Ask HN: How do you design your personal (toy) projects?
7 comments
I usually start with some rough pencil drawings and a lot of thinking about the flow of the site, then hack out a prototype. Then I sit in front of it and stare, tweaking a thing at a time, until I'm happy with the result. Then I leave it there for a few hours or a day and stare some more. Whenever I have an idea that would substantially change the look, I usually sketch it again before implementing it.
The pencil and paper thing in my case works as a way to organize my thoughts and define what I'm actually going to do, rather than a formal design process. Usually I have an A4 sheet (or rather several) scribbled with ideas and sketches regarding a single project.
The pencil and paper thing in my case works as a way to organize my thoughts and define what I'm actually going to do, rather than a formal design process. Usually I have an A4 sheet (or rather several) scribbled with ideas and sketches regarding a single project.
"hack them straight out"
Any design would be totally just in my head. I'd only sketch something on paper if it's a GUI.
The design that's in my head is basically a short list of what it should do and what it should not do.
Any design would be totally just in my head. I'd only sketch something on paper if it's a GUI.
The design that's in my head is basically a short list of what it should do and what it should not do.
design? :)
Always always pencil and paper. Even if it's a wireframe, and that's all you "design" (meaning no graphics, etc). Even on a personal project, don't waste time! Do the process right.
It really depends on the scope of the project. Simple projects I just hack through, which acts like a design process.
In 2004 I built a personal delicious clone, which I pretty much hacked together in a week. Overtime I added more and more features. Now, I'm contemplating rewriting it in a framework. It has grown past a weekend hack so now I'm mapping it out.
It's best to know how you work. For me its better to have a working prototype that I can tinker with, even if I know I'll rebuild it eventually.
In 2004 I built a personal delicious clone, which I pretty much hacked together in a week. Overtime I added more and more features. Now, I'm contemplating rewriting it in a framework. It has grown past a weekend hack so now I'm mapping it out.
It's best to know how you work. For me its better to have a working prototype that I can tinker with, even if I know I'll rebuild it eventually.
Break it into 100 tasks and start chipping them away. One a day. I started on this in Septeber http://alpha.beepl.com currently stuck on broken down computer.. Kind of sucks.
Typically I do work flow UI drawings for high level design. Then do what ends up looking like a dictionary of class names and descriptions of their responsibilities|interactions but only at a high to intermediate level of the program.
How do you go about designing your personal projects? Do you hack them straight out or sit down and design them first (pencil and paper/UML)?