From Scratch to Launch: 7 Steps of Web App Development. Step 1 - Requirements Gathering.
More than 30 years have passed since the first website appeared, and during that time, the way modern sites look and behave has fundamentally changed. Crafting a static website? Sure, that's a walk in the park. But when you dive into the realm of interactive web applications—where users are engaging, clicking, and expecting magic to happen at their fingertips—that's when the game really changes.?
We want to tell and show the complete web development process, supplemented by the most important artifacts. After many years of work, we have identified key components that consistently have a significant impact, regardless of the nature of the project. Also, whether the project is developed with the help of third-party developers or done internally, each team member must see the whole picture and understand each step individually.
This article will be the first in a series of web app development steps. Buckle up and let's dive into the requirements gathering, your first step! And as an example, We will use the web version of the Airbnb application.
Requirements gathering: Your web application’s first step
First we need to lay some groundwork. We're starting with the crucial step of information gathering and requirement definition to build a web app from scratch. Why is this so important, you ask? Well, imagine trying to build a house without a blueprint. Sounds disastrous, right? To ensure that no piece goes missing and to avoid any misunderstandings between the stakeholders and the development team, it is essential to define the requirements first. Although there is a vast world of requirements to explore, but in this article we intend to focus on three main ones: business, functional, and non-functional requirements.
? Business Requirements
Business requirements outline the high-level needs, objectives, and goals of the application. In essence, they explain what the application is expected to achieve. Using the Airbnb web application as an example, the business requirements might include:
- Providing a platform for property owners to list their spaces for short-term rental.
- Aim for a steady 5-10% month-over-month growth rate in user sign-ups.
- Implement a fee system where the app takes a certain percentage from both hosts (for listing) and guests (for booking).
Functional Requirements
Functional requirements detail how the web application will operate and fulfill its business requirements. They are explicit and describe specific behaviors or functions of a system. For an Airbnb-like app, functional requirements might include:
- Allow users to register using an email, social media account, or phone number.
- Enable users to search for properties based on location, date, price, property type, and amenities.
- Enable users to save favorite properties to a wishlist for future reference.
Non-functional Requirements
Non-functional requirements pertain to the ‘behind-the-scenes’ aspects of the system, defining how well the application performs under specific conditions. They don’t directly relate to specific functionalities but rather to the operation of the system as a whole. For an Airbnb-like application, non-functional requirements might include:
- Browser Compatibility: The application must be compatible with the latest versions of popular web browsers (e.g., Chrome, Firefox, Safari, and Edge).
- Responsive Design: The application must adapt its layout to various screen sizes, from mobile to desktop, ensuring a user-friendly experience.
- Date and Time Format: Time must be displayed as HH:MM (24h), and dates as DD Mon YYYY (e.g., 19 Apr 2023), or without the year when specified by design.
Comparative Table of Requirements for Airbnb app
Why every successful app needs requirements gathering?
Collecting and defining requirements is the first step in the web application development. Business requirements provide a high-level view of what the application aims to accomplish. Functional requirements lay out how the application will achieve these goals through specific features and functionalities, while non-functional requirements establish the quality and operational criteria under which the system must operate.?
Together, these requirements create a comprehensive feature list for the development team to build an effective and efficient application. Different industries in which applications are built require different approaches to requirements gathering. The sources of information, target audience portrait, and the ultimate goal of the project may differ. There may be similar cases, but none are exactly the same.
Our team has been involved in projects for such industries as dating, social networks and media, e-commerce and marketplaces, gaming marketplace/service, fintech, and AI. Real cases confirm that the right preparatory work ensures a calm and smooth development process, meeting the budget and deadline.?
If you want to learn more about these cases or have a backlog of questions that are hard to solve, our team will help you figure it out.
We're moving on to step two - Strategic Artifacts.
If you want the full guide, follow the link below.
Tom Ponomarev, Co-Founder & CBDO at Kernelics