
Progressive Web Apps (PWAs) are a modern approach to web development that combine the best of web and mobile app 
experiences. They are built using standard web technologies, such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, and can be accessed 
through a web browser or installed on a user's device. Here are several reasons why websites should consider 
becoming PWAs:

- **Improved user experience**: PWAs offer a more engaging and seamless user experience, with features like offline 
support, push notifications, and full-screen mode. These features help create a more app-like experience, 
increasing user satisfaction and retention.

- **Faster load times**: PWAs leverage modern web technologies, such as service workers and caching, to ensure fast load 
times and improved performance. This can lead to higher user engagement and conversion rates, as users are less 
likely to abandon a site that loads quickly.

- **Offline access**: PWAs can work offline or on low-quality networks, thanks to service workers and caching. This 
enables users to access content even when they have poor or no internet connection, making your website more 
accessible and useful in a wider range of situations.

- **Search engine optimization (SEO)**: PWAs are indexable by search engines, which can lead to better search rankings 
and increased visibility for your website. Improved SEO can drive more organic traffic to your site and help grow 
your user base.

- **Push notifications**: PWAs support push notifications, allowing you to engage with users even when they're not 
actively using your website. This can help drive user engagement, boost retention, and keep your audience informed 
about updates, promotions, or other relevant information.

- **Installable on the home screen**: Users can install PWAs on their devices' home screens, making them more accessible 
and convenient to use. This also increases the likelihood that users will return to your site, as it becomes more 
integrated into their daily routines.

By adopting a PWA approach, businesses can enhance their web presence and deliver an exceptional user experience, 
ultimately driving user engagement, retention, and growth. Cheers!!


Create a Modern Website: Make the website a Progressive Web App


In the context of modern software engineering, DevOps is a complementary counterpart, much like the concept of 
Yin and Yang. These two concepts, originating from Chinese philosophy, represent the interconnectedness and 
interdependence of seemingly opposite forces in the natural world.

The traditional approach tech companies followed for many years often separated development and operations teams, 
creating silos and communication gaps. This separation could lead to inefficiencies, delays, and lower-quality 
software. DevOps brings these two functions together, integrating them into a seamless whole.

Just as Yin and Yang symbolize harmony and balance in nature, DevOps aims to harmonize the software development 
life cycle by fostering collaboration, shared goals, and continuous improvement, allowing organizations to deliver 
software faster, more reliably, and with higher quality.

Here are some key aspects that highlight the importance of DevOps culture for modern software products:

- **Faster time to market**: DevOps practices, such as continuous integration and continuous deployment (CI/CD), enable 
organizations to release software updates and new features more frequently, allowing them to stay competitive and 
respond quickly to market demands.

- **Improved collaboration**: DevOps culture encourages cross-functional teams, breaking down silos between development, 
operations, and other stakeholders. This improved collaboration leads to better communication, faster 
  decision-making, and increased innovation.

- **Higher quality**: By automating testing and deployment processes, DevOps helps reduce human error and increases the 
overall quality of the software. This results in fewer bugs, improved stability, and better user experiences.

- **Increased efficiency**: Automation and streamlined processes in DevOps eliminate manual, time-consuming tasks, 
allowing team members to focus on more valuable work, such as feature development or innovation.

- **Better resource management**: DevOps practices, such as infrastructure as code (IAC), enable more effective 
management of resources, leading to cost savings and reduced waste.

- **Enhanced scalability**: DevOps enables teams to build and deploy software using cloud-native architectures and 
technologies, making it easier to scale applications up or down as needed.

- **Continuous learning and improvement**: DevOps culture emphasizes a continuous learning mindset, encouraging teams to 
regularly assess and improve their processes, tools, and skills. This constant feedback loop helps organizations 
stay agile and adapt to changes in the market.

In summary, adopting a DevOps culture is crucial for modern software products as it helps organizations stay 
competitive, deliver better quality software, and respond more effectively to market demands. It fosters 
collaboration, efficiency, and continuous improvement, making it a key aspect of successful software development 
and IT operations.

Cheers!!


Engineering without DevOps is like Yin without Yang


The twelve-factor app uses strict separation between the build, release, and run stages.

For example, it is impossible to make changes to the code at runtime, since there is no way to propagate those 
changes back to the build stage.

Every release should always have a unique release ID, such as a timestamp of the release (such as 2011-04-06-20:32:17 )
or an incrementing number (such as  v100 ).

Releases are an append-only ledger and a release cannot be mutated once it is created.

Any change must create a new release. Cheers!!


Build, release, run: Strictly separate build and run stages


Favicons and share images through meta tags are important elements to include when developing a website for the 
following reasons:

- Branding and Recognition: A favicon, also known as a site icon, is a small image that appears in the browser tab or 
bookmark bar when someone visits your website. It helps users identify and remember your brand, even when they have 
multiple tabs open. A well-designed favicon can enhance the user experience and make your website stand out.

- Credibility and Professionalism: When someone shares your website on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, 
or LinkedIn, a share image is displayed along with the link preview. A well-designed share image can make your 
website look more professional and trustworthy, increasing the likelihood of people clicking on the link and 
visiting your site.

- User Engagement: When someone shares your website on social media, the share image can also encourage users to 
engage with your content. For example, if the share image features an eye-catching photo or an interesting graphic, 
it may entice people to click through and read the article or explore your website.

- SEO Benefits: Including a favicon and share image with proper meta tags can also provide SEO benefits. Search 
engines like Google use this information to understand your website's content and improve its visibility in search 
results. A well-optimized share image can also improve click-through rates and drive more traffic to your website.

Overall, favicons and share images through meta tags are important design elements that can enhance the user 
experience, increase engagement, and improve the visibility of your website. Cheers!!


