Ask HN: How to communicate specs for web app re-write to remote developer?

[codegeek]

This seems like a trivial question but I am stuck. I am working with a developer on a project where I drive the requirements. Problem is: how do i communicate my requirements to him when he is thousands of miles away ? I really hate the idea of using a Word doc with table of contents. That just doesn't work for web app in terms of UI, UX, flow etc. Then I thought about using mockups to describe the flow using balsamiq etc. But that does not help me completely to describe exact flow of events.

So i thought of use cases. But not sure about that either.

Also I think in this case, it matters that I communicate the specs because I am re-writing an existing project from scratch but in a different tech stack.

[cheez]

You're never ever ever going to get exactly what is in your mind out to the world without a lot of iteration. So don't waste your time writing pages of requirement vomit so you can blame the other guy when he gets it wrong.

Start with simple bullet points, use mockups or screenshots from the existing system to give them an idea of workflow and get them to implement a small feature. See how they do with this level of specification.

Give them some flexibility as they will come up with ideas and that will also keep them interested in your project.

In the end, your goal is to have a functioning system that approximates what you have in your head. Decide what is important and prioritize those things, leaving the other things up to the developer.

Not every single thing is necessarily important. If your workflow is too complicated, it's likely that it's wrong anyway unless you are creating apps for a bureaucracy in which case everything I said does not matter because I'd never do it myself!

[crooksey]

Use a whiteboard/pen paper with a webcam, as if you two were in the same room. Just because we have every productivity application available to us, it doesn't mean we have to use them or approach things any differently, half of the time these products are solving problems that don't exist, keep it simple, communicate and get results.

[notduncansmith]

This. No matter how much written material you give this guy, he's not going to read more than 5 pages. So get some Balsamiq mockups, then walk through them on video.

[atlantic]

One simple way of doing it is to get a web designer to build the main pages for your site in static html, including a working menu system. Then provide the developer of a description of how each page is supposed to work, and of how the back-end data is going to be organized. He should be able to take it from there.

[philwise]

How about using Scrum stories?

Each story would be a 1-2 page Word doc, with a long form description of the behaviour required and mockups of the UI.

[macp]

Try https://popapp.in/ to show the interactions. It only requires sketching the screens.

For more tools check: http://despreneur.com/best-tools-to-build-your-app-prototype...

[logn]

Guide him through Agile. Tell him the core feature you want and check progress, then explain the next few requirements.

[chovy]

screenhero.com