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Show HN: Front-end framework optimized for internal apps

getflakes.com

41–50 of 94 posts

Re: Show HN: Front-end framework optimized for internal apps

#41

Am I missing something here? I don't get what's so special about this as opposed to all the other web app frameworks?

It makes sense if you've ever had to work on internal facing apps, like an admin panel. You wouldn't want the overhead and clutter of something like bootstrap which'd be overkill (albeit you can customize it to be minimal).

Re: Show HN: Front-end framework optimized for internal apps

#42
post #5

I'd like to understand more about the rationale that led you down the path of creating this. In my years in enterprise, user and market research has driven the push to create UIs that are more compelling, that make users feel more at home and comfortable (as they would be with mobile and consumer products), while maintaining a more narrow focus on tasks instead of providing a generic one-size fits all paradigm. This…

From my experience I disagree. Simpler and well known are more welcome in the enterprise and business in general. As an example consider the protests raised about the Office 2007 ribbon. An internal application cannot afford that type of resistance. If you had said simpler and more efficient interfaces I would have agreed. Current ERP and CRM applications try to put too much in front of the user at one time. It's bet…

I think you misunderstood my post. Everything I've seen does push for simplicity. But simplicity doesn't manifest itself here... datagrids are not simple, no matter how clean the lines are. Nor are forms without inherent rules about use and context. Data saturation and semantic satiation are both immense problems in the enterprise.

Re: Show HN: Front-end framework optimized for internal apps

#43
post #7
post #5

I'd like to understand more about the rationale that led you down the path of creating this. In my years in enterprise, user and market research has driven the push to create UIs that are more compelling, that make users feel more at home and comfortable (as they would be with mobile and consumer products), while maintaining a more narrow focus on tasks instead of providing a generic one-size fits all paradigm. This…

I'd like to work in that progressive sector of the enterprise, mine is still full of Swing, extjs and even Tk.

as much as i'd like to say the opposite, it's not nearly as progressive as it should be. There are tons and tons of places who are actively regressing.

Re: Show HN: Front-end framework optimized for internal apps

#44
post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'd like to work in that progressive sector of the enterprise, mine is still full of Swing, extjs and even Tk.

extjs isn't so bad.. My only complaints would be all the themes look a bit dated (and squashed on a large display), and I don't like OO paradigms in JS so much and ext is really heavy OO.

personal opinion - extjs is non-performant trash.

Re: Show HN: Front-end framework optimized for internal apps

#45

I feel internal business applications can be visually appealing too. People have to look at these things all day, so why are we so quick to assert that these people are practically robots who can't appreciate comfortable interfaces when we design and build boring apps? Life can look good all over. Don't succumb to this "business is serious and should therefore be dull and boring" stuff.

I think they're going for a different kind of boring than what you're implying. It doesn't have fancy animations and flashy colors like Bootstrap and Foundation. It's simple, clean, fast and straight to the point, which is something valuable in an internal tool.

Re: Show HN: Front-end framework optimized for internal apps

#47

I feel internal business applications can be visually appealing too. People have to look at these things all day, so why are we so quick to assert that these people are practically robots who can't appreciate comfortable interfaces when we design and build boring apps? Life can look good all over. Don't succumb to this "business is serious and should therefore be dull and boring" stuff.

That's not why people make boring business applications. It's because they've decided that making it pretty does not add enough value to justify the costs.

In my opinion, the design importance grows with the number of users.

Re: Show HN: Front-end framework optimized for internal apps

#50
post #5

I'd like to understand more about the rationale that led you down the path of creating this. In my years in enterprise, user and market research has driven the push to create UIs that are more compelling, that make users feel more at home and comfortable (as they would be with mobile and consumer products), while maintaining a more narrow focus on tasks instead of providing a generic one-size fits all paradigm. This…

How can something be both compelling and at home/comfortable? If you're using the definition of compelling that you appear to be, they're concepts on opposite sides of the same spectrum.

This framework stands in contrast to that, making things dull and boring.

Dull and boring sounds UI to me exactly like at home and comfortable. Compelling sounds like the day to day trend hopping that we see all the time. The frantic activity means it can pick up usability and interaction improvements at a faster clip, but that's a byproduct.

But the entire reason for this conversation could have little to do with Flakes' decisions and be more reflective of the way design will overloads existing words with new vague meanings and create statements that are illegible to people not versed in the existing narrative.

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