Applications for the Internet
Along with small to medium business website design, we also specialize in web application development, also known as rich internet application design (RIA), online application design or online software. This can be anything from a social network to a complex desktop-like application. Depending on the project, our involvement could be mostly on the design side (wireframes, mockups, usability) or the development side (building the application, testing, debugging, deployment) or both.
Frameworks
A framework is a system of design that uses time-tested code and thought out approaches for application development. Using a framework for your application is a good idea. It can give you a head start on security, scalability and overall robustness.
We have experience with the following frameworks:
- PHP Zend (MVC)
- Adobe Flex Builder 3
- Ruby on Rails (MVC)
Foundations
Whenever you’re developing a large or complex application, it’s important that you start with a strong foundation. At Jordan Crown, we strive to write clean, robust and scalable code using design paradigms like MVC (model, view, controller) and design patterns such as the singleton pattern. We follow the basic principles of object-oriented development such as encapsulation, abstraction, inheritance and composition. Though creating applications completely from the ground up is not foreign to us, we prefer using time-tested frameworks such as Zend or Rails as much thinking has gone into these MVC platforms.
Examples
TrueLobby: Social networking site for politics (visit truelobby.com). We were responsible for the design and a lot of the front-end development. The project was written in Ruby on Rails.
ROC (Response Options Calculator): ROC is an oil spill cleanup simulator written in Adobe Flex. Essentially the application allows users to enter scenario information about an oil spill and response options for the cleanup (mechanical skimmers, dispersants, burn systems). See this blog post for information on this project.
Online Selection Guide: The Online Selection Guide is a tool for selecting the proper cleanup technologies for an oil spill. Whereas ROC is a simulator for the technologies you want to use, the Online Selection Guide helps you find the technologies that are the most applicable based on the environment (where the spill occurred, oil information etc.). Like ROC, The Online Selection Guide was also written in Adobe Flex. We are not sure where the Online Selection Guide will be housed as of yet but we will add a link to this page as soon as we know.
Interface Design
A note from the Joe, the founder:
“Online application interface design is one of my greatest passions. I have been involved in designing user interfaces for over 8 years. In my early years I created interfaces for business ventures that I was involved in such as MrSchedule.com, an online staff scheduling website and ProviderWatch.com, a reporting system for parents that didn’t pay their childcare bills. Both of these projects had sizable interfaces on their back-end and required an efficient design and layout in order to get the job done.
Later in late 2006 I joined the design team at the Cobalt Group in Seattle, Washington. It was there that my design and usability skills were rocketed to the next level as I designed websites for car manufacturers like Lexus, Hummer, Saturn and SAAB. During my time there I was also exposed to a number of application design opportunities such as Cobalt’s Dealer Group portal. Our group labored to be evangelists for usability and good design.
Since my leave from Cobalt in 2008, I can’t help myself from getting back to interface design. I love being the advocate for the human. Bad interface design sends me into convulsions. I love making mediocre awesome.”
