We use a very logical, step-by-step approach to plan, develop and deliver your software. Depending on the type of project, some or all of the steps below will be used to create your software.
1. Development Questionnaire
Many developers overlook this crucial planning step. However, without it, there is no way of knowing your needs and goals for the project. Our Development Questionnaire asks you to consider the project's audience, goals and delivery methods. We want to learn your time and budget expectations. We also want to learn how involved you care to be in the development cycle. Finally, we want your input in the creative process so that the finished product meets or exceeds your expectations. We know the questions to ask before development begins so that you do not encounter delivery date postponements and budget breaking modifications.2. Document of Understanding
After reviewing and discussing your replies on the Development Questionnaire, GanTek Multimedia will submit to you a concise Document of Understanding which, as the name implies, describes our understanding of the project as you have described it to us.3. Contract
When you approve the Document of Understanding, we'll provide you with a formal contract for the work we are to undertake.4. Prototype
Now we get to the fun stuff! We will design and develop three different prototypes for you to consider. Each prototype will demonstrate the look and feel of the program, including any and all topic and navigation buttons. We will also implement a portion of one topic so that you have a good feel for how we envision the content being presented. Unlike the "mock-ups" quickly thrown together by other developers, our prototypes are more than a simplified visual of how the program will work; we realize a design cannot be appreciated until it is seen in action! By getting your approval of an interface before full blown development begins, both GanTek Multimedia and you save time and money because this step avoids costly design changes later in the development process.5. Storyboarding
We will next storyboard each topic. Storyboarding is the process of sketching the layout of each screen on paper, including the positioning of text, the media to be used, and describing the interactive activities. We will periodically ask you for input during this process so that the program reflects your ideas and expectations as closely as possible.6. Writing
Here, we write the text content as well as generate a first-draft script for any narration that is to be included. We'll also fully describe the interactive activities to be included in the project, such as quizzes or review exercises.7. Media
Now we research, acquire and create media that will ensure the maximum effectiveness in meeting the goals you have set forth for the project. Media may include music, sound effects, voice over narration, simple animation, 3D animation, photographs, illustrations, charts and graphs, digital video, etc.8. Coding
Coding is the process of putting all of the design elements, content, media, interactive activities, recordkeeping and tracking, and navigation into a complete software program.9. Beta Delivery
After we have completed the coding step, we will provide you with a beta copy of the software to review. It has become common place in the software industry to call a program a "beta" version even though known bugs exist and even though the required functionality of the program is not fully implemented. However, GanTek Multimedia defines a beta version as a complete, fully functional program that has been tested in our office and all known issues have been resolved. The beta version should be a usable program! We want you to go through the program very carefully and request any final changes you would like so that the final product is exactly what you had in mind (and, we hope, better).10. Final Delivery
In the last step of the development process, we make any final changes you requested, prepare and test master copies using the delivery mechanism you requested (CD-ROM, disk, internet/intranet), author any documentation you requested, package all of this together and deliver it to you.
