Cordell: People don’t use a computer to enjoy the operating system; they don’t care about setting their system preferences, nor do they care about choosing what kind of scrollbars they want. They use a computer because they want to create something; they want to communicate with somebody; they want to express their own personality, everythingContinue reading “Making of a Web App: Write User Stories”
Monthly Archives: June 2007
Making of a Web App: Choose a Name, Part 1
In this, the sixth entry in the Making of a Web App series, we take a look at choosing a name. There are two steps: pick criteria and then pick a name that meets those criteria. In this entry we look at the first step: what makes a good web application name. Key points: DescriptiveContinue reading “Making of a Web App: Choose a Name, Part 1”
4 Reasons To Simplify
Here is my kids’ school’s mission statement. Acres Green Elementary provides a positive safe environment where best teaching practices are used to educate the whole child while honoring individuality and creativity. Here’s another area school’s mission statement. Copper Mesa Elementary is dedicated to excellence in education and is committed to being an exemplary community ofContinue reading “4 Reasons To Simplify”
Making of a Web App: Choose a Small Feature List for V1.0
In this, the fifth entry in the Make a Web App series, we build the v1.0 feature list. The key points are: Write down a big list of features. Cut the list in half. Cut the list in half again. Version 1.0 will be only this 25% of the big list – these are theContinue reading “Making of a Web App: Choose a Small Feature List for V1.0”
Safari on Windows
Apple announced a Windows version of their web browser, Safari beta version 3. Apple continues to blur the line between “PC” and “Mac”, giving those that prefer or are required to use PCs an option to experience Apple software. Safari has only about 5% of the browser market, but with Safari on Windows that shareContinue reading “Safari on Windows”
Making of a Web App: Choose a Font
Making of a Web App is Synap Software’s step-by-step look at designing and developing a web app. This is the eight article in the series. In this article we get a little bit ahead of ourselves and talk about choosing fonts. Key points: Fonts reinforce an application’s personality. Fonts reinforce the attributes of an application.Continue reading “Making of a Web App: Choose a Font”
How to Choose Colors
Blue Blue means stability and history. Blue means everything is ok. Think of terms like “blue chip”, “blue blood”, “blue shield”, police cars, and what color is the first place ribon – blue! (I’m not sure about “code blue”…let’s forget about that one for a moment.) Green Green means action and growth. Something expected happenedContinue reading “How to Choose Colors”
Don’t Write Specifications, Do Write Help Files
You have to write help files anyway, so as you are designing the application, write definitions of key terms in html that can become your help file. Write descriptions of how the application works (aka use cases) in html that can become part of your help file.
Process
”The notion of drawing as the core skill within Fine Art has been the subject of a challenging and contentious debate within recent years in education. The commercial galleries have never promoted drawing as a significant activity, and sometimes artists themselves have contributed to the mystification of the subject, collaborating with markets and the mediaContinue reading “Process”
Making of a Web App: Set Expectations
This is the fourth entry in the Making of a Web App series. Key points are: Use user profiles to reinforce understanding of the single activity release 1.0 is meant to support. Maintain focus and set expectations by distinguishing the activity the app supports from another closely-related, yet different, activity. Ask a Project Manager aboutContinue reading “Making of a Web App: Set Expectations”
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