Phases of a project

Work in a web or mobile application project can be divided into two phases:

• Planning - Research and planning
• Iteration - Where the actual work happens

The iteration cycle

Web and mobile are handled differently than traditional projects. Take architecture for example. There's a definite completion date: when the building is open to the public. Work usually stops when the project ends.

Web and mobile projects don't end. We're free to continuously release new versions that enhance features and fix bugs. This is why we use iterative models to manage timelines in web projects.

Planning

Planning is the phase that happens before any code is written. This phase sets the plan for the next 8 weeks of work in the next phase.

• Setting ground rules
• Market research
• Product design
• Visual design (UI/UX)
• Planning the next milestone (2-4 sprints)

Iteration

A project's work is divided into 2-week cycles called sprints. There are also longer units called milestones, which group multiple sprints together. Every sprint has:

• Plan
• Build
• Test
• Release

Next: Let's learn what happens in project planning.