Which App Development Methodology To Choose For Your Project?

9 min readJul 14, 2021

Rigorous planning, endless documentation, and reporting, as well as all kinds of work meetings have long ceased to be something unshakable in the workflow.

Over the past ten years, a huge number of project management options have appeared, each of these development approaches is suitable for different tasks and can be incredibly effective. Let’s consider the best practices in product development and methodology overview.

What Is the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC)?

Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is a process that is carried out by a company as part of a project. An SDLC is a detailed plan for how software should be developed and maintained. It also includes a product improvement methodology.

There are several main steps in the SDLC:

1. Planning and analysis of requirements. A stage that brings together marketers, developers, business analysts and the client himself. All risks and expectations are spoken here.

2. Clear definition of rules and product architecture. Everything must be documented and approved in an SRS (Software Requirements Specification) document.

3. The actual product development. The code is generated according to the DDS, using the agreed technology stack.

4. Product testing. In addition to detecting problems, this also includes fixing these errors. Here, the product is checked for compliance with all development rules and standards.

5. Placement in stores and subsequent service. Before being placed in the official stores, all products must meet the platform requirements, which is taken into account at the development stage.

SDLC significantly reduces the cost of the development process. This is relevant for both parties, who clearly understand the goals and objectives before starting work.

What is Software Development Methodology?

A software development methodology is the structuring of processes while working on a project. This refers to the discussion of the design concept, philosophy, and values of the project, as well as general expectations and target audience. A systematic approach to development helps to reduce development time and budgets.

Development methodologies may differ from team to team. Their main goal is to improve team efficiency and formalize communication in the process of work. The choice of a specific methodology is usually individual since the debate over the best one still has not led to a consensus.

Also, the methodology should not be held responsible for success or failure. The structure of the team, its coherence, correct research and conclusions of business analysts, as well as the customer’s wording are also important here.

Combinations of methodologies are also possible in projects, depending on the stage of work.

Benefits of Methodologies in Mobile App Development

Mobile development puts forward certain requirements for developers. Because it has a relationship between additional functions and budgets, the choice of methodology is critical here. Particular attention is paid here to the promotion and compliance with the requirements of the stores. Then comes the selection of the technical stack, which is different for native and cross-platform applications.

A variety of methodologies are used for mobile development: Kanban, Waterfall, Scrum, and so on. But most often they prefer Agile, due to its effectiveness in minimizing risks. It is also considered an excellent choice for large applications, allowing you to add flexibility to processes and adapt to the market using proper mobile development methodologies.

Software development methodologies are a critical aspect of software development. Regardless of the size of the company or the complexity of the product, it is important to structure the process and make it logical. This is where methodologies come to the rescue that helps optimize time and budgets.

Each methodology has its own pros and cons, suitable for the scale of the project and the composition of the development team. But they all have a common goal, which is to ensure smooth software development as per project requirements.

It is important to understand that the software development methodology helps to plan and build the development process, but it is not responsible for the technical part, so this should be taken care of separately.

12 Types of Software Development Methodologies

Let’s look at the top methodologies that can be applied in the course of mobile and web development, with their main advantages and disadvantages.

Agile Development Methodology

Agile development is the most flexible and adaptive type of development. Among its main advantages is the possibility of constant changes in the project without sacrificing discipline. It also allows you to minimize various risks and reduce development time. All problems are solved through iterations that last from a week to a month.

Agile focuses on the interaction of the entire team with each other and with the customer. This avoids guesswork and inconsistencies in the work on the project.

Disadvantages of the methodology: later there may be problems with the documentation, and in particular cases of large projects, it is difficult to assess the efforts required to implement the project.

Waterfall Development Methodology

Waterfall Model is one of the most popular traditional models in software development. The whole process is represented as a linear sequential flow. At the same time, you can proceed to the next stage only if you are confident in the completion of the previous one.

tapu to handle changing requirements. Individual progress, time savings, strict rules, and ease of testing make Waterfall a favorite choice for most teams.

Disadvantages of the methodology: the best choice for projects with constant maintenance. Another point is to avoid making edits at the testing stage since there is a risk of destroying the project while drawing up the documentation takes a huge amount of time. Also, the model cannot find out the final result of the project until its completion.

Spiral Methodology

The main task of the Spiral model is to identify and reduce project risks at the earliest stages. That is, the developers study and work through all the risks, drawing up a risk management plan. Good leadership is essential here, so the model is optimal for large, demanding projects. Since all features are added systematically, the web-development process is extremely fast.

Weaknesses of the methodology: the model is expensive, and any flaws in risk planning can completely ruin the project. Spiral has a huge amount of documentation, and its length is unpredictable.

Lean Development

Lean Development Methodology is aimed at developing easily changeable software. Its main advantage is its strategic orientation, which allows it to develop a product faster and cheaper while sacrificing efficiency. At the same time, the rights and opportunities of people in the team are significantly expanded, additionally motivating them.

