What is Agile Product Design? Key Concepts

IT projects, especially those carried out for large, technologically advanced companies, are multi-stage endeavors that require professional support from specialists in various fields. Creating new software that is highly oriented towards the individual needs and requirements of the client is often a very complex process. The software development life cycle consists of several key stages, each of which requires proper engagement. Modern IT projects are increasingly evolving during their implementation. This means that a modern approach to programming should create favorable conditions for agile product design and efficient adaptation to a dynamically changing environment. Below, we explain what this entails.

Agile product design - what is it?

More and more companies operating in the challenging, constantly evolving IT industry are recognizing the need to adapt their services to customer needs. These requirements are constantly growing, as is the demand for professional technological support by individual businesses. The development of the internet and technology means that high-quality IT expertise is needed by virtually every business if it wants to maintain its competitiveness in the market and keep pace with the changes that are an integral part of this industry.

Understanding the client’s needs is the first and arguably the most important point in the process of designing a digital product. At iMakeable, we place the greatest emphasis on the requirements and business goals of our clients. Our ultimate value is leaving the client fully satisfied with the product we create. Therefore, at the beginning of each project, we offer comprehensive IT consulting to our clients, focusing on all aspects that are important from the client’s perspective, whether they relate to code development, graphic design, or specific functionalities.

When programming digital products, we work using the Agile methodology. It is an increasingly common model for agile design of innovative IT solutions, allowing for changes to be made at every stage of the project. This means that if, during the implementation of a project, the client suddenly decides to add another functionality, we will have no problem with that. Agile rejects the concept of a strictly defined action plan, allowing for smooth adaptation to emerging changes. This, in turn, ensures the complete customization of the solutions created to meet the individual requirements of each client, as well as the ability to quickly respond to market changes in order to better align services with industry needs.

What does the software development life cycle look like?

The software development life cycle encompasses all the subsequent stages of its functioning, from the initial conceptual phase through implementation, development, and maintenance, until the point where the digital solution is no longer available for use. This complex, time-distributed process can be reduced to three key project phases:

• Planning
• Programming
• Delivery
• Planning

Planning primarily involves business analysis and architecture design. Cooperation with iMakeable always starts with a detailed discussion of the client’s needs, based on which we prepare a comprehensive specification for the project. In this initial phase, we focus primarily on precisely determining all the necessary functionalities and the visual appearance of the Minimum Viable Product (MVP) of the designed solution. During the initial conversation with the client, we thoroughly discuss each stage of the work, preparing a clear schedule of subsequent activities. We also establish the project budget, and we approach its estimation with great precision to avoid unpleasant surprises in the future. This way, our clients receive clear terms of cooperation and know exactly what to expect.

In the next step, we focus on planning the architecture of the digital product and presenting visual interface mockups that outline the graphic and functional design. At iMakeable, we work with various technologies, which allows us to successfully implement diverse projects. We effectively utilize innovative tools and platforms in our daily work. During the planning stage, we discuss the suitability of using specific technologies, demonstrating their advantages and capabilities. We are also flexible in accommodating client requirements, so if you have been using a specific environment for your projects, you can be sure that our specialists will rise to the challenge.

Programming

Once we understand the client’s needs and requirements, we can proceed to the programming process. At iMakeable, we work in an iterative model that allows us to execute subsequent tasks more efficiently. When we start the actual programming work, we create a detailed product backlog. We also establish the dates for periodic meetings during which we present clients with the results of our ongoing work. Delivering additional functionalities in the form of small iterations frees us from the risk of making mistakes and the need for time-consuming revisions. This way of collaboration ensures continuous contact with the client, who has a clear insight into the individual phases of the project and can continuously verify their outcomes.

Delivery

A tool that enables the smooth implementation of the designed digital product is, for example, Amazon Web Services (AWS). At iMakeable, we utilize AWS in almost every project because it provides high security and rapid software development. The quality of the digital product development process is of utmost importance to us. Therefore, the solutions we create undergo unit and integration testing of individual functionalities. This is done to ensure that we deliver a fully functional and ready-to-use product to the client. To eliminate any errors that may have occurred during the programming stages, it is important to thoroughly test the product using innovative technologies such as Cypress or Mocha. This is particularly relevant for large projects with multiple functionalities. A properly tested product guarantees effective and seamless implementation.

When creating a digital product, we take into account the client’s future business development. For this reason, the solutions developed by iMakeable are easily scalable. We care about their efficient maintenance and ensure the possibility of further development and adjustment to evolving business needs.