Create a Modern Website: Add favicons and share image


The code for a twelve-factor app makes no distinction between local and third party
services. To the app, both are attached resources, accessed via a URL or other
locator/credentials stored in the config.

A deploy of the twelve-factor app should be able to swap out a local MySQL database
with one managed by a third party (such as Amazon RDS) without any changes to the
app’s code.

Likewise, a local SMTP server could be swapped with a third-party SMTP service (such
as Postmark) without code changes.

In both cases, only the resource handle in the config needs to change.


Backing services: Treat backing services as attached resources


The routing system of a website refers to the way in which URLs are mapped to specific pages or content within a 
web application. It determines how a user's request is processed and which content should be returned to them.

In simpler terms, the routing system is the mechanism that allows a web application to interpret the URLs entered 
by users and decide what action to take in response. For example, if a user types in "www.example.com/about", the 
routing system will determine that they are requesting the "about" page of the website and return the appropriate 
content.

The routing system is important because it allows for efficient navigation and organization within a web 
application. It makes it possible to create intuitive and user-friendly URLs that are easy to remember and 
understand. It also allows for the creation of complex and dynamic web applications that can handle a wide range of 
user requests and interactions.

In addition, the routing system plays a crucial role in search engine optimization (SEO). A well-designed routing 
system can help search engines understand the structure and content of a website, making it easier for them to 
index and rank its pages. This can lead to increased visibility and traffic for the website. Cheers!!


Create a Modern Website: Create the routing of all project pages


We are delighted to announce our sponsorship for [Devoxx Greece 2023](https://devoxx.gr/)!!

Our high goal is to stay close to technology communities and support such wonderful initiatives that bring hundreds of brilliant minds together.

Go grab your ticket and don't forget to come by our booth and say hi!!

Can't wait Devoxx Greece ❤️

Cheers!!


Devoxx Greece 2023


The twelve-factor app stores config in environment variables (often shortened to env vars or env).

Env vars are easy to change between deploys without changing any code; unlike config files, there is little chance 
of them being checked into the code repo accidentally; and unlike custom config files, or other config mechanisms 
such as Java System Properties, they are a language- and OS-agnostic standard.

Env vars are granular controls, each fully orthogonal to other env vars. They are never grouped together as 
"environments", but instead are independently managed for each deploy. This is a model that scales up smoothly as 
the app naturally expands into more deploys over its lifetime.


Config: Store config in the environment


Defining a design system is important for several reasons when it comes to designing and developing a modern website:

- Consistency: A design system helps to ensure consistency throughout the website by establishing a set of rules and 
guidelines for how different elements should look and behave. This creates a cohesive user experience and helps to 
  build brand recognition.

- Efficiency: By establishing a design system upfront, designers and developers can work more efficiently. They don't 
have to continually reinvent the wheel or figure out how things should look or function. This speeds up the 
  development process and helps to deliver a high-quality product faster.

- Scalability: A design system is essential for websites that need to scale, particularly those with large, complex 
user interfaces. A well-designed system allows for easy expansion and modification without breaking the overall 
  look and feel of the site.

- Collaboration: A design system provides a common language and reference point for designers, developers, and other 
stakeholders to work from. This fosters collaboration and makes it easier to communicate ideas and changes.

Overall, a well-defined design system is critical for creating a modern website that looks great, works well, and 
is easy to maintain and scale over time. Cheers!!


Create a Modern Website: Define the design system


As we explained in our [previous post](Discovery-Phase-what-it-is-and-why-we-start-projects-with-it) the Discovery 
Phase of a new project is an important part of the project planning process. It involves researching 
and gathering information about the project to determine its feasibility, scope, and potential challenges.

### Typical Deliverables

The most typical deliverables of a Discovery Phase can include:

- **Project Charter**: The project charter is a high-level document that outlines the purpose, scope, and objectives of 
the project. It also includes information about the project's stakeholders, timelines, and budgets.

- **Business Case**: The business case is a document that provides a detailed analysis of the project's costs, 
  benefits, and risks. It helps to determine whether the project is worth pursuing and provides a framework for 
  decision-making.

- **Feasibility Report**: The feasibility report assesses the technical, operational, and financial feasibility of the 
project. It identifies potential risks and challenges and provides recommendations for how to mitigate them.

- **Requirements Document**: The requirements document outlines the functional and non-functional requirements of the 
project. It helps to ensure that everyone involved in the project has a clear understanding of what needs to be 
delivered.

### UX-related Deliverables

HelloWorld teams focus a lot on the usability and the usefulness of any new product having constantly the end-user in 
mind, so apart from the above they run a thorough UX analysis to help stakeholders evaluate their idea and steer the 
wheel towards the right direction before the Development Phase starts.

These are the UX-related deliverables HelloWorld experts work on during the Discovery Phase:

- **Personas analysis**: Personas analysis is a user-centered design technique used to develop a better understanding of 
  the intended users of a product or service. Personas are fictional characters that represent different user types 
  or user groups, based on data and research.

- **User-flow diagrams**: A user flow diagram is a visual representation of the steps a user takes to complete a task or
  achieve a goal within a product or service. It maps out the user's journey from start to finish, including all the
  touchpoints and interactions they have with the product or service.

- **User stories**: User stories are a tool used in Agile software development to describe a feature or functionality 
  of a product or service from the perspective of the user. User stories are short, simple, and focused on the end 
  goal of the user, and they are typically written in a specific format that follows the formula:

  "As a [user], I want [goal], so that [reason]."

  The user story format helps to ensure that the focus remains on the user and their needs, rather than on the
technical details of the feature or functionality.

