Please attend the FileMaker Design Caucus Thursday at 3 pm Eastern Time, at the following link:

http://smallco.net/caucus

To propose topics and test microphones, please arrive 30 minutes early. For full details, see below:

Managing Complexity, Mangling Complexity, Round 2
FileMaker Design Caucus 10.08
Thursday Oct. 30th, 3 pm Eastern Time, Noon Pacific (1900 UTC)
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Help decide the topic & lead the discussion at the next Design Caucus, and [NEW!] post document images in advance at:

http://gallery.me.com/smallco#100132

This is the second round for this topic, with more documents to share and more caucus members on mic. If you'd like to be heard at this caucus, please arrive one half hour early, with a working headset. Microphones alone are not good enough due to the potential for audio feedback!

How have you dealt with very complex application architecture? Do you have a problem you'd like help with? Some wisdom to share?

Join the FileMaker community's roundtable chat on application design. The subject is "Managing (or Mangling) Complexity", and you are invited to submit a design problem for consideration AT THE CAUCUS ITSELF, along with supporting documents such as screenshots, specs and flowcharts. Once again we will make our agenda dynamic, deciding on topics as a group in the caucus.

AGENDA

This time we will jump right into caucus discussion, with no preso from Albert at the start. To review his preso from last time, click the design caucus link at smallco.net/designservices. We will start by voting on the design problems submitted in the half hour immediately before the caucus. To submit a design problem, turn up one half-hour before our start time with a one-sentence summary and a 30-second pitch for your nomination! If your design problem is one of those selected, you'll have the floor to help lead the discussion, and you can also share screenshots that illustrate the issue. Remember to submit your document images in advance at:

http://gallery.me.com/smallco#100132

Note that the kind of counsel you will receive in this caucus is available nowhere else! SmallCo's design consulting is billed at $200 per hour, but in this case you have dozens of your peers providing feedback IN ADDITION to SmallCo staff, at no charge. There's nothing like the Design Caucus!

DESIGN PROBLEMS

We are looking for you to present an UNSOLVED problem that pertains to the subject of Managing Complexity. You might show a FileMaker app that's due for a redesign, and your design problem may involve its data structures. Or you may be designing a new application, and the problem could involve the design of its main layouts. The issue should be one that can be expiained and understood by the caucus in a few minutes, and you should be seeking critiques and advice from SmallCo staff and the caucus itself. As usual, you should have a clear idea of WHO will use the application and WHAT they want to accomplish. Generic templates are not appropriate for this caucus.

THE DETAILS

The caucus room opens one half hour before the meeting, at:

http://smallco.net/caucus

The meeting room "seats" 100, first come first served. To see recordings of previous caucuses, click the Design Caucus link at:

http://smallco.net/designservices

If you're looking for guidance on these submissions, feel free to drop a line to caucus@smallco.net. See you at the caucus!

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Albert Harum-Alvarez
Small Company
http://smallco.net

Autumn in New York, February in Florida:
The Design Master Class
http://smallco.net/classes

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