Rapid Application Development (RAD)

Updated 06 Sep 2026

•
What it is
- •
  a process model emphasizing fast, iterative prototyping over extensive upfront planning
•
Steps
- •
  requirement planning — gather baseline user requirements
- •
  user design — build an initial prototype
- •
  construction — develop further based on the prototype
- •
  cutover — test and deploy into production
•
Strengths / weaknesses
- •
  fast development with direct user feedback; flexible to changing requirements
- •
  not suited to large-scale projects; documentation tends to be weak
•
Related
- •
  Prototyping (Software Process)
- •
  Incremental Development

Linked references 2