- **Low fidelity clickable prototype**: A low fidelity clickable prototype is an early-stage design prototype that is 
  created using simple and rough sketches, wireframes, or other low-fidelity design tools. The prototype is designed 
  to be clickable, which means that the user can interact with it and simulate the experience of using the final 
  product.

  Despite their simplicity, low fidelity clickable prototypes can provide valuable insights into the user experience 
  of a product or service. By testing the prototype, stakeholders can identify potential issues and dead-ends early 
  enough and use this useful information to evaluate even better whether their idea worths pursuing or not and even 
  have a better picture about the end result.

### Conclusion

Overall, the deliverables of the Discovery Phase provide a solid foundation for the project. They help to ensure 
that everyone involved in the project is on the same page and that there is a clear understanding of the project's 
goals, objectives, and requirements.

Apart from that, deliverables such as the User Stories or the Clickable Prototype, prepare the ground for the next 
phases of the project, since they help professionals that will be involved down the road, grasp fast what we are 
trying to build and why.

By completing these deliverables, we can help to ensure that a new project is well-planned, feasible, and has the 
best possible chance of success while minimizing risk.

Cheers!!


Discovery Phase: deliverables


In our [previous post](discovery-phase-what-it-is-and-why-we-start-projects-with-it) we explained why the 
Discovery Phase is important and how much it affects projects' success. One thing we didn't mention though is that 
the Discovery Phase helps the team to evaluate the feasibility of a project in order to determine if it's worth 
pursuing in the first place.

Here are some crucial reasons why a Discovery Phase might lead us to abandon a project:

- One reason to consider abandoning a project during the Discovery Phase is if it doesn't align with the company's 
  goals or values. If the project doesn't fit into the company's long-term plans, it's better to move on early and 
  focus on projects that will help the company grow. Additionally, if the project goes against the company's values 
  or mission, it could harm its reputation and lead to negative consequences.

- Another reason to abandon a project during the Discovery Phase is if it's not financially viable. During the 
  Discovery Phase, the team should be conducting research to determine the potential Return On Investment (ROI) of 
  the project. If the projected ROI isn't high enough, it's not worth pursuing the project. Focusing on projects 
  that will generate a better ROI and help the company grow is better.

- Finally, if the team encounters significant roadblocks during the Discovery Phase that can't be overcome, it may 
  be time to abandon the project. This could include issues such as technical limitations or market saturation. If 
  the team can't find a way around these obstacles, it's better to cut their losses and focus on other projects.

In conclusion, deciding not to continue with the development of a new project during the Discovery Phase is a 
difficult decision, but sometimes it's the best one for the company. By staying objective and considering all 
factors, the team can make an informed decision about whether to continue or abandon the project. Ultimately, the 
goal is to focus on projects that align with the company's goals and values, have a high potential ROI, and can be 
completed successfully.

One of the core objectives of HelloWorld teams, throughout the Discovery Phase, is to help stakeholders evaluate 
products and projects so they can understand whether it's worth pursuing them.

Cheers!!


Discovery Phase: decide whether a project or a product is worth pursuing


A twelve-factor app never relies on the implicit existence of system-wide packages. It declares all dependencies,
completely and exactly, via a dependency declaration manifest.

Furthermore, it uses a dependency isolation tool during execution to ensure that no implicit dependencies "leak in"
from the surrounding system.

The full and explicit dependency specification is applied uniformly to both production and development.


Dependencies: Explicitly declare and isolate dependencies


Starting a new project can be exciting, but it's important to take the time to plan and prepare. A Discovery Phase 
is a crucial step in any project that involves User Experience (UX), Engineering and DevOps. This phase involves research, analysis, and planning that will inform the project's design and development. In this blog post, we will discuss why a Discovery Phase is important and how to get started.

Here are the reasons why a Discovery Phase is extremely important and should take place before actual development:

- The first reason to start a project with a Discovery Phase is to gain a deeper understanding of the users and their needs. A Discovery Phase involves user research, which can include surveys, interviews, and observations. By understanding the users' needs, pain points, and preferences, we can create a more effective and user-friendly product. This knowledge will inform the project's design and development, leading to a better user experience.

- Another reason to start a project with a Discovery Phase is to identify potential roadblocks and opportunities. During this phase, we will analyze the data and identify trends and patterns. This analysis can help us identify potential issues and opportunities that may arise during the project's development. By identifying these roadblocks early, we can develop a plan to mitigate them, ensuring that the project stays on track.

- The Discovery Phase is also an opportunity to establish a clear project vision and strategy. By gathering data and analyzing it, we can develop a project plan that is aligned with the core business goals and user needs. This plan will help guide the project's design and development, ensuring that everyone involved is working towards a common goal.

- Finally, a Discovery Phase can save time and money in the long run. By investing time in research and planning at the beginning of the project, we can avoid costly mistakes and redesigns later on. By establishing a clear project vision and strategy, we can ensure that everyone involved is working towards the same goal, reducing the risk of miscommunication and delays.

In conclusion, starting a project with a Discovery Phase is an essential step for any project that involves UX, Engineering and DevOps. By gaining a deeper understanding of the users and their needs, identifying potential roadblocks and opportunities, establishing a clear project vision and strategy, and saving time and money in the long run, we can ensure that the project is successful.

HelloWorld highly advises its customers to start all new projects with a Discovery Phase, so we collaborate closely to plan, analyze and prepare the core business needs and ensure that we are about to create a successful and user-friendly product.

Cheers!!


Discovery Phase: what it is and why we start new projects with it


A twelve-factor app is always tracked in a version control system, such as Git, Mercurial, or Subversion.

A copy of the revision tracking database is known as a code repository, often shortened to code repo or just repo.

