How to plan and build new features

It can be complex to build new features into your web and mobile apps. One can follow these steps to break down the complexity and cope with the initial vagueness. The steps start with a concept and end with a new feature in your product.

We can skip steps, if the feature is too trivial; or we can iterate steps, if the feature is too complex.

1. New features are supposed to solve a problem your users are facing. We start with an insight and validating our insight.
2. Write user stories on how user navigates the features — access, uses them and exits.
3. Write the test-cases (TDD).
4. UX mockups on paper or wire-framing.
5. Develop dummy HTML mockups (or any different frontend technology).
6. Design dummy APIs and integrate them in mockups.
7. Design the database.
8. Decide the architecture (say micro-services).
9. Write the controller code.