Thoughts on Design, FileMaker, DevCon, Pause on Error, ROI (Return on Investment), and anything else related to what The Alchemy Group does on a daily basis. We care, so we share whatever we can with you. We are a full-featured FileMaker Pro development shop, with years of experience building systems for businesses, educational institutions, and non-profit organizations exactly like yours. Your unique processes will be exactly mirrored by the custom software we write for you, whether it’s for mobile or desktop.
Gauging Usability for Longevity
Usability testing is a great idea for anyone developing apps. There are few experiences for a developer more eye-opening than watching a user interact in unexpected ways with his creation. I learned about traditional usability testing from Don Levan of Vanguard Custom...
It’s Not a Web Page
When it comes to the way apps of all kinds are designed, most of the ?interface design is driven by two things: handheld devices and the Web. The former folds nicely into FileMaker's way of doing things, because FileMaker Go makes good use of iOS devices. It could be...
FileMaker Pro 12 Announced
FileMaker today announced the release of FileMaker Pro 12 for Mac and Windows. This upgrade adds many new enhancements to the product line, including FileMaker Pro 12, FileMaker Server 12, and FileMaker Go 12 for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Stunning new features make...
How the world of 1950 looked in 1925
It's pretty darn easy to think you know what the latest in design is, and where design is going next. The reality is that design follows a path of consensus, shifting incrementally in unpredictable ways. Sure, we all saw the most recent wave of '60s, '70s, '80s...
AG Prez Bob Shockey to Speak at DevCon 2012
Bob to offer two sessions at FileMaker DevCon 2012. FileMaker, Inc. announced their DevCon 2012 schedule today, with dozens of sessions on a variety of topics. Among them were two sessions by Bob Shockey. First, Bob will be offering "Long Live Your App," on ways for...
Local vs. Global
We examine FileMaker consulting and distance factors The majority of our clients are local to our area. Why? Because nine times out of ten, those are the people who call us. Some of this is due to local marketing campaigns, but that's not the only factor. Business...
My Own Medicine
Going through the pain of working with a feature-rich new platform - in my case, WordPress and a new theme pack - I am reminded of what our users face when we present them with new systems. It's a difficult situation for both of us; the new user wants to come up to...
Jung on Creativity
"The creation of something new is not accomplished by the intellect but by the play instinct acting from inner necessity. The creative mind plays with the objects it loves." - Carl Jung
Welcome to the New AG Home!
It's been a long time since I updated the Alchemy Group web site. What was wrong with the old one, you may ask. Answer: nothing! It was just time to update it with a newer, more modern look - after all, we have a reputation to uphold. So enjoy your visit and let us...
Yep. We’ve been doing this for a while.
Certified. In 2004, FileMaker, Inc. introduced their certification program, and we jumped all over that. Since then, we have earned certification in every version of FileMaker, and we will keep on doing so.