The process of doing database design generally consists of a number of steps which will be carried out by the database designer. Not all of these steps will be necessary in all cases. Usually, the designer must:
* Determine the relationships between the different data elements
* Superimpose a logical structure upon the data on the basis of these relationships.
Within the relational model the final step can generally be broken down into two further steps, that of determining the grouping of information within the system, generally determining what are the basic objects about which information is being stored, and then determining the relationships between these groups of information, or objects. This step is not necessary with an Object database.
The tree structure of data may enforce a hierarchical model organization, with a parent-child relationship table. An Object database will simply use a one-to-many relationship between instances of an object class. It also introduces the concept of a hierarchical relationship between object classes, termed inheritance