Chief Data Strategist - Kanangra I/O
Five Steps for Executing a Successful Data Product Upgrade
A modern software stack includes many different types of upgrades and products. Data storage is a key component of any stack. This could be a RDBMS (e.g. MySQL or PostgreSQL), a NoSQL database (e.g. MongoDB, Cassandra, Redis) or one of the many other flavors including time-series, graph, and vector databases.
Getting started with Flowbite
First of all you need to understand how Flowbite works. This library is not another framework. Rather, it is a set of components based on Tailwind CSS that you can just copy-paste from the documentation.
It also includes a JavaScript file that enables interactive components, such as modals, dropdowns, and datepickers which you can optionally include into your project via CDN or NPM.
You can check out the quickstart guide to explore the elements by including the CDN files into your project. But if you want to build a project with Flowbite I recommend you to follow the build tools steps so that you can purge and minify the generated CSS.
You'll also receive a lot of useful application UI, marketing UI, and e-commerce pages that can help you get started with your projects even faster. You can check out this comparison table to better understand the differences between the open-source and pro version of Flowbite.
When does design come in handy?
While it might seem like extra work at a first glance, here are some key moments in which prototyping will come in handy:
- Acknowledgement. Does your user know how to exit out of screens? Can they follow your intended user journey and buy something from the site you’ve designed? By running a usability test, you’ll be able to see how users will interact with your design once it’s live;
- Planning. Need to check if your GDPR consent boxes are displaying properly? Pass your prototype to your data protection team and they can test it for real;
- Identification and Triage. Prototypes can help explain or even sell your idea by providing your client with a hands-on experience;
- Correction. By using an interactive medium to preview and test design elements, designers and developers can understand each other — and the project — better.
- Implementation. By using an interactive medium to preview and test design elements, designers and developers can understand each other — and the project — better.
Laying the groundwork for best design
Before going digital, you might benefit from scribbling down some ideas in a sketchbook. This way, you can think things through before committing to an actual design project.
Let's start by including the CSS file inside the head tag of your HTML.
Best practices for setting up your prototype
Low fidelity or high fidelity? Fidelity refers to how close a prototype will be to the real deal. If you’re simply preparing a quick visual aid for a presentation, a low-fidelity prototype — like a wireframe with placeholder images and some basic text — would be more than enough. But if you’re going for more intricate usability testing, a high-fidelity prototype — with on-brand colors, fonts and imagery — could help get more pointed results.
Consider your user. To create an intuitive user flow, try to think as your user would when interacting with your product. While you can fine-tune this during beta testing, considering your user’s needs and habits early on will save you time by setting you on the right path.
Start from the inside out. A nice way to both organize your tasks and create more user-friendly prototypes is by building your prototypes ‘inside out’. Start by focusing on what will be important to your user, like a Buy now button or an image gallery, and list each element by order of priority. This way, you’ll be able to create a prototype that puts your users’ needs at the heart of your design.
And there you have it! Everything you need to design and share prototypes — right in Flowbite Figma.