Development

Designing for Devices

By Jim MacLennan ⋅ October 10, 2010 ⋅ Post a comment

My last entry on design for a bit – just some thoughts on the added complexity when designing applications for multiple client devices. Fast Changing Device Landscape The “last mile” of user/computer interaction has seen a number of exciting innovations over the past year or so. Phones are getting physically smaller, yet have bulked up [...]

Interface Design Skills for Coders (and vice-versa)

By Jim MacLennan ⋅ October 6, 2010 ⋅ One comment

Like a technical peanut butter cup – two great skill sets that go great together. What really happens when artists and coders mash things up? Intuitive Interactions: Are application developers adept at effective design? I think, as a group, no – witness all of the effort put forth to wrap “user friendly screens” in front [...]

Best Practices for Requirements Gathering Sessions

By Jim MacLennan ⋅ December 7, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

It’s been a while since I’ve led an interactive requirements session for an interactive application – but it’s kind of like riding a bike. After a few minutes, the old habits come back, and the iterative ideas and cascading creativity starts to flow. What has changed, however, is the application platform, the office environment, and [...]

Agile Methods in a Waterfall World: Speaking In Code

By Jim MacLennan ⋅ September 29, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

Starting up a new project, and I’m definitely having fun with it. At first glance, it looks like a fairly small, departmental application, but it is actually part of a web of disconnected processes and local databases (ie. “a mess”) that support some fairly important master data. Also, the folks I’m working with are much [...]

PM Anti-Patterns That Increase IT Project Cycle Time

By Jim MacLennan ⋅ December 8, 2007 ⋅ Post a comment

Lots of conversation at work these days about PMO, resource prioritization, and reducing cycle time for IT projects. I feel a series of posts coming on … IAPL, we launched a project to bring test discipline to our technology efforts. The team was writing standards and guidelines for test scripts, implementing integrated testing tools supplied [...]

Strategies for Malware in Consulting Engagements

By Jim MacLennan ⋅ May 28, 2006 ⋅ Post a comment

Last in a series on some practical legal mumbo jumbo (disclaimer: IANAL) for your Master Consulting Agreements (MCA). This one was particularly interesting to put in; it’s really interesting to see who catches it, but it was an amazing (in retrospect) observation that led us to include the language. The Trigger Event: A virus outbreak. [...]

Strategies for Risk Sharing in Consulting Engagements

By Jim MacLennan ⋅ May 13, 2006 ⋅ Post a comment

I am late is responding to a comment on this post, first in a series about Consulting Engagements. Earlier this week it was Intellectual Property, with another good comment … so, why all the harsh language about protecting IP that I probably can’t commercialize? Ah – welcome to the world of Risk Sharing. The issue [...]

So many XML posts, so little time

By Jim MacLennan ⋅ June 4, 2005 ⋅ Post a comment

Over the past few days there have been so many posts regarding Microsoft’s announcement of XML formatted files for Office 12. One of the key reasons that I am working so aggressively towards Eclipse immersion (although not necessarily my next big chunk of work – priorities …) is the view that XML will continue to [...]

Challenges when demoing / training / pitching complex systems

By Jim MacLennan ⋅ May 23, 2005 ⋅ Post a comment

Over the last few days, I’ve been in a few vendor demos, trading partner reviews, product pitches, and project discussions, all reviewing complex systems or processes, and tools / software / services to help out. Some important, common, and somewhat random issues kept popping into my mind, all about trying to have a discussion about [...]

Bug bad, bug good, bug Bug

By Jim MacLennan ⋅ May 18, 2005 ⋅ Post a comment

Rothman suggests we use the term Defect, not Bug – as if Defect is a more honest / real word, and Bug is somehow more evasive, non-descript. Au contraire – my guess is that Ms. Rothman does not have a programming background! When you say to a Programmer that their software has a bug, they [...]

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