Over the past few years we’ve evolved our way of working. No longer are we at the mercy and burden of complex legacy code, bespoke server maintenance, and inflexible of vendor lock-in. We’re free to adapt and change and we like it.
We’ve been using the term ‘light touch’ to describe our approach to technical development for some time now, so I though we should put something down in writing. Here are our guiding principles.
We…
Are technology agnostic – we use the appropriate tool for the job.
Opt for open source frameworks, systems and web services over bespoke developments.
Keep things simple and loosely coupled.
Understand technical limitations, be agile and think laterally.
Always discuss risks and issues openly with developers and stakeholders.
Avoid patches, hacks, convoluted or ‘magic’ code – always mindful of the upgrade path.
Match system requirements to a standard, possibly even shared host.
Keep everything encapsulated – code, documentation, hosting, domains, the lot.
Don’t white label or resell – be honest who does what.
Ensure clients are never locked-in to us, or us to them.
These are only guidelines, but have certainly been a great checklist for us when approaching new technology projects.
Any to add? Let us know your guiding principles in the comments.
Over the past few years we’ve evolved our way of working. No longer are we at the mercy and burden of complex legacy code, bespoke server maintenance, or inflexible vendor lock-in. We’re free to adapt and change and we like it. More »
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