There is only one codebase per app, but there will be many deploys of the app.

A deploy is a running instance of the app. This is typically a production site, and one or more staging sites.

Additionally, every developer has a copy of the app running in their local development environment, each of which also qualifies as a deploy.


Codebase: One codebase tracked in revision control, many deploys


Working in the field of technology requires endless development and constant growth. This applies both to each employee individually and to the company as a whole. To this end, every six months we conduct reviews of different kind.

## Mid-Year Review

The mid-year review is aimed at self-analysis of each company member regarding their qualities, skills and habits. Each employee receives a personalised questionnaire to fill out.

After the completion of the survey, a 1:1 is conducted with the goal to discuss results, goals and conclusions. The results of the review are private, and shared only with direct management.

The mid-year review is conducted twice per year every January-February, and every July-August.

## 360&#xb0; Review

The 360&#xb0; review aims to help employees of all levels get feedback from colleagues, management and subordinates. Each employee receives personalised questionnaires to fill out.

After the completion of the surveys, a 1:1 is conducted with the goal to discuss results, goals and conclusions. The results of the review are transparent, so every feedback is delivered directly with names disclosed.

The 360&#xb0; review is conducted once per year every January-February.

## HelloWorld Review

As simple as it may seem, the company also needs its people feedback. Each employee receives a general questionnaire to fill out. The results of the review are private, and shared only with upper management.

The company review is conducted twice per year every March-April, and every September-October.

You can find it here => [https://docs.helloworld.gr/docs/reviews.html](https://docs.helloworld.gr/docs/reviews.html)

Enjoy!!! 😉


Reviews


In UX design, avoiding randomness is essential for creating a consistent and predictable user experience.

Clear and concise scaling systems help to eliminate uncertainty and promote user understanding and control.

By establishing clear parameters for core principles such as colors, elements spacing, and typography sizing, designers can ensure a consistent and seamless experience across different devices and platforms.

Well-defined scales also facilitate the ability to iterate and improve upon the design, leading to a better overall user experience.

Last but not least, well-defined scales help hugely in the implementation phase since the designers and the developers have a common language to communicate with.


Fight design randomness through well-defined scales


In HelloWorld, each Software Craftsperson and UX Expert can belong to a specific seniority level at any time. These levels affect people's duties and compensation and help them focus on very clear and specific things while climbing the career ladder.

Above all, HelloWorld wants to act as a tailwind and not as a bottleneck for its people and their careers.

In order to help potential candidates to grasp fast what skills we evaluate mostly, we published the 4 core levels we use internally for our people to shed light on this blurry topic.

HelloWorld pays huge attention to actual hard and soft skills apart from the years in the field.

We believe that the years in the field are an indicator of battle-tested experience but on the other hand, we cannot rely solely on them since they can be extremely misleading regarding the actual development of the skills we evaluate most as an organization.

Enjoy 👉 [https://docs.helloworld.gr/docs/roles.html](https://docs.helloworld.gr/docs/roles.html)


Roles and Seniority Levels


Everyone is talking about culture so culture seems to be everywhere nowadays.

Culture for hiring, culture for working, culture for delivering, culture for speaking, culture for listening, culture for collaborating, and many more.

What is culture though? Is it the way we behave or we think? Is it the way we work and we collaborate? Is it the level of results we provide or the impact our team has? Is it the way we behave and we communicate? Is it the way we dream and set higher goals every single day?

So what is an organization's culture all about? Can you put it on paper using simple words to describe it?

This is what we did by issuing our manifesto divided into two main pillars:

- principles for our individuals

- principles for our teams

You can find it here => [https://docs.helloworld.gr/docs/manifesto.html](https://docs.helloworld.gr/docs/manifesto.html)

Enjoy!!! 😉


Our Manifesto


**To our customers:** Thank you for your endless trust, after all, your success is our success too!!

**To our partners:** Thank you for your outstanding support, working by your side is always fun for us!!

**To our people:** Thank you for raising the bar every single day, you are the alpha and the omega of this organization!!

**To 2022:** Thank you for everything you taught us!!

**To 2023:** Thank you for forcing us to aim higher!!

**To you dear reader:** Thank you for reading this. We really wish this year is going to be a success for you and your family!!

Let's all create an even more successful new year full of laughter and dreams. A year with less competition and more collaboration. We should not forget that we, the humankind, are doomed to do miracles if we learn to collaborate and work together on common goals and brilliant ideas.

HelloWorld wishes you all a Happy new year 2023 everybody!! 🥂


Happy new year 2023


Before we even realise it, our brains are constantly scanning the information on the screen in front of us. It's recommended practice to place the most crucial action last on small windows.

So, bottom and right, is the best position as human eyes scan content from left to right following the Z pattern! Right position ensures users will follow a simpler path in order to find the primary button as it is shown in the picture.

On the other hand, on larger browser windows and especially if users have to scroll down, the primary button should be placed directly beneath the final paragraph of text on the left!


Position primary buttons to the right in modals


So you have to deal with a task that seems boring and dull and you keep pushing and pushing it till the very end of the milestone. In the end, you feel bad about your performance and you give in.

This is a typical occasion since we might have to deal with things that we don't consider cool and shiny from time to time throughout our careers. You know what? This is normal.

What is the solution? Break the task into small tangible steps so you make progress, ask for a pair programming session so you get some motivation from a teammate, and in general, don't let it take you down.

Procrastination is something that happens to all of us so you need to find ways to fight it.


Fight procrastination


In a remote working environment where written communication is the primary way of collaboration, intentional writing is an extremely efficient way of exchanging information.

