How long does it take for you to complete a side project?
Believe it or not, I still have some projects not completed, and I'm not even in a halfway through them. What's so sad - I will probably never finish them. I think that some of you have the same trouble.
The problem ⛔
By creating a project without taking the professional steps, you will only lead to headaches and a lack of motivation. 🤯 Without these steps, you will save more time in the beginning, but then you will find a hard time creating a project and maybe even not completing it, which is very likely to happen.
The solution ✅
Proven ways to implement the project successfully from developing to shipping an app, which will take longer in the beginning than without it, but it's worth it, and it's a lifesaver for us, developers. 😇 By following these steps, you will save a lot of time thinking, designing, coding, and testing, so you'd better apply them to your life!
Table of Contents:
1. Plan, note, visualize.
2. Get inspired on design.
3. Design
4. Code
5. Test, optimize
The five tips on how to create projects quicker!
1. Plan, note, visualize.
Plan what you want to create, an app, a website, an extension, etc.
Just note all of the useful things like what do you want in this project to be, what technologies would you like to use, and overall note when you have any ideas.
Visualize your project by thinking of how it would work, potential design principles that you will use, how you can monetize it, etc.
2. Get inspired on design.
Take yourself a shortcut when it comes to design, and get inspired by finding something that you like.
Maybe that's a website that you have seen lately, or perhaps, that's a WordPress theme which is looking pretty solid.
3. Design
The design of every app is much more important than code functionalities itself.
Having a complete design of your product before you start coding it will save you a lot of time thinking if that button looks good with "border-radius: 4px;" or not.
You can pretty much finish all of the styles of the app. Just do this step as a third one.
4. Code
When you have your app design done, you can start coding. First, recreate all of your mockups designed from the previous step, and then handle the functionality.
You will feel more confident in shipping this app when you will see the results of your hard work immediately, so that's the key.
5. Test, optimize
When it all seems to work after adding all of the required functionalities, you can start testing your app and optimizing it if necessary.
Test some things like cross-browser compatibility, RWD, page load speed, etc.
Optimize by changing your mockup images from PNG to JPG, compress them, clean up your code, minimize it wherever possible.
Thank you!
Please let me know in the comments what are your tips when it comes to creating projects quicker. Is there anything that you would add? Thank you so much for reading, have a good one!
Top comments (6)
Reducing scope and aiming for an MVP. Get the minimum version done, then you can get users, and the users will start telling you what to do next.
I have side projects that I built and the sole purpose was just to learn a new technology or framework. Some are online and I don't care if people use them or not. 😂
Oh really, I have to give it a try with the users! 😄
Maybe that's the perfect approach that also I should follow. 😂
I don't think there's anything wrong with not finishing projects! They're there for your own interests! If you're no longer interested then its okay to stop!
Unless you need to curate a portfolio to get hired then I hereby give you permission to abandon your project :)
Yup, that's what I mean - to get hired 😁
Good read. I am so guilty of starting projects without any plans, getting excited when I start and then, ending up losing interest and abandoning them because there was no end goal in sight.
That's my adventures with the "Schoolify" side project. Now I'm trying to refactor it and make it finally usable.
Thank you!