Who built your favourite app?
Think of an app you use every day. Maybe a bus app or a music app.
Somebody built it. They did not just start typing code on day one.
First they asked questions. What do people need? How much will it cost? How will we know it works? Good teams follow a plan. This lesson shows that plan.
Key words
| Word | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Lifecycle | All the stages of a project, from the first idea to the end. | idea, build, release, repair |
| Client | The person or company who asks for the software. | a pizza shop owner |
| Project brief | A short document where the client says what they want. | We need an ordering app. |
| Requirement | Something the software must do or be. | Customers can pay by card. |
| Prototype | An early, simple version you can try. | a drawing of the screens |
| Deploy | Put the software where users can use it. | publish the app in a store |
| Maintenance | Looking after the software after it is released. | fix bugs, add small features |
| Stage | One step in the lifecycle. | planning |
| Scope | What the project will do, and what it will not do. | order and pay, but no delivery map |
| Algorithm | A list of steps that solves a problem. | how the order total is worked out |
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Quick check: the order
Have a go
Quick check: the order
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Each stage, one question
| Stage | The question it answers | What you make |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Research | What does the client want, and what is out there already? | Notes and findings |
| 2 Planning | What exactly will we build, for how long, for how much? | A project plan |
| 3 User analysis | Who will use it, and what do they do? | User stories and diagrams |
| 4 Design | What will it look like and how will it work? | Screen designs and algorithms |
| 5 Develop and test | Does it work? | A prototype, then tested code |
| 6 Deploy | How do users get it? | A live, installed product |
| 7 Maintain | How do we keep it working? | Fixes, updates and support |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
It is a loop
data-callouts.tip.label
Real projects go back. A test shows a problem, so you return to design. A user wants a new feature, so you plan again. The arrow back to the start is real.
Example: a pizza shop app
| Stage | What happens |
|---|---|
| Research | Read the brief. Look at other pizza apps. Ask what problems they have. |
| Planning | Agree the scope: order, pay, track. Agree the price and the end date. |
| User analysis | Write what a hungry student does at 9 pm. |
| Design | Draw the order screen. Plan how the total is worked out. |
| Develop and test | Build the order screen first. Test it with five friends. |
| Deploy | Release it. Install it on the shop tablet. |
| Maintain | Fix a bug. Add a new offer. Teach a new worker. |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.