Design
Even if you feel great about knowing the architecture of your target platform without a good design you are going to be sunk. Try not to fall into the trap though of over-designing the application. The two basic principles are to "Keep it Simple" and to utilize information hiding (Don't show the user more than they need to see). Often this is where object-oriented analysis and UML come in. Do an internet search on UML and you'll find dozens of articles on using it.
Read more about this topic: Best Coding Practices
Famous quotes containing the word design:
“I begin with a design for a hearse.
For Christ’s sake not black—
nor white either—and not polished!
Let it be weathered—like a farm wagon—”
—William Carlos Williams (1883–1963)
“The reason American cars don’t sell anymore is that they have forgotten how to design the American Dream. What does it matter if you buy a car today or six months from now, because cars are not beautiful. That’s why the American auto industry is in trouble: no design, no desire.”
—Karl Lagerfeld (b. 1938)