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I'm designing a software application for my medical carrier. It is very complicated, with many parts and many small details.

Some experts advised me to divide it to parts, then design the database for each part and build it's interface. Finish one part, then move to the next part, database and interface, and so on.

When I started following their advice, I couldn't stop focusing on the database. When I finished the database of one part, I moved on to designing the database for another part and linking them together.

I neglected the interface part completely.

Should I finish my database design for the complete project, then design interface for all of it at once? Or should I stop immediately and design the interface for the finished parts first?

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I would go and ask those "experts" that are already familar with your system and what you are designing it for. – Shawn Melton Nov 20 '12 at 13:43

closed as off topic by Jon Seigel, Mark Storey-Smith, RolandoMySQLDBA, Paul White, Derek Downey Nov 26 '12 at 14:45

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1 Answer

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my preferred method is iterative design, as you mentioned, i.e.

Assuming you have an overall concept of how the application is supposed to work (written down and agreed upon with you customer, see http://www.joelonsoftware.com/articles/fog0000000036.html ):

  1. design application and db to perform one small section of functionality
  2. Test this new section until complete
  3. go to step 1.
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