Upward Mobility
Mobile Computing has become a commonly used term among software developers and consumers, business owners and their customers. But what, exactly, does it mean for you? If you have a business to run, chances are it does not all happen inside the walls of your office....
Bug Logic: we all have issues
Whenever we roll out a new system to a client, there are two kinds of training we need to perform to get them up to speed. The first is what you would expect, the basics of how to operate their brand new software; but the second kind might not seem so obvious: how to...
Typeface Challenges in Database Design
A new article by Jason Pamental in the TNW blog addresses some of the concerns designers face in attempting to design good, readable interfaces. One thing I like about this article is that he pays attention to something very close to my heart: typographic hierarchy....
Getting Started with Design 2: Type
In part 2a of my series, "Getting Started with Design," I outlined in detail the differences between the various fonts available to FileMaker developers. In this article, I will describe how to use type effectively, using information hierarchy and differentiation....
Ruggedized iPad Case with Swiper
I thought I would share a quick note on an interesting project for a client. We are deploying a FileMaker solution on some iPad Air 2s, using FileMaker Go. This is an invoicing/POS system for plumbers to accept on-site payment from customers at the close of a job. We...
Getting Started with Design 2: Type
Many developer types are confused about the entire topic of typography. What's the big deal? If you can read it, it's working, right? Not necessarily. In part 2 of the "Getting Started with Design" series, we will explore what makes type so important to a design, and...
Getting Started with Design 1: Color
Maybe you are the analytical type: great with numbers, your database structure is solid, your code always works... but if someone asks you to create an elegant, esthetically pleasing design, you're at a loss how to even begin. In part 1 of my "Getting Started with...
Double-keying: We Have Penicillin
If you were to ask me what's the most common source of pain for new, first-time clients, I can say unequivocally that it's double-keying – the practice of entering the same piece of information in more than one location (e.g. two different Excel documents). Sometimes...
New Skin: A Case Study
What happens when your client does not like the look and feel you have created in your FileMaker database? You have little choice but to give them something better suited to their sensibilities. When faced with just such a problem, here's how we solved it. The Issue:...
The Pocket Watch Returns
Design sometimes resembles nothing more than a minefield. Take, for example, the article by Robert McMillen in Wired, in which he convincingly argues that people aren't ready for a watch that augments the iPhone. In essence, people might not be willing to replace the...