Your Personal Process

[PrimoQuest]

If you don't mind, I would love to see how some of you guys and gals create your software.

What I'm talking about is the process and the specific "steps" you take.

Do you start at the first tab and work your way through to the end or do you jump around within TSB to get your final results.

I don't have a very analytical mind and I'm hoping that I might be able to mirror what you're doing.

Trying to learn to think more logical and more like a programmer.

Anyone willing to share their process of piecing it all together with us right-dominant brain thinkers?

Do you have a system?

Thanks!

[TigerSoftware]

I like to mind map my software ideas out.

I normally have a central piece for the software then branch out with the software object. Eventually I will branch out the Software Objects with Property Editors.

This really is the hardest part of the whole process. Once that is done it is very quick to create the software.

I normally take care of the layouts after I add all the objects and editors. I have always been a visual person and just play around with the layout until I get it nice, neat and easily usable.



Thomas

[PrimoQuest]

Awesome idea, Thomas.

I use a mind map for another project (video project) and it works well for me too.

I don't know why I didn't think of using it for TSB as well.

I'll give it a shot.

Thanks.

Anyone else want to chime in? I'm all ears. :eek:

[Alton]

I cheat a little bit. I look at the competition's software and consider what to change and what to add to it. I look at how I can make it easier to use.

Also, you can ask the people who would conceivably buy and use the proposed software what they would like to have included. I was buying dogfood from a business that grooms dogs one day. When I struck up a conversation about my idea to develop a software for dog and cat groomers, the proprietor immediately pulled out a piece of paper that she had been using as a form to keep track of her customer's dogs. "This...is what I would like to see!" she said. That gave me a big start. I am going to give her a free copy for her help.

After putting the same product on the market, I got a phone call from another lady that has a kennel and grooming business. She would buy the product if I just added a field to track the location the dog is kept in within her kennel. This was easy to do. (But, she never bought it.)

So, your customers can help you to refine the product. And, possibly sell more in the end.

Alton

[Dexx]

Alton said it better than I could...

Figure out the final EXPERIENCE you wish to give...and then create software to do that.


Here's a quick example on the fly:

You are searching through forums, or shopping one day, and you find out that people are looking for a way to better organize their shoes, and keep track of them.

You then notice that some people have different ways that they like to organize their shoes, their own shoes management systems.

So you write down what kind of stuff people are already keeping track of, and then perhaps ask questions as to what else they would keep track of.

Next thing you know you create a shoe tracking software that might track what store and date the shoes was purchased from, receipt number (for possible returns), designer of the shoe, color of the shoe, heel or no heel...

then you go a step further and categories such as casual, dining, outdoor...

go FURTHER and add a ranking system for how comfortable the shoes were, and maybe a checkbox for if they ever caused blisters.

Maybe you create a "compliments tracker" relationship object and keep track of the amount of compliments your shoes receive (for the really egotistical woman!)

You get the idea


Now maybe you release a couple demo copies of the software to get reviews, and gauge interest in the product (which took you maybe an hour to make IF THAT)

Price it at $14.99, or $24.99 who knows

Or maybe put CPA ads for shoe retailers in the software and give the program away for free and let it go viral (collecting emails through registration) etc.


and I mean I just came out with that example in a total of 3 minutes...

THE POSSIBILITIES ARE ENDLESS!


Shoes, hats, coats, dresses, you could expand this one example into many niches for clothing etc.

Hope that helps :)