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The Developer Experience

by Pamela Fox

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A talk given at WDCNZ 2011. Abstract: ...

A talk given at WDCNZ 2011. Abstract:

"We all know what “user experience” is and we know that it’s important. We analyze drop-off rates for sign-in flows, do A/B testing on color schemes, and organize user focus groups for new features. But we rarely talk about the “developer experience” - what we all go through each time we try to use a developer tool, library, or API. How do we decide what tool to use? Is it easy to integrate with our development environment? How flexible is the API? Where do we go when something goes wrong? Those are the sort of questions that we can ask to understand what it’s like for a developer to use a product - and where it can be improved.

Whether you simply use developer products or you actually build one yourself, you should walk away from this talk with ideas on how to make a great developer experience - and why it matters."

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The Developer Experience Presentation Transcript

THE DEVELOPER EXPERIENCE WHAT IT IS WHY IT MATTERS HOW TO MAKE IT NOT SUCK twitter.com/ pamelafox.org @pamelafox pamelafox@ http:// gmail.com

USER EXPERIENCE“The sum of all interactions and events, both positive and negative, between a user and a web site.” AKA “bla bla bla”

USER EXPERIENCE Do I want to use it? How do I sign up? How do I get started? How do I use it? How do I get help?

DO I WANT TO USE IT?

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

HOW DO I USE IT?

HOW DO I GET HELP?

DEVELOPER EXPERIENCE“The sum of all interactions and events, both positive and negative, between a developer and a library, tool, or API.”

DEVELOPER EXPERIENCE Do I want to use it? How do I sign up? How do I get started? How do I use it? How do I get help?

DO I WANT TO USE IT?

HOW DO I SIGN UP?

HOW DO I GET STARTED?

HOW DO I USE IT?

HOW DO I GET HELP?

WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

WHO ARE YOU? Developer Experience (Library, Tool, API, ...)PROVIDERS CONSUMERS@jamespearce @paul_irish @avon

...WHO AM I?Childhood University hood Now 2002 2006 2011 CONSUMER PROVIDER CONSUMER

WHY DOES DX MATTER? Bad Experience I have to use X.Bare Minimum Usage Low Barrier for Leaving

WHY DOES DX MATTER? Good Experience I like to use X.Innovative Usage External Evangelism

LET’S BREAK IT DOWN...

Do I want to use it?

Does it have the features I need?Documentation Interactive Explorer

Can I safely build a business on top of it? Licensing Pricing Stability

Case Studies

How do I sign up?

How do I sign up?Best answer: No signup! No key!

Automated Key Signup

Usage Dashboard

How do I get started?

Downloads for Every Environment

Client Libraries for Every Language

“Hello World”(From 0 to 60 in 15 minutes)

How do I use it?How do I learn how to use it? Do I enjoy using it?

How do I learn how to use it? Documentation Comprehensive Easy to NavigateReference & Guide Easy to Search Running Code Feedback Loop

Documentation should be Comprehensive Every method, parameter, return value, defaults,implementation notes, errors, side effects, deprecation notices. When in doubt, document.

Documentation should include both Reference & Guide

Documentation should include Runnable Code

Documentation should be Easy to Navigate

Documentation should be Easy to Search

Documentation should be Easy to Search on Google, too

Do I enjoy using it? API DesignFamiliarity CompatibilitySimplicity Debuggability

API Design: HTTP Familiarity Compatibility Use standards Support both(when it makes sense) JSON & XML. REST, RPC, OAuth. Simplicity Debuggability Don’t throttle. Give meaningful error messages. Most importantly: Never ever use SOAP.

API Design: JavaScript Familiarity Compatibility Use object literals for Use a namespace. method options, not Don’t extend native additional arguments. objects. Simplicity DebuggabilityOffer common methods in core API, Offer a debugging everything else as plugins. extension. Do all that while keeping ﬁle size small.

How do I get help?

ForumEmail Subscription & FeedsSpam Handling & ModerationPoster Statistics & Badging

Forum

GETTING FEEDBACK

Documentation can have Comments

But they’re not for everybody.

Documentation can have Feedback Form

Documentation can be Editable

Documentation can be Forkable

Issue Tracker Comments Votes Status NotiﬁcationCategories Search

Issue Tracker

HUNGRY FOR MORE?

developerexperience.org

developer-support-handbook.org

BOOKS “If there is any one secret of success, it “The downside of attending to the emotional lies in the ability to get the other “Any extrinsic reward should be life of groups is that it can swamp the ability person’s point of view and see things unexpected and offered only after the to get anything done; a group can become more concerned with satisfying its membersfrom that person’s angle as well as from task is complete.” than with achieving its goals.” your own.” Take notes. Write up learnings. Share.

NOW WHAT?

PROVIDERS: 1. CareI 2. Prioritize 3. Improve

CONSUMERS Thanks!It’d be great if you changed X. I’d use it more if it had feature Y. Thanks - look what I made with it!

CONFERENCE ATTENDEES ...that’s all of you. What do I like about X? Whatcould be bet ter? What can I learn fro m my experience? Thanks for the talk! I have some feedback for you...

THE DEVELOPER EXPERIENCE IT MATTERS LETS MAKE IT NOT SUCK twitter.com/ pamelafox.org @pamelafox pamelafox@ http:// gmail.com