Discoveryphase

This stage is necessary for non-typical projects to determine the timing, budget, requirements for the project and reduce the cost of its development. This phase defines the requirements, analyzes the business goals, and forms a proposal for technical, technological, and organizational implementation.

The main thing in the Discovery Phase is to entrust it to professionals!

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Discovery Phase reduces costs and risks

Discovery phase is divided into stages (artifacts), at each of which the right questions are asked, solutions are proposed and the right implementation, taking into account all the nuances, is determined specifically for this project. After each stage, a separate artifact with fixed requirements is provided. Depending on the characteristics of the project, some of the optional artifacts can be skipped.

As a result of the Discovery phase the amount of work, technology stack, methodology of the project, the team needed, the methods and timing of its implementation become clear.

Stakeholder (from the customer side)
Analyst
UI / UX Designer
Manager
Senior developer

All of them are on our staff.

In contrast to the usual discovery phase, ours can include up to 12 phases, which allows you to more thoroughly identify functional requirements, business processes and eliminate errors during project implementation.

Mind Map: Visualizing requirements in a relationship diagram helps you understand the scope of the project, the number of roles and modules, and determine the boundaries of the future project. It makes it easier to see immediately unseen tasks, build relationships, track inconsistencies and duplicate requirements.
BPMN diagram: Formalizing requirements in this form helps us clearly understand the interaction between users and each other and see possible white spots that in other artifacts we simply could not notice. At this stage it is explicitly stated exactly how the system works: where the data appears in it, the starting points for actions and processes, how exactly the user arrives to the goal and whether the path is not too long.
User Story/Functional Requirements: A brief description of a function or functionality from the end user's perspective, detailing what needs to be implemented on the project.
Non-Functional Requirements: Defines the quality attributes that a software system must have, such as performance, security, scalability, and usability.
Request-Response Model: Client-server communication model, a document specifying the requirements to integration with third-party systems and services: what exactly the system under development should request from the service (what fields) and what we will get from it in response.
Bottleneck analysis: Detecting bottlenecks and possible solutions. Bottlenecks can be considered from purely business-oriented to purely technical. In special cases, a symbiosis of both. For example, payment systems.
Wireframes: A low-fidelity representation of the layout, design and functionality of a user interface used to understand how the entire project will be navigated.
Design Concept: The design and rendering of several key design elements that reflect the project's underlying idea, key design components, and subsequent inheritable styling.
Clickable Prototype: Interactive, high-fidelity simulations of the final product used to test and validate the user experience.
Presentation: A visual representation of project goals, progress and results used to communicate the project to stakeholders. We can include a pool of work to help the customer present the idea to stakeholders.
Project Plan: A plan that describes the project goals, objectives, resources and timelines, used to manage and track progress. It is created to give an understanding of the required development resources and to translate deadlines for accomplishing tasks to the customer.
Rough estimate for development: A preliminary estimate of the time and cost required to develop a software system, used to plan and allocate resources.

Each of the artifacts is detailed to the extent necessary to accomplish the Discovery Phase tasks. For example, the User Story/Functional Requirements may write a detailed TOR, while the Design Concept may do the entire design.

Key Stages of the Discovery Phase

We break down the Discovery phase into a series of sequential stages. At each stage, the SKALAR team asks key questions, collaborates with the client to explore possible solutions, and finds the best implementation approach specifically for your project (taking into account all nuances and constraints). The outcome of each stage is a separate artifact—a specific document or material that records the agreed decisions and requirements.

Depending on the specifics of the project, some optional stages may be skipped or combined. However, unlike the typical simplified approach, our Discovery methodology can include up to 12 stages, allowing for a more thorough identification of functional requirements, consideration of business processes, and elimination of uncertainties from the start. This in-depth analysis minimizes the likelihood of unforeseen challenges later and significantly optimizes resource usage during development.

As a result of the Discovery phase, the full scope of work and project complexity become clear, the optimal technology stack and development methodology are selected, the team composition is determined, and the implementation schedule is formed. In other words, you get a clear "roadmap" for the project – an understanding of what exactly will be done, how it will be carried out, and how much time and resources it will take.

