Which phase in the waterfall model directly follows the analysis phase?

In the waterfall model of software development, the design phase directly follows the analysis phase. During the analysis phase, the requirements of the system are gathered and analyzed to understand what needs to be developed. This phase lays the groundwork for the design phase, where the actual architecture and design of the system are created based on the analyzed requirements. This includes defining system architecture, components, interfaces, and data structures needed to meet the specified requirements.

The design phase is critical because it translates the requirements into a blueprint that developers will follow during the implementation phase, ensuring that the product remains aligned with the user and business needs identified earlier. By having a structured approach, the waterfall model allows teams to clearly define what the system will look like before moving on to coding, which helps prevent issues later in the development process.