Arrk Group | Design Driven Approach

Design Driven Approach

We believe in a ‘Design Driven’ approach to application development to ensure that we create systems that are simple to use, flexible, fast and easily maintained and enhanced.

A design driven approach differs from traditional ‘software engineering’ in a number of ways:-

Traditional Software Engineering	Arrk Design Driven Approach
Mechanistic approach to user interface design	All aspects of UI design are the centrepiece of the creative thinking in the project
Detailed product specifications are collated from user interviews/workshops and played back through detailed specifications	Requirements are produced from broader sources – focus groups, industry best practice, expertise of the designers, observation of users at work… It is much more of a creative endeavour
The project management team leads the project	There is an empowered Solution Architecture team, separate from the PM team, which gives the thought leadership for the project
‘Scope’ is nailed down as early as possible and the project focus then is on delivery	There is a recognition that scope will naturally unfold during the design process, and time-boxing techniques are used to keep to budget and cost
Development is controlled on a macro scale, going through prescribed phases (Waterfall, V-Model etc.)	Development is divided into a number of smaller deliverables, which are designed, developed and tested quickly (Agile development) and to an extent iteratively
The exigencies of hitting deadlines and budgets lead to inevitable compromises in the architectural objectives of the project	The Solution Architecture team ensures that architectural objectives such as maximising reuse are well understood, and not lost in the project ‘hurly burly’
The project is viewed as a single delivery, often of a highly complex system	The Solution Architecture team searches for simple early deliverables, which can subsequently be built upon. There is a recognition that complex requirements need to be balanced with a user need for simplicity
The approach to quality varies little between projects – in essence it means developing to standards and minimising defect leakage	Quality is a much broader concept, incorporating the usability of the system, and the extent to which it meets architectural objectives. These are quantified where possible.

Arrk | Enterprise application

Design Driven Approach

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