a web app; from idea to live testFares Farhan - Tata Tricipta

Fares Farhan Chocaholic’s UI Designer

• Identify problem :

Most of task list apps are “isolated”

• Less features :

1. To-do list.

2. Commenting System.

3. Social media publishing.

Basic Thoughts

• Utilize “on hand resources” :

- “Usable” cash.

- “Usable” personnel.

- “Usable” time.

• Identify competitors :

Similar online GTD tools:

Producteev, Remember The Milk, Nozbe

• Set release time :

One month for alpha version development

• Keep motivation up :

- To be in spotlights

- Cornerstone

- Bait for interested potential clients

• Reduce complexity :

- Multitasking team member (e.g : a designer who is also a marketing, a developer who is also a tester)

- Small team size (two or three members; one designer, one developer and one who merge the works of designer and developer)

- Use / adapt open-source framework (e.g : Cake, Akelos, jQuery, Prototype js)

- Use widely recognized data format (e.g : XML or JSON rather than Apple-GNUStep PLIST or Microsoft WCF)

- Use the tools that you already know, extend it. (framework, IDE or OS rather than trying to be “cutting-edge”. Latest and greatest tools is necessary when it provides value for the user)

Implementation• Main service / product purpose :

Social task container

• Less details :

1. Give only the essentials; Currently Scraplr is in test phase with only three main features.

2. Don’t force user to make decision against complex preferences; They already have problem to solve, do not add more. Scraplr has only few settings that needs to be adjusted by its user.

• Focus on situation on hand, anticipate for extending :

- We start small by hosting Scraplr in a shared hosting environment which adapts to the volume of traffic. We configure our own SMS gateway.

- We start with only two person working on the project, we write the code with effort to make it as readable as possible for our possible future team member.

The point : Take decision based upon factual information or circumstance. The problem is not about scaling but how to get to the point where we have to scale.

• Commit yourself to the vision :

We know that Scraplr wont please everyone, we know that Scraplr wont fit with everyone. But we’re quite sure there are users who valued the approach we took.

We stick with the vision for Scraplr being a social task container which employ crowd-sourcing (for the time being :) ).

Promotion

• Share the works

- Publish a teaser page, post it to image-sharing service (Flickr, EmberApp etc)

- Submit site to developers / designers showcase.

- Invite friends and potential users to test through social networking services.

• Participate, keep the good karma

- Actively involved in community forum, help / assist other whenever possible.

Tata Tricipta Chocaholic’s Lead Developer

Framework Soup

• PHP Framework

• Ruby Framework

• Python Framework

• Javascript Framework

• Caramel Framework

• Web Service: Google apps, twitter, facebook, lastfm, Yahoo, etc

• Authentication: HTTP Basic, OAuth, openID, CAS

• API Client: javascript, php, ruby, python

Mashups

• SMS Gateway

• VoIP Gateway

• IM Messenger

• Conference

Communication Media

Mobile Development

• Mobile Web Development (phonegap, titanium, air, opera)

• Mobile SDK: iPhone, Android, Maemo, Symbian, Java

Collaboration Tools

• Source Control Management

• Project Management

• IM, Skype, Tweet