Software, and especially the web platform, provides us with the benefit of a quick build cycle. We can go from concept to UI in a very short amount of time. This means that ideas can be brought to life during the process of brainstorming, almost in real time. We can then place these prototypes in front of real users, get real feedback, and then iterate quickly towards an optimal solution. Truly, the forte of the web platform—the triad of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript—is that it allows a quick and hacky solution that can be iterated on easily, and can work on multiple platforms and devices:
It's easy to get weighed down by the variety and complexity of JavaScript frameworks and libraries; the sheer burden of them can force us to move at a much slower pace. That's why, when prototyping, it's often better to stick to a simpler stack that you already understand well. If you're accustomed to a framework, or if you are prepared to sink some time into learning, then it is worth utilizing one of many available skeletal boilerplate starter repositories as your starting point. Here are some examples:
- React boilerplate (github.com/react-boilerplate/react-boilerplate)
- Angular bootstrap boilerplate (github.com/mdbootstrap/Angular-Bootstrap-Boilerplate)
- Ember boilerplate (github.com/mirego/ember-boilerplate)
- Svelte template (github.com/sveltejs/template)
These each offer a relatively simple project template that you can use to very quickly set up a new prototype. Even though the tooling used within each one involves multiple build tools and framework options, the setup cost is minimal and so the time it takes to start tackling the real problem domain of your project is kept very short. There are, naturally, similar boilerplates and example applications you can find for server-side Node.js projects, isomorphic web applications, and even robotic or hardware projects.
Now that we've explored the technical process of planning and setting requirements, we can move on to discover some vital communication strategies that'll help us collaborate with others on our code bases.