On the one hand, we reduce the noise in our messages but on the other hand, our words are wisely picked so they have greater meaning and value to the receivers.

This good habit helps our teammates to grasp fast what is really going on so they can act accordingly.

Intentional writing is not an easy skill, but it is an important one when we are talking about highly effective remote teams.


Intentional writing is the key


We should ensure that the products we ship will be usable and accessible by as many people as possible.

This includes catering to the needs of people with disabilities, as well as understanding how different environments or situational factors might impact the user experience.

Things like color contrast, font size, layout responsiveness, gestures simplicity, multi-modal data entry are just some key principles we should take care of.


Accessibility is critical to good UX


Creating solid documentation for the applications we build is not an optional thing to do.

Through it, we ensure the continuity of the project and the maintainability of the codebase itself while the value and the quality of the deliverables increase hugely.

That said, engineering teams should take seriously the documentation process of an application to guarantee its longevity and extendability in the near future.


Documenting is an important part of engineering


Remote working is great but it can cause you problems if you find yourself moving or disconnecting rarely throughout the day.

Sitting on a chair for hours can become a nightmare for your body’s posture or even your mental well-being.

Taking regular breaks or even standing up for a couple of minutes every now and then can be extremely beneficial for your health and your mindfulness.

Techniques like Pomodoro can assist you so that you switch consistently between focus and break time.


Take regular breaks


Frankly, nobody cares about the framework or the stack or the programming language behind an application.

Everyone though cares about the problem it solves.

UX makes technology usage easy.

It helps us ship efficient solutions that tackle actual users’ problems.


UX design humanizes technology


DevOps is an Agile approach that helps modern tech teams ship value in an efficient way.

It is cross-functional by its nature (Development + Operations) facilitating greater collaboration.

This means, that it connects engineers and operations in a better and more transparent way that results in successful products.

That said, the gain of DevOps is frequent, streamlined, and high-quality software releases.


DevOps is a culture


We are used to talking about remote working, but we rarely talk about the elephant in the room, which is remote management.

Remote management plays a huge role in the equation, if not the most critical one.

Organizations have to invest, hire experienced executives with the right mindset, and create more attractive workplaces in order to land talent from all over the world.

That said, organizations are forced to redefine themselves hugely if they want to stay competitive in the post-covid era.

After all, remote working is here to stay for good.


Successful remote working means successful remote management


We make a huge mistake if we believe that UX is just a procedure that takes place before actual development begins.

On the contrary, UX actually never ends.

Apart from the obvious impact on product design, UX has a huge business impact too.

UX can shape organizations and teach them how to evaluate decisions, listen to the market, and re-iterate accordingly all way long.


UX is not a step of the process, it is the process itself


Code reviews speak volumes about the team’s health and collaboration.

Through them, the team ensures that best practices are applied and that the definition of done criteria are met.

These are classless so that all engineers, no matter their seniority level can participate and share thoughts, question things and make proposals.

Because of all these, code reviews bring engineers closer, push them to grow even more, and help them collaborate in an efficient and healthy way with each other.


Enforce classless code reviews


Retrospective meetings are extremely important for the team’s health.

These are recurring meetings where the team members can speak their minds, highlight problems, propose alternatives and come up with efficient solutions.

Discussing common issues in an open-minded and transparent way is very helpful and helps the team members to get closer.

C-level executives and managers, better keep out of such meetings if you really trust your people and you want to see meaningful results.


Run efficient retrospectives


Fitts’s Law is one of the most important and fundamental design laws we frequently ignore.\
\
It describes how long a user takes to hit a target in a graphical user interface (GUI) as a function of size and distance.\
\
Understanding this law helps us design better buttons, forms, lists, and other interactive elements.\
\
Example: Buttons to complete an action should be close to the active elements\
\
Adjusting elements’ size and distance helps the end user to interact faster with the application.


Keep the interactions cost low


Whenever you feel stuck or overwhelmed ask for help! Don’t hang around aimlessly.

Do your best, do some research, and if you hit a wall, ask around. Ask your teammates. Ask in the channels. Don’t let it take you down!

Asking for support is a healthy attitude that pays off.

After all, the team is responsible for a deliverable, not individuals.


Build a healthy environment where asking for support is welcomed


Running 1-1s regularly is a great way to stay in touch with our people.

Especially in a remote-first environment where there is no physical contact, we need to find ways to run meaningful discussions every now and then.

These meetings help us to build a stronger bond and discuss matters that concern us and cannot be shared in public channels.

After all, it is very important to prove to our people that we listen to them and take their personal will and goals seriously, and 1-1s play a vital role in this effort.


Catch up with your people regularly


Simplicity is underrated when it comes to designing modern products.

The User Experience of an application should be as simple as possible so that users can navigate from A to B without second thoughts.

In order to achieve so, we have to ditch a bunch of bells and whistles so we keep the absolutely meaningful elements and features in the viewport of the end-user.

Stick to the core business goal and get rid of anything distractive if you want to help your customers do their job using your product.


Prioritize your workload on a daily basis to avoid burnout


Remote working is outstanding and helps us maintain a great work-life balance.

On the other hand, remote working mostly means working alone for a long period of time day in and day out.

Loneliness is a bad thing and can lead to depression sooner than we can imagine.

That said, it is important to take care of this side-effect of remote working to prevent ourselves from ugly burnout.


Burnout is lurking, so beware


The Discovery phase is extremely helpful so we define some core business goals and set the foundations of an application upfront.

Together with the business stakeholders, we can analyze the personas that are going to use the application we will build and then prepare the user stories we need to implement.

Having always the end-user in mind will help us to spot flaws in the users’ journey early enough so we can pivot accordingly before the actual development starts.


