The Software Alchemist

These are some slightly stream-of-conciousness type notes from the Warmgun conference.

Don’t just iterate on building code. Iterate on designs. Iterate on ideas. We can never get everything right on the first try.

Iteration is not just chunking up work, but it is a process of shaping ideas and whittling down to the best possible end result. It often involves starting over.

We need to use data from previous iterations to inform the decisions we make in future iterations. Data come in many forms, user experience testing, website metrics, A/B tests, etc. Beware of becoming “data driven”, though. Data will say whatever you want them to say, remember to throw judgement, context and business goals in as well.

Iterate constantly between designers and developers. Over communicate. Developer’s often don’t get 100% of what designers meant. Designers often don’t know 100% of what developers can provide. This matters most in the early stages of product development, when both sides of the equation are most flexible.