In Layman’s, Systems design refers to the process of designing a system based on a use-case/idea, but a few things needs to take place to realize this “idea”.

You might have an idea for for a website, you might also have some thoughts on how some aspects will work but you are not sure how everything will tie in with each other and if the final product will work and be user friendly etc. This is where Systems design comes into play.

I believe any software system should have a flawless, well defined architecture. There are various processes one can follow to model the perfect system, but all of these processes have one thing in common – structure.

Before the actual Systems design process can take place solid Fact finding and Analysis must be done in order to determine specific requirements and constraints.

Once all the facts, constraints and requirements are properly documented the Design phase can start.

Plan 60 work 40 is a good principle, like with most things, if you mess it up during the plannings phase you will probably get it wrong during the actual build and the build phase will then also be a bumpy road.

If you have an idea for a website/system then I can model it for you. I provide you with  full system documentation which you can use in your tender process, should you wish to use an alternative development company.

I prefer modeling systems around MVC and specifically the Zend Framework for most of my developments for the following reasons:

• MVC (Model View Controller) is a clearly defined logical architecture, which is constant.
• The codebase is standardized – any other  PHP MVC developer can take over the project and be almost instantly familiar with the code.
• Extremely scalable – a developer can add to the existing system with the least effort, meaning you get a system geared for growth.
• Very flexible.
• Supported and maintained by the Zend Company and IBM – quality software.
• Tons of Pre-built, production-ready libraries, ready to use out of the box – no need to reinvent the wheel.
• Zend Framework is properly documented.