Methodological weaknesses: the critical need for a business analyst with good experience. In addition, the coherence of the team is important, it must have experience in working together, otherwise, it quickly becomes defocused and loses focus on achieving the goal.

Prototype Model

Prototype Methodology allows developers to create exclusively prototypes that demonstrate the functionality of a project to the client. This way, you can work through all the scripts and fix bugs before the product is released. With Prototype, you can avoid all the problems that cascading models have. That is, the collection of requirements, determination of the scope of improvements, and communication are established as efficiently as possible.

Disadvantages of the methodology: usually small budgets are allocated on Prototype, in addition, the interest of the client may die out after prototyping. Another negative point is the difficulty in assessing the further scope of work, with the preservation of the development structure.

Rapid Application Development

Rapid Application Development (RAD) is an effective methodology with high impact. Since this involves user participation in the development process, it is much faster. From the client’s side, there is a quick and timely analysis of the project and its stages. All this makes RAD an excellent solution to reduce errors in the output.

Disadvantages of the methodology: Requires an extremely modular design of the project and a strong team of skills. Also, RAD requires large budgets, but tracking progress is difficult to report.

Dynamic Systems Development Model Methodology

The Dynamic Systems Development Model (DSDM) is aimed at rapid development. An iterative step-by-step approach with constant user involvement and full compliance with deadlines and budgets. At the same time, you get all the basic functionality as quickly as possible, and the rest of the stages are gradual and more predictable.

Disadvantages of the methodology: Implementation of DSDM is quite an expensive undertaking, and it is completely unsuitable for small companies. It also requires constant involvement of users and progressive development of the project.

Feature Driven Development

Feature Driven Development is the optimal system for large teams that use object-oriented technologies. It is an iterative methodology that allows multiple teams to work simultaneously on the same project. Everything here is based on developing industry standards with the latest proven innovations.

Disadvantages of the methodology: it does not perform well in small projects. There is also a great deal of dependence on the lead developer and there is no project documentation for the client.

Scrum Development

Scrum development is loved for its versatility for all types of projects. This methodology is especially beloved by companies that are constantly changing. In Scrum, it all starts with a short meeting and ends with a final product review, so even the slowest projects progress more efficiently. In addition to speed, the documentation does not suffer here, and a lot of responsibility lies with the development team itself.

Disadvantages of the methodology: it is important to follow strict compliance with the project cost estimate, otherwise there is a risk of violation of the entire structure. Also, Scrum is not the best solution for small projects and low-level teams.

DevOps Methodology

DevOps is a model in which parts of a project are continuously integrated and deployed. In this way, all operations take place at the same time, ensuring clear interaction between development cycles. Microservices and continuous delivery help accelerate business goals and dramatically improve the final product. DevOps collaboration implies strong accountability and increased responsibility.

Disadvantages of the methodology: the methodology cannot always ensure the speed and safety of the project implementation. In addition, this methodology requires a revision of approaches not only to development but also to business, not all clients are ready for this.

Extreme Programming Methodology

Extreme programming is a development system to provide processes in the most unstable environment. This gives more flexibility and lowers the cost of product requirements. By focusing on the timely release of the product, developers do not waste time writing documentation and building unrealizable plans and expectations.

Disadvantages of the methodology: efficiency directly depends on the developer, and the code is in the head, but not the design. There are problems with documentation on defects, but a lot of resources are spent on regular meetings. This is a very costly methodology for the client, and the cost and labor costs cannot be calculated in advance.

Joint Application Development Methodology

Collaborative Application Development (JAD) is a methodology that involves constant interaction and collaboration between the parties. Constant sessions allow solving all business problems, leaving the technical side in second place. Thanks to JAD, you can continually collect and consolidate large amounts of information with reduced risk. All requirements are presented here as clearly as possible.

Disadvantages of the methodology: JAD is time-consuming because detailed planning is a laborious process. Also, a lot of all kinds of costs are borne by the investor. Also, a lot depends on the consistency of the team.

What App Development Methodology We Use In TopDevs?

Among all the above methodologies, the developers of TopDevs give preference to Agile. This allows finding solutions quickly and efficiently, modifying the product as needed.

Plus, we love Agile because it:

allows you to achieve synergy between business and technical goals;
turns change into part of the process, and not into force majeure;
brings the most glazy and effective functions to the final product;
helps to draw up documentation of the project without water and mistakes;
helps with further product maintenance.

Thus, Agile helps not only to improve the efficiency of our team, but also to provide the client exactly what he expects.

Summary

Determining a methodology for development is a complex issue that requires an analysis of a specific project and its goals and resources. Understanding the requirements and interaction between the client and the contractor is the key to the success of any project.

In addition, it is important to understand that methodologies are not a one-size-fits-all tool. What works in one case may be completely ineffective in another. Take the time to analyze the effectiveness of the team and the project, and only then proceed to the choice of methodology.