Waterfall and Whirlpool Software Development Methods

The waterfall and whirlpool software development methods are very similar in what they do. They have both been designed in order to break down tasks for a project into smaller, more manageable pieces. This enables you to see each specific part of a project and will give you an idea of how many tasks you have left to do, much like a gantt chart.

The waterfall method is given its name as it looks like a waterfall, flowing downwards as you complete each phase of the project through the stages; requirements, analysis, design, build and testing. It is a very strict method, in the way you cannot begin the next task until the one you are currently working on has been fully completed. This means there is no room for error as you cannot go back to a previous section.

Whereas the whirlpool method flows round in a circle allowing you to go back to the start if required. This method allows the user to flow more, much like an actual whirlpool, and it gives you some freedom to work on different sections until you are completely happy with them.

The waterfall method is very straightforward and indicates that you work through each phase just once until it is completed. This is not very good for a web designer as it means you cannot go back to any of the previous sections in order to alter your work. This of course is a huge part of web design as it is important the client is happy.

The whirlpool method seems much more suited to web design as it allows the designer to go back to previous sections once a full circle has been completed. It allows you to constantly update and evaluate your design. This is good if you have a client as they may want you to update the website on a regular basis.

The Waterfall Method