Joint Application Development (JAD) Methodology

The Joint Application Development (JAD) methodology aims to involve the client in the design and development of an application. This is accomplished through a series of collaborative workshops called JAD sessions. Two employees of IBM, Chuck Morris and Tony Crawford, developed the JAD methodology in the late 1970s and began teaching the approach in to the 1980s.

In contrast to the Waterfall approach, JAD is thought to lead to shorter development times and greater client satisfaction, both of which stem from the constant involvement of the client throughout the development process. On the other hand, with the traditional approach to systems development, the developer investigates the system requirements and develops an application, with client input consisting of a series of interviews.

Rapid application development (RAD), a variation on JAD, attempts to create an application more quickly through strategies that include fewer formal methodologies and reusing software components.


My name is David Kent and I am a project / program manager with extensive experience (see my project / program manager resume) solving business problems through the use of effective design practices, on-time development cycles, and seamless deployment of custom-built web initiatives.

Methodologies