So a non software developer friend of mine posed the open-ended question "How" to me in an email.. below is my response.. On reflection, it is a wonderfully simple description of a healthy SDLC... Overly simple, but perhaps something you can describe to a client and make the whole process more consumable and understandable :-)
Lets start with a life cycle that leads to the completion of the action that "how" proposes.. After all, how is just a question that defines an action (be it completed or proposed)..
1) Who: One must define the actors, after all "How" is either enacted on or by something/someone.
2) Why: Why is like a compass, it points the way and helps shape the goals of what How will achieve.
3) What: What is the MOST important question.. It is the goal that How will make real.. If you don't know what, then how is just the definision of random action..
4) How: wondered when we would get here hu :-P... As a developer I like to think of How as the answer to What..
5) Do Stuff: now that you have how you start making it happen.
(Rinse and repeat whole process until final goal is achived).
Really each question is the answer to the previous question such that you eventually have a defined action to take.
(The title is in deference to my 4th grade teacher who always tought me that good journalisum was the 4 W's and H (Who, What, Where, Why & How).. )