Start new projects with a Discovery phase


Code coverage is a great way to check whether an application is covered with tests in the first place.

On the other hand, this percentage might lead us to a false positive belief since it doesn’t tell us much about the quality of our test suite.

Do we test the most critical user journeys using integration tests?

If we don’t do so, then a high code coverage percentage is a highly misleading indicator.


Code coverage percentage does not reflect the quality of the tests


One of the biggest perks of remote working is the flexibility that comes with it.

Being able to work from anywhere inevitably leads to that I can have flexible working hours too.

Setting a proper framework with regular standups, planning, review, and retrospective meetings helps remote people to arrange their schedules accordingly while staying focused on the outcome of their work and their team’s goals.

Just avoid overdoing it with calls.


Remote means flexible


UX designers should not assume that people that will use the application think and act like them.

Using friends and family or even worse putting ourselves in the shoes of the end-user to test the result of our work is like shooting our leg.

This is a psychological effect named false consensus, and UX experts should avoid it.

Testing with real users through proper usability testing is the only way to ship the right products for the right target group


Overcome the false-consensus bias


Agile enforces us to work in an incremental way. Splitting the workload that way is great as long as we don’t make random decisions down the road.

Moving into steps without following a proper architectural plan is going to bite us sooner or later.

Avoid starting any implementation without having a solid design document in place.


Do not forget to design first and implement afterward


Bringing remote teams together every now and then is very important for their morale.

Through such events, team bonding is getting stronger and people are given the opportunity to build even more qualitative relationships with each other.

After all, humans are social beings so periodical physical meetings are really important to their well-being.


Physical meetings are critical in a remote-first environment


UX is all about delivering something useful.

UI is all about delivering something beautiful.

Imagine a digital product as a cake.

What you first see is the icing, the shape, the decoration, and that’s the UI. It’s the presentation.

The inside of the cake is the UX. It’s the cake itself, how it tastes. It’s the core of the experience.

A cake would look naked without the icing (UI), and the icing has no purpose without the cake (UX).

The right combination of UX and UI leads to success!


UI and UX always go hand in hand, but what differentiates the two?


The more complex problems we try to solve through technology, the more complex applications we build.

Complex applications require people with various skills or even various teams of specialized people to get involved.

Engineers should be able to collaborate and communicate with peers and business stakeholders to design and develop such applications.

That said, sharpening people skills seems more important than ever before.


The myth of the lone wolf software engineer is dead


Remote working might reduce office costs, but on the other hand, the demand for various collaboration tools increases so that these people can do the job in an optimal way.

Remote professionals need the right tools to communicate and collaborate, share notes and sensitive credentials, arrange meetings and video calls, submit a request to go on vacations, and so on.

Such tools and services might have been considered nice-to-have ones some years ago, but now they are absolutely must-have ones so that a remote team can function smoothly.


Equip your people with the right tools


Mobile browsers usage is way above 50%, so we should consider this when designing web applications.

Analyzing the users’ journey in terms of mobile browsers first or even providing a totally different experience compared with the desktop version is the way to go nowadays.


Mobile comes first


A tested application means that we ship an application that is solid and functional.

A testable application means we ship an application that can be tested, extended, and maintained easily.

If we don’t write tests from the very start, then we miss the opportunity to structure our code in a way it can easily get tested and extended in the near future.

Such an approach reduces the value of the delivered codebase and opens the door for technical debt.


Stop leaving tests for the end


Our people are the most valuable asset of our organization, so if we stop investing in them is like shooting our leg.

Devote adequate time and resources to help them evolve and develop their skillset.

After all, the level of our organization derives from the quality of our people 💯.


Invest in your people


In modern web applications, it is common to present a great volume of data using tables and then let the users filter and sort data or even use a pagination menu to navigate across them.

What happens when the users refresh the page accidentally or even when they move to another page on purpose and then return back? Does the table’s state reset every time? ♻️😱

This is an awful user experience.

Help the end-users land in the same UI state by using the browser history properly 🎯😉


Make the browser’s history your ally


Stop ignoring technical debt and start treating it with respect.

Create stories with a refactoring goal in mind 🧠♻️, put them into the backlog , and prioritize them accordingly 😉


Treat technical debt with respect


Provide adequate time for your colleagues so that they can get prepared for an important meeting in an asynchronous way.

Running repeating low-value video calls to prepare for the “big” meeting is killing your team’s productivity 😬


Start favoring emails over video calls


Avoid grouping validation error messages!!

Keep the error messages next to the appropriate input field so that users know exactly which fields need their attention and why 😉


Avoid grouping validation error messages


Keep engineers and business stakeholders as close as possible!!

Separating engineering and business teams can lead to uncertain results.

Bring these 2 worlds together, to minimize risk and ship solutions that solve actual problems 🏆


Keep engineers and business stakeholders as close as possible


Always start a video call with a predefined agenda 🎯

Video calls without a proper agenda in place tend to become brainstorming meetings leading to a huge waste of time.

Don’t hesitate to cancel a video call when there are no concrete topics to discuss 😉


Always start a video call with a predefined agenda


Providing sensitive information can accidentally lead to a huge security hole.

Guide the user without revealing sensitive information. 😬


Guide the user without revealing sensitive information


Define what is considered done!!

The "Definition of Done" is a collection of quality standards a story should meet, so it can be considered done.

Through DoD, teams establish a common language when shipping a new increment of value so everyone is on the same page ✅


Define what is considered done


Teammates need to use the same language so that everyone is on the same page constantly.

This can be achieved through an official Handbook that encloses teams' guidelines and best practices.

That way, people can focus on the essential things without worrying or making constant decisions about all these little details here and there.

