Have you ever wondered why so many websites and software projects fail despite following step-by-step and detailed instructions suggested by management or CTOs?
The answer is complex, but it comes down to a common reason: lack of research. But to truly enjoy success and stay relevant in the competitive field, businesses should always pay attention to the discovery phase when developing a website or starting something new. If companies underestimate their discovery phase, serious consequences must be borne.
According to the report by Wellingtone, on average, only 43% of brands always follow a strict budget and conduct a discovery phase. Significant barriers may arise from excessive spending, whether you are running a reputable firm or a startup. For this reason, the project's discovery phase is essential to developing any unique software.
Let's examine the components of the discovery phase in more detail and discuss how to make sure your next website or product development project gets off to a great start.
What is the
Web Design Discovery Phase?
In order to verify scope, feature needs, stakeholders, methods, and expectations, the first phase of the web development life cycle, known as discovery phase, entails preliminary research, information collecting, and cooperation. This planning will guide the preliminary project specifications and development stages.
Organizing for a lengthy journey is similar to the discovery phase. Creating a route with all the destinations you wish to see is always preferable, especially if you have a tight budget. In short, the discovery phase in website development is essential to:
- Find out primary business objectives
- List out the problems the product should solve
- Understand the context of a product
- Examine what expectations users have set toward the product
- Find new ideas to create a better product
What are the Benefits of Discovery Phase in
Website Design?
Here are a few advantages to going through this process:
Discovery Phase Leads to Better Outcomes
Developing a foolproof solution is only possible if you know exactly what the problem is in the first place. Therefore, businesses need to undergo the discovery phase.
A website is an investment in your business, just like
any other. A website needs to be able to provide you with multiple solutions
for the pressing issues your business is dealing with. Examining the data
you've supplied is the only way a website can resolve these issues.
Consider User's Perspective
Remembering that the user experience is the most crucial component of the website. The stated objectives must be met in the presence of it. Many design approaches ignore that people are the product's primary audience in favor of design and features.
In order to create a website that meets user's
expectations and corporate goals, the team must first understand user behavior
and needs.
Create a Roadmap
The team can create and adhere to a step-by-step plan when they are working with a set of well-defined requirements. A comprehensive project timeline with interim targets, deliverables, and due dates is provided to you. This way, the product will go from an idea to a launch without any changes or postponements.
No More Extra Costs
Everybody has heard the terrifying tales of unanticipated expenses that crop up during development. Any additional costs associated with adding features or altering the project's scope after it has started are eliminated during the discovery phase.
Minimizes Risk
A group of skilled experts assists businesses in putting the time- and money-saving strategy into practice. Additionally, this cooperation enables avoiding the dangers associated with:
- A small market
- Pitfalls in the product
- The trouble with time and money management
- Wrong choice of tech stack
- Communication gap
Therefore, companies prefer to work with experienced web
development companies because they always help minimize associated risks while
achieving business goals.
Understanding the Discovery Phase Process
The discovery phase of any design or branding project revolves around obtaining data and conducting research. It's an essential step in the procedure that goes well beyond the project specifications. We'll discuss the research-driven process used here, preparing the groundwork for the subsequent discovery phase.
Define the Stakeholders and Bring Expectations to the
Table
Product owners, end users, developers, investors, and others who worked on the website's design should be on your list. As a product owner, you should be able to respond to inquiries throughout the discovery session and have an idea of the finished product. To guarantee that all needs and requirements are met, the team may need to involve other project participants.
Documentation and Market Research
You can analyze current solutions, pinpoint their shortcomings, and locate a free market niche with the help of market research. This is the perfect time to do it if you still need it. The business analyst for the team will review and analyze the data after it has been collected. You'll be better equipped to create a feature list and a market plan as a result.
Brief Explanation of the Idea
After the research, the team can present the client with its results and suggested fixes. This talk should be short and direct, emphasizing the essential findings and suggested solutions. After that, you must incorporate the client's feedback into the finished output.
Evaluation and Risk Mitigation
Teams perform risk assessments to determine the commercial and technical risks. They assess each risk's possibility and impact before creating plans for mitigation to lessen any potential dire consequences. This proactive strategy reduces unforeseen events and development-related disturbances.
Estimate the Budget and Timeline
The team's efforts have finally paid off when they can estimate the expenses, time, and workforce required to develop the concept into an MVP or finished product.
Determining the concept of your digital product and
comprehending what happens following the discovery phase require all of these
steps. You can now get to work on developing your product.
Key Takeaways
To summarize, the significance of the discovery phase in any website development must be addressed. As we discussed, it allows teams to
- Identify business goals
- Understand audience better
- Develop a better product
With this phase, websites are more likely to enjoy
success and avoid bottlenecks in the long run. WebDesk Solutions is a Richmond Hill web design company who conducts
the discovery phase and ensures you a solid product tailored to your business
goals.