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Coming soon

Systems Analysis and Design

Bridge the critical gap between fuzzy business problems and technical system architecture through proven requirements elicitation, DFDs, and UML modeling.

  • 12 modules
  • 12 lessons
  • Shallows to Landfall
  • Free to learn

This course is being written. Its lessons will be free here, like every lesson on Mawj. The outline below is what it will teach; follow the Telegram channel to hear the day it opens.

What you'll be able to do

  • Elicit and document unambiguous functional and non-functional requirements
  • Model business workflows with Data Flow Diagrams (DFDs) and UML diagrams
  • Design intuitive user interfaces and resilient system architectures
  • Produce professional Systems Requirements Specifications (SRS) ready for development

The full syllabus

12 modules, from the Shallows down. Open any module to see its lessons.

The Shallows

Modules 1–3, 3 lessons

The role of the analyst, SDLC methodologies, and project feasibility.

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    1The analyst's roleBridging business stakeholders and software engineering teams.
    1. 1.1What does a systems analyst do?Soon
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    2The systems development life cyclePhases of the SDLC: planning, analysis, design, implementation, and maintenance.
    1. 2.1Navigating the SDLCSoon
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    3Project initiation and feasibilityTechnical, economic, operational, and schedule feasibility assessments.
    1. 3.1Assessing system feasibilitySoon

Currents

Modules 4–7, 4 lessons

Requirements elicitation, process modeling with DFDs, use cases, and data modeling.

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    4Requirements elicitationStakeholder interviews, surveys, document analysis, and observation.
    1. 4.1Gathering true user needsSoon
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    5Process modeling with DFDsContext diagrams, Level 0 DFDs, and functional decomposition.
    1. 5.1Drawing data flow diagramsSoon
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    6Use cases and scenariosActors, use case diagrams, normal and alternative execution flows.
    1. 6.1Documenting use case specificationsSoon
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    7Data modeling for analystsLogical ER diagrams and data dictionaries for development teams.
    1. 7.1Logical data modelingSoon

Deep Water

Modules 8–11, 4 lessons

UML modeling, UI/UX design, architecture specification, and testing strategies.

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    8Object-oriented analysis with UMLClass diagrams, sequence diagrams, and activity diagrams.
    1. 8.1Modeling systems with UMLSoon
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    9System architecture and UI designTiered architectures, wireframing, and interface design principles.
    1. 9.1Specifying architecture and UISoon
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    10Agile vs plan-driven approachesScrum, user stories, sprint planning versus traditional stage-gate governance.
    1. 10.1The analyst in agile environmentsSoon
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    11Implementation, testing, and cutoverSystem testing, User Acceptance Testing (UAT), cutover strategies, and maintenance.
    1. 11.1Testing and system transitionSoon

Landfall

Module 12, 1 lessons

Capstone project: a complete Software Requirements Specification.

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    12Capstone: Complete system specificationAuthor a complete Systems Requirements Specification (SRS) for a real organization.
    1. 12.1Delivering the SRS document (Project)Soon

Who it's for

  • Aspiring systems analysts, business analysts, and product managers
  • Software engineers looking to improve architectural specifications and scoping
  • Information Systems university students preparing for senior project capstones

What you need

  • Basic understanding of organizational workflows and technology systems
  • No programming experience required