How does quality assurance fit into the design phase of software development?
What (if any) quality assurance activities are done in the design phase?
Answer
The most useful thing that QA can do during the design phase is to make sure that the supplied spec has a set of clear, testable goals. And use those goals to come up with a test plan.
This is so that they can answer two very important questions: "Can this be tested" and "How long will it take to test". The first is important to ensure that everyone knows the criteria for project completion. And the second is necessary as it forms a part of the overall cost of implementation.