prototyping à la node with express (at nationjs)

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Prototyping à la Node with ExpressPam Selle

@pamasaurthewebivore.com

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This is a little talk about prototyping and user testing

+This is a little talk about Express and building quick websites with Node

Hopefully you learn a little something

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Prototyping

+What is prototyping?

A prototype is an early sample or model built to test a concept or process or to act as a thing

to be replicated or learned from.

Source: ye olde Wikipedia

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“The best way to have a good idea is to have lots of ideas.”

-Linus Pauling

+Playing modes

Idea/Concept

Process/Technique

Replicate/Learn

+Prototypes:

Quick

Make early

Not necessarily pretty

Not permanent

+Prototypes are not:

The first iteration of a project

+Prototyping/wireframing tools

Balsamiq

Justinmind

Mixture.io

Axure

InvisionApp

Adobe Empire (Photoshop, Illustrator …)

… and lots more

+… forget that!

Let’s do it all in JavaScript!

(and HTML/CSS)

+Express.js

Web app framework

Analogous to Sinatra

http://expressjs.com/

+Express.js

Routes

Requests

Views

+Wow!

That sounds good for making a web app prototype.

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STOPDemo time.

+Cheat to win!

npm install –g express

express [appname]

+Prototyping

Not difficult to build!

Express is pretty nifty

But not always necessary

Nice article on Express Understanding Express.js from Evan Hahn

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User Testing

+Why user test?

Usability!

The ‘U’s of usability Utility: Does it do what you need? Usability: Ease and pleasure of use Useful: usability + utility

Useful, usable, desirable (Liz Sanders)

Needed, understandable, wanted & enjoyable

You are not your users/audience

+User testing

Test early.

Look for heuristics violations.

Look for anger.

Document.

+Test early

+Look for heuristics violations

http://www.nngroup.com/articles/ten-usability-heuristics/

+Look for anger

+Document

Take pictures

Take (limited) notes

Then, you iterate.

+User Testing

Do it early

Observe

Document

Great book: Don’t Make Me Think

+Summary

Use prototyping to cheaply produce something to show

Express is a quick, fun way to create apps

User testing is fast, cheap, and you can do it!

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@pamasaur

thewebivore.com

Thank you!