Imagine the Software Factory like an actual factory: a big building filled with workbenches scattered across the entire room. Everything you need to build robust applications is available. But where do you start? You’ll have to figure that out yourself, meaning that (especially as a starting developer) you may sometimes find yourself moving around the factory, trying to locate the workbench you need.
So how can we guide users through all these workbenches more effectively? It starts by looking at the Software Factory not only from a technical perspective, but through the eyes of the user. Understanding where people get stuck, what they are trying to accomplish, and how the platform can better support them along the way.
In practice, this comes down to a few principles:
- Automate repetitive tasks where possible
- Guide users to the right functionality instead of relying on manual discovery
- Reduce the number of decisions users need to make
- Encourage best practices by default
There are different ways to add this kind of guidance. The best option is always to simplify the process itself. But for more complex workflows, like those in the Software Factory, that’s not always enough. That’s where step-by-step guidance (often called “wizards”) can help. These guide users through a process with a clear goal, making it easier to complete tasks and reducing the chance of mistakes.
Funfact: the term “wizard” originally referred to expert users who helped others with complex tasks like installing software. Today, that expertise is built into the software itself.
Designing these wizards means breaking down complex actions into smaller, guided steps and automating what can be automated. Below are a few examples of how we are applying these ideas in the Software Factory.
These are a proof of concept and not production-ready yet, so things may change. Your feedback is more than welcome.
Create model
When creating your first model, you usually start with an empty application. The Thinkstore offers several solutions to start with a model that already includes features and enhancements we recommend using. This wizard guides you through that process, instead of having to search through the menu to find the Thinkstore (which many new users might not even be aware exists).
Create data model
Creating a data model is a critical step when building a new application. It also tends to be one of the more complex parts. A well-structured data model will support your application in the long run, so getting it right from the start is important.
Currently, creating a data model involves multiple steps across different screens: defining tables and columns in one place, then using them elsewhere to design the model. This can be simplified by bringing everything together into a more visual workflow.
Although I wouldn’t call them wizards, they are great examples of how we can guide users and automate common steps.
Create task
Creating tasks with assigned template codes are a good example of how the Software Factory can feel technical rather than user-focused.
When creating a template task, your goal is usually straightforward: you want to add logic that runs when the task is executed. The ‘create task’ wizard is designed to guide you through this process step by step and automating a lot of steps in the background.
Going further
These examples show how we can add more guidance to the Software Factory, either by improving existing flows (like the data modeler) or by guiding users step by step through more complex processes (like creating a task with logic).
We believe there is a lot of opportunities here to further reduce manual work and make building applications more efficient and more user-friendly.
Which actions in the Software Factory would you like to see automated or supported with more guidance (possibly using AI)?