Discovery Phase Artifacts and Their Value

During the Discovery phase, we create a series of artifacts—each of them is crucial for understanding the project and serves as the foundation for the next stage of development:

Mind Map

BPMN Diagram

User Stories / Functional Requirements

Non-Functional Requirements (non-functional requirements)

Request-Response Model (request-response model)

Bottleneck Analysis

Wireframes (wireframe screen prototypes)

Design Concept (design concept)

Clickable Prototype (interactive prototype)

Project Presentation

Project Plan

Rough Development Estimate

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Mind Map

A visual diagram of connections that reflects the structure of requirements and ideas. A Mind Map helps to see the scope of the project, highlight all roles, modules, and functions, and define the boundaries of the future system. This tool makes it easier to identify initially unnoticed tasks, understand relationships between components, and detect contradictions or duplicate requirements.

Each of the listed artifacts is developed to the extent necessary to achieve the goals of the Discovery phase. We take a flexible approach to the level of detail: for example, if needed, a detailed technical specification can be written immediately based on the preparation of User Stories and functional requirements. The Design Concept stage, given sufficient time and budget, may include designing all key screens. This approach ensures a balance between speed and detail—you get the maximum benefit from each stage without unnecessary work.

Communication channels and client interaction

The success of the Discovery phase largely depends on close cooperation between our team and the client. We start by jointly defining the project scope: conducting interviews and working sessions with your stakeholders to clearly understand what problems the product should solve and what falls outside the current project. Clearly outlining boundaries and expectations at the start helps avoid 'goal dilution' and keeps the focus on truly important aspects.

Transparent communication throughout the process is our priority. Each project is assigned an experienced manager who coordinates communication and ensures smooth information exchange. We use channels convenient for you: regular video conferences (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, etc.) for key stage discussions, corporate messengers (e.g., Slack), and email for quick questions and material exchange. You will always be aware of the current project status: we provide progress reports, showcase intermediate results (such as mind maps, diagrams, prototypes), and gather your feedback at every stage.

During the Discovery phase, we establish close collaboration with the client's team. This means that all decisions are made together: we discuss proposals and alternatives, explain complex technical points in simple terms, and prioritize functionality with you. This approach eliminates the risk of unexpected Discovery outcomes—on the contrary, you become an active participant in their creation. Thanks to ongoing dialogue and coordination, by the end of the Discovery phase, both the client and the development team have a shared understanding of the project, its goals, and plans. Our clients note that such close collaboration significantly enhances trust and mutual understanding—key factors for a successful development partnership.

Questions and Answers

Why is the Discovery Phase necessary?

How long does the Discovery Phase take?

What will I get as a result of the Discovery Phase?

Is the Discovery Phase necessary for standard or small projects?

Can already existing client materials be used in the Discovery phase?

Tech Stack in the Discovery Phase

We use a modern set of tools and technologies to make the Discovery process as efficient and visual as possible.

Business Analysis and Modeling Tools

To describe processes and data structures, we use modeling notations and tools such as BPMN (Business Process Model and Notation) for business processes, Mind Map diagrams for ideas and requirements, and UML for system component modeling. This allows us to formalize your task and visualize key aspects even at the analytics stage.

Prototyping and Design Tools

Our designers work with modern tools, including Figma and Adobe XD, to create wireframes, design concepts, and interactive prototypes. Using professional design tools ensures that mockups accurately convey the logic and appearance of the future product, and interactive prototypes can be easily demonstrated and discussed online.

Project Management and Documentation Systems

The entire progress of the Discovery phase is transparently recorded using tools such as Jira, Confluence, Trello, and Notion. We maintain a backlog of requirements, document meeting results, and store all artifacts. If needed, you will have access to these platforms to track up-to-date documentation and task statuses in real time.

Communication Tools

For communication, we flexibly use convenient channels such as corporate messengers (Slack, Microsoft Teams), email, and video conferencing tools (Zoom, Google Meet). Our goal is to always stay connected and exchange information efficiently. Additionally, we can integrate into your company’s communication ecosystem if specific tools are preferred (e.g., working in your Slack workspace or conducting meetings via MS Teams).

Development Technologies

Although full-scale development is yet to begin, our technical experts analyze possible technology stack options for your project during the Discovery phase. SKALAR has expertise in a wide range of modern technologies.

Technology Stack

Front-end

Back-end

DB and Analytics

Mobile

Deploy and Monitoring

Bootstrap

HTML 5

React.js

Figma

Modern Web App

d3.js

Redux

JavaScript

Web Sockets

Backbone.js

SCSS

CSS 3

View all technologies

Ready to start developing a project?

Start with a high-quality Discovery phase! Contact us or leave a request, and the SKALAR team will conduct a comprehensive pre-project analysis for you. We will help formalize your ideas, identify all requirements, and prepare a clear implementation plan. Gain maximum clarity and confidence in the success of your IT project even before development begins!