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Lately no and low code solutions have grown in popularity. These software packages take work traditionally performed by writing software code and enable it to happen in graphical user interfaces that are accessible to more users. This can eliminate the need to learn to code to get tasks done, but come with their own costs and trade-offs. No code might seem like a bargain at first, but often turns out to be a bad deal.

In 1872, a fire broke out in the basement of a warehouse on Summer Street in Boston. As flames spread to nearby buildings, Boston firefighters called for backup. Neighboring towns responded, only to discover that their hoses would not fit into the hydrants. The couplings that connect the hydrants to the hoses had not been standardized. This hampered the help the firefighters could give, and thirty people died. 776 buildings burned. Fast forward to 2021. Companies and governments are trying to share information about vaccine appointments. Their systems cannot connect with each other. People cannot get shots. The death toll is ongoing. History does not repeat itself, but it does rhyme.

At Code for Boston we run a lot of software projects, and spend time thinking about how to avoid the pitfalls of them. Below are things we look for before and during our projects to make sure we are doing the right thing, and building the thing right.

Not Talking to Users

Sometimes you have a project where you build something you think someone needs, but it turns out they either do not need the thing or they need it to work differently from how you built it. By interviewing users you can make sure you are building the right thing for them.

The only thing you need to assess a software project is to ask whoever is proposing it “who are the users?” and “have you talked to the users?” and you’ll have 80% of the information you need to know whether it will succeed.

On Friday someone recommended I try Figma for a work project. Figma is an application prototyping and design tool. Before software developers code an application together Figma allows designers to experiment with and test different designs. It also provides tools to translate those designs into code. If you are designing an application you should consider a design tool, and if you do not have a favorite yet you should try Figma.