andersr

##Pseudo Code Basics: Everyone will have their own approach. This is mine...

• Break a large problem (epic) down into smaller and smaller pieces.
• Define major entities you're working with and attributes you currently know about.
• Don’t try to figure out all the details up-front.
• Pick one thing to explore in greater detail and break that down to atomic-level detail.
• What is the default state?
• What is a triggering event/input for the thing we're currently exploring?
• Use small blocks of Boolean logic (IF ELSE AND OR) to express the atomic level design.

andersr

##Goals

• Uncover some costs for UX designers of not understanding how developers work, think, etc.
• Provide some insights, tools, practices that might better enable UX designers to collaborate more effectively with developers.

##Links

• What's Your Code Distance?
• Code Distance Activity
• Alien Sandwich Activity
• My Alien Sandwich PseudoCode
• Pseudo Code Basics

andersr

##What's Your Code Distance?

• How removed you are (or not) from the production code in a project you currently are working on, OR...
• Your general level of coding experience (eg "I know some HTML/CSS", "I use jquery for prototyping", "I work closely w devs but have no code experience.")
• Other "distances" are also important, eg: Content Distance User Distance, Market Distance, Community Distance, but today we're focusing on code distance.

andersr

##Code Distance Activity

1. Grab a stickie.
2. Write on your stickie what you see as your code distance.
3. Place your stickie where you see yourself in relationship to actual code/working software.
4. Let's hear some of your stories...

andersr

##The client's description of the problem

>A major challenge for us is adding new employees to our HR system, which is connected payroll, benefits, email, and many other internal system. Currently, this is a manaul process, involving the security staff, IT, and HR personnel. It’s very time-consuming and it leads to delays in new employees having access to internal tools. The main goal of the tool is to provide new employees with an Employee ID. After that, we need to use that ID to give them access based on their department, role, and level of seniority. For example, a VP of Engineering will get all kinds of admin-level access to a range of internal systems, while, say, a product manager, would likely only get access to email, the intranet, and a few other services. In order to provide the ID, we have to confirm their identity. This can be done using either the last four of their SSN, valid driver’s license number, or a valid passport number. We use an external service to confirm that this number match

andersr

##Some ways to iteratively reduce your code distance:

• pair with developers
• learn to write pseudo code
• integrate live style guides into your practice
• try designing and implementing a very small, very simple app (better yet, pair w someone doing it.)

andersr

# disable submit unless all fields with .require_field class have values
$(document).ready ->

  total_required_fields = 0
  
  $( ".required_field" ).each ->

    total_required_fields += 1
    
    if $(this).val().trim().length == 0

andersr

before_save :generate_title_slug

 protected

  def generate_title_slug
    title_slug = self.title.downcase.strip.truncate(50)

    #replace spaces with dashes
    title_slug.gsub! " ", "-"

andersr

 before_save :generate_token_id

  def to_param
    token_id
  end
  
  protected

  def generate_token_id
    begin

andersr

(1..100).each do |number|

  if (number % 3 == 0) && (number % 5 == 0)
    puts "CracklePop"
  elsif number % 3 == 0
    puts "Crackle"
  elsif number % 5 == 0
    puts "Pop"
  else
    puts number