Comment by scorchin | Hacker News Reader

Comment by scorchin | Hacker News Reader

A key part of this is that you should start with the MVP[1]. Get the (minimal) features together that make your app work and release it.

Then follow a user-centred design (UCD) process by testing it on real people! Iterate early. I'd be more than happy to discuss what I mean here if anyone requires clarification. Most people end up following a UCD process without realising it, and it tends to be the way that the most successful products (physical and digital) tend to be created.

  [1] MVP: Minimum Viable Product http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minimum_viable_product

The second "key" is a developer's proficiency with design. I am a developer and I know little to nothing about design. This is a major distraction since I spend a disproportionate amount of time getting a barely passable design. Would anyone recommend a good design resource for developers? Books/links/blogs all work. I try to read stuff like Smashing Magazine and Core77 but I mostly feel out of depth there.

A good starting resource here: http://boagworld.com/design/when-developers-design/

Could not agree more. The litmus test I've been trying to use is "does it feel like I forgot something" — if yes, it's probably a good stab at an MVP. Once it gets into the hands of users, the things I felt that I forgot or otherwise omitted from the initial iteration will either make their way back in, or get discarded entirely, depending on user feedback.

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