-Launch Monitoring and Updates

Performance monitoring is the process of using software tools and telemetry data to track the performance of business-critical software features.

When bugs and issues are detected, optimized updates should be released that are compatible with different protocols and new versions of the operating system.

Comparison of Software Development Methodologies

Let's focus on three main methodologies: Agile, Scrum, and Waterfall.

The choice of the optimal methodology affects not only the amount of investment in software development but also the release time and quality of the final product.

Factors Influencing Software Development Cost

Pricing is influenced by the unique features of a project:

Lampa.dev has tremendous experience in implementing projects of any complexity and successfully solving numerous challenges. This allows us to ensure cost-effectiveness and value for our clients.

If You Do Not Know How to Develop a Software, Choose Professionals!

Are you still wondering how to create a software and what it should be? Maybe you want to modernize an existing software product?

Lampa.dev has created more than 200 applications and 50 web projects worldwide and has a lot of positive feedback from clients. The company's professionals have developed a unique approach to their work that allows them to understand your vision, help you determine the value of your product, and then design and create software!

Creating your own software that will take your business to the next level is always beneficial! The fact that businesses are now evolving through technological advances is no longer a surprise to anyone. It is possible to surprise with a quality software product with important features that will be useful for both users and business owners.