The absence of an official Handbook may lead to randomness and conflicts due to personal preferences and lack of guidance. Conflicts disappoint people and nobody actually wants this.

Last but not least, the official Handbook helps new-joiners to accelerate and grasp how the team works straight ahead 😉


The absence of an official Handbook may lead to randomness and conflicts due to personal preferences and lack of guidance


Voxxed Days Athens 2022 and HelloWorld organize an amazing workshop about modern Web applications and ReactJS 😎

Design and develop a modern ReactJS application using the latest libraries offered by the ecosystem relying on a full-blown design system all the way long with Stamatis Deligiannis and Savvas Voumellis.

Benefits:

- hands-on training regarding ReactJS and TypeScript
- introduction to an extendable design system built with TailwindCSS
- presentation of modern libraries like react-query and react-router
- discussion about concurrency, ReactJS 18, and the future of ReactJS

This event will take place on the 29th of September 2022 at Mediterranean College.

Claim your free spot [here](https://voxxeddays.com/athens/2022/09/13/build-modern-web-applications-with-reactjs/)!!

CU there 🤗

Cheers!!


ReactJS workshop


Always remember to "KISS" 💋 --> Keep it Simple, Stupid 😉

Try to make things as easy as possible for the user.

If the customers call your product or service "simple", that’s very important in terms of success!


Keep it Simple, Stupid


Avoid premature over-optimization of your code!

Always remember the "Rule Of Three":

- Does code exist that looks identical?
- Does the code repeat the same knowledge and logic?
- If yes, wait until you have at least three code duplicates before you make an abstraction 😎


Avoid premature over-optimization of your code. Always remember the Rule Of Three


In a remote working environment, we must ensure everyone is on the same page at any time.

The secret ingredient is «asynchronous communication».

To accomplish this, all team members must become great writers and master «written communication».


Asynchronous communication means excellent written communication


If the form fails validation, show the users exactly which fields need their attention and why to help them continue their journey!!

Generic messages like «Invalid Inputs» or «Something is wrong» are not considered that helpful 😉


Show the users exactly which fields need their attention and why


Small and repeating iterations help a team stay focused and constantly ship value.

Such iterations force business and engineering people to work closely and minimize risk.

That way, we can move together towards our high goal while evaluating decisions all way long in order to ship something really useful in the end 😎


Take small steps and ship frequently


Using cryptic or passive-aggressive expressions and emojis most of the time will make our teammates feel anxious and uncomfortable.

Being empathetic by taking care of the way we react and express our feelings is priceless 🤗


Avoid using cryptic or passive-aggressive expressions and emojis


Blocking users and preventing them from doing their job and continuing their journey is considered a bad practice especially as the frontend world moves closer to concurrency and asynchronous rendering.

Use a spinner only where the update takes place 😉


Avoid blocking users no matter what


When you join meetings with the camera off, guess who makes the team feel awkward 😬


Try to make your teammates feel comfortable when jumping into video calls


Avoid using icons that depict obsolete technologies or visual metaphors.

In 10 years from now, nobody will know what any of these are 😬


Use icons that will matter 10 years from now


We are delighted to announce our sponsorship for [TEDxPatras 2022](https://2022.tedxpatras.com)!!

It is our duty to stay close to technology communities and support such wonderful initiatives that bring hundreds of brilliant minds together.

Go grab your ticket and don't forget to come by our booth and say hi!!

Can't wait TEDxPatras ❤️

Cheers!!


TEDxPatras 2022


We are delighted to announce our sponsorship for [Voxxed Days Athens 2022](https://voxxeddays.com/athens/)!!

Our high goal is to stay close to technology communities and support such wonderful initiatives that bring hundreds of brilliant minds together.

Go grab your ticket and don't forget to come by our booth and say hi!!

Can't wait Voxxed Days Athens ❤️

Cheers!!


Voxxed Days Athens 2022


Using old and inefficient techniques like [waterfall](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waterfall_model) while building modern software applications can become extremely dangerous in today's fast-paced business environment.

The main reason is that competition is enormous, things change lightning fast so businesses and IT teams need to find ways to work closely, maintain their flexibility and adapt fast.

[Extreme Programming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extreme_programming) is a great recipe that solves these issues and helps us to build complex and useful applications while maintaining strong collaboration bonds with our customers. Let's see why.

## The problem

As an IT team, how often do you come across new requests from the customer's side that force you to refactor heavily or do things from the ground while a project runs?

As a customer, how often do you realize that you actually need something different compared with the things you asked for upfront while a project runs?

## Business needs are doomed to change

We need to realize that we tend to build even more and more complex software applications so not being able to predict everything upfront is quite possible to happen.

Actually, this is the most common one.

So the 1.000.000 dollars question is "How can we describe, estimate and foresee all these things that are not known or described in full detail yet, and might be required in the near future?"

We simply cannot!! We are not wizards that can tell the future, right?

## The solution

[Extreme Programming](http://www.extremeprogramming.org) is an approach that helps hugely to minimize this risk and bring the 2 worlds closer.

This Agile model helps us have small iterations, work side-by-side with the customers and adapt fast to their growing needs without worrying about error-prone estimations, newly introduced requirements, or last-minute changes.

With XP methodology we can provide value to our customers constantly while adapting to various requirements that were not visible or even described at first.

XP improves a software project in five essential ways:

- communication
- simplicity
- feedback
- respect
- courage

Through these principles, customers and IT people come closer, build stronger bonds, stay constantly on the same page and work for a common cause all the way long.

Let's build useful stuff together then. Cheers!!


Business and IT teams, stop arguing and start collaborating


The most valuable asset of every organization is its people. That said the hiring process plays a crucial role into finding talented people who match perfectly with the organization's culture.

