The first step, and probably the most important, to a solution is design. A design essentially is an important step that looks at the needs of a product, and fulfills them using available resources. It is the mean by which problems and resources can be related in the best way possible. A good design must be able to accommodate all needs in minimum resource requirement and achieve the goal in a non-wasteful future-centric way.
A product or solution must be developed keeping three points in view: usability, code portability, and resource minimization. Code portability can be achieved by keeping it simple and modularized, which should follow the simple concepts of OOP (Object Oriented Programming). Usability is important from the point of view of the users or customers to the venture, the most important aspect of any business. The product must be able to serve the visitor or the end user well, and suit to his or her needs.
Resource requirement, an important expenditure attribute, should be accommodated in easily available resources. Today's open source software have very good options for website framework such as CakePHP, databases such as MySQL, as well as content management systems like Drupal and Joomla, and there are only a few needs and unless they are very specific, such as AT&T’s, or Cepstral Text to speech natural sounding speech engines which would not be needed unless the application requires a spoken system. Similarly, there could be specific needs for security such as smart cards, which could be easily integrated with open source solutions.
Delivering a product in time is probably the most important aspect of a business, and the most missed attribute by brilliant students who fail to bring their brilliant solution to the market. A timed approach towards a solution help keep the project in tone with the client, the market, and the real world which moved at a varying pace in varying directions.
To develop a product, and make it successful at the same time is marely a challenge of keeping those three attributes of development in balance. A good product always has a buyer.