Apart from that, the hiring process actually is the start of the journey, so it speaks volumes regarding the organization's ethos and values. Who wants to make a bad first impression, right?

So how do we check for perfect matches?

### Use the right tools for the job

We are using tools like [Workable](https://apply.workable.com/helloworld-pc/) to publish and manage our openings.

Platforms like [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/helloworld-pc/) and [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/helloworld.gr) are used to demonstrate them to the world.

### Curriculum Vitae scan

A CV cannot describe accurately a talented person, but it can provide some very important details about their background, their interests or even their personality.

Things that stand out:

- cover letters with a personal flavour
- involvement with open source projects
- hobbies, interests and activities outside of working hours
- social profiles
- the general feeling that the CV is prepared with ❤️

Why such an interest about social profiles, hobbies and activities?

This is because we are looking first for a human-being that can fit into our team and then for a professional who can do the job.

### Assignment

The very next step is a short technical assignment that lasts less than one (1) hour. Through this assignment we verify that the candidate has the technical knowledge required for this position.

There are tons of online platforms out there that provide excellent tools for this job and help us to automate it as much as possible.

Things we evaluate:

- soft skills questions, so we spot matches
- ability to solve algorithms with any programming language
- deep knowledge of the technologies in question like ReactJS, HTML, CSS, RESTful APIs, MVC, OOP etc

### Interview

At this stage a thirty (30) minutes interview takes place, so we get to know each other, discuss things that are not mentioned in the CV and analyze the assignment's results.

The candidate asks things about the organization's vision and goals while we try to see whether we are a good fit and vice-versa.

It is important to have a match for both sides in order for this marriage to become a functional one.

### Work together period

This is the final stage during which candidates work side by side with some of our people on actual stories and tasks. This period lasts for one (1) week and in the end we evaluate all this together with the candidate.

Through this process, candidates can see what does it mean to work with us in order to eliminate the possibility of any unpleasant surprises after getting hired.

We definitely don't want to waste peoples' time, so candidates are getting paid for their precious time and efforts before getting involved in this process and not after.

Let's make it work then. Cheers!!


The hiring process is where the organization's culture begins


We are delighted to announce our sponsorship for [ECESCON 13](https://sfhmmy.gr), the biggest technological student conference in Greece!!

Our high goal is to stand by students communities in order to help young people embrace technology.

Don't miss it!!

Thank you ECESCON ❤️

Cheers!!


ECESCON 13


We are delighted to announce our sponsorship for [Voxxed Days Thessaloniki 2022](https://voxxeddays.com/thessaloniki/), the first in-person Tech event after the pandemic!!

Our high goal is to stand by local technology communities and support such brilliant initiatives.

Go grab your ticket and don't forget to come and say hi!!

Can't wait Voxxed Days Thessaloniki ❤️

Cheers!!


Voxxed Days Thessaloniki 2022


Because of our involvement in various early-stage startups, we come across some repeated patterns and common pitfalls quite frequently. That said, we decided to put together and share publicly some tips and best practices to help people with brilliant ideas turn them into useful products.

To validate fast a new idea and minimize costs, there are some critical things to consider in order to minimize time to market, reduce costs and stay focused all the way long.

### Strip down the idea and focus on its core concept

Trying to add all these bells and whistles is slowing down your progress, disorientates you, and forces you to lose focus eventually.

Stay in the course by putting all the eggs in one basket.

Stick to the core concept of your idea and try to ship it.

### Do heavy Research and Development cycles early enough

It is important to do some meaningful research and Development early enough before creating any design or writing any piece of code.

Check competition, investigate legal matters, speak with experts in the field. In general, try to spot flaws and holes in your plan.

All these will be extremely beneficial since you will end up having a very clear vision before starting the actual implementation.

Not moving forward due to various issues that might come up at this stage, might also be a great decision that will save you further efforts, money, and time.

### Avoid over-engineering

Ok, we all love technology, fancy libraries, and state-of-the-art frameworks but here we are trying to launch a new product and this is all that matters. Work smart and focused.

Sometimes a clickable prototype might be all we need to validate some patterns, demonstrate our idea, and avoid premature development cycles.

### Keep it simple

If you decide to create a Proof of Concept, then keep the technology stack simple to reduce complexity, cost, and time-to-market.

There is no need to create a complex setup with N services and User Interfaces to present your idea to the world.

Use the technologies you are familiar with and be ready to rewrite from the ground this PoC with a more complex technology stack once the idea gets validated or even throw it away if it doesn't.

### Make it solid

Simple doesn't mean sloppy or buggy.

Ensure that the core concept is bullet-proof and pretty well-tested so that early users can really use it and provide meaningful feedback.

### Validate the idea by getting honest feedback asap

Try to ship fast in the market, so you get actual feedback fast and re-iterate accordingly.

Don't be afraid to get honest feedback from actual users out there.

Even if the feedback is negative, it will help you to reshape your idea and move with a better plan ahead.

### Find a mentor

The competition out there is huge and the challenges you'll need to overcome can be tough.

Sometimes you will be forced to step out of your comfort zone a lot.

Find an experienced mentor that can stick by your side and will support and give you valuable advice throughout your journey.

### Find the right partners

The more your idea will mature the more you will need people with different skills and expertise than yours.

These might be UX experts, software engineers, architects, marketing or sales professionals, and so on.

Don't be reluctant to partner or even hire the right people that can work by your side in order to step up your game.

### Be patient

The world was not created in one day neither your idea will be.

Be patient, stay focused, and above all have fun.

Your idea is a newborn kid that is growing before your eyes.

Try to be a patient parent and enjoy the adventure.

Cheers!!


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