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purple 'Before you code' book cover with a white band across the top which has design and lightbulb icons and a pixels for humans logo. Title reads "Before you code, creating successful websites and apps. By Heather ONeill and Jen Kramer"

BEFORE YOU CODE

Product success is part of the plan
by Heather O'Neill and Jen KramerForeword by Sarah Doody

Your idea is going to be BIG. You just know it. But before you hire your favorite developer to go build it, take a step back. Creating a brand-new product is a risk; many of them fail within their first year. Is there a proven way to set yourself up for success?


Yes! All it takes is some preparation. By taking the time to do upfront validation, planning and iterating before you build, you can avoid ideas that flop and create a product that exceeds expectations.

Plan your product's success – from start to finish

Before You Code covers every area of planning you need to create a viable, profitable product every time.

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Business & Project Strategy

Research & Personas

Start with the basics – how will you achieve company and product goals?

Get informed – who's in your space now and what do your customers expect and need?

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Design & Content Creation

Test & Measure

Design intentionally – what's the best flow, structure, and messaging for your product?

Iterate – what problems can you solve before coding to improve your product?

Book preview

Take a sneak peek into the introduction to our book right here, right now!

Table of contents

Here's what's inside the book

1. Understand Your Business

To determine whether your product is going to succeed, you need to understand what the business is trying to do, and then use that to inform decisions about your product.

2. Plan Your Projects

Organizing your projects will save you from distractions and keep you focused on the end goal.

3. Conduct Your Research

The best way to succeed is to understand your different audiences through research.

4. Define Your Audience

Put that data into a useful, helpful format to keep your team honest and help you make smart product, design, and workflow decisions.

5. Establish Your Brand

Branding is all about perception, so it’s important to build your brand intentionally rather than letting it happen by chance

6. Craft Your Content

The words, images, icons, videos, language, and graphics you use need just as much consideration as the workflows and design of your product.

7. Organize Your Information

How do you structure a new product or website? What flows make sense? How should you organize your navigation? What should you include (or exclude)?

8. Create Your Wireframes

Put it all together by sketching out some wireframes. No design knowledge needed – just grab a Sharpie and some blank paper.

9. Test Your Interactions

How do you know if your decisions are the right ones? Test them with real or potential users.

10. Measure Your Impact

Track patterns and measure your results with the hard numbers of your business.

11. Analyze Your Results

The jury is in; you have feedback and data! Now it’s time to analyze, prioritize, and make some changes.

Execute each lesson using the accompanying workbook

Workbook available as an editable PDF

Upon purchase you'll receive a confirmation email with instructions on how to download your workbook, as well as a notice when your physical copy has shipped. 


The workbook is essential; its full of activities and guidance for implementing at every step.

What people are saying:

C. Todd Lombardo

VP Product & Experience at Vempathy 

Co-author Design Sprint and Roadmaps Relaunched

"Before you Code gives you a comprehensive view of what needs to happen before you write and ship your code. Whether you're creating a brand new product or evolving an established one, you'll gain insight from following what O'Neill and Kramer preach!"

Ehi Aimiuwu

Founder and CEO at Geek Empowered

Host, Code Burnout and GeekEmpowered On Air

Reading Before You Code has changed the way I work with clients entirely! I've seen an instant shift in the way they view the work I'm doing.


If you are a freelancer, start-up or a larger company and you need a better understanding of how to build a great digital product and the value of planning first, then you need this book!!!

ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Heather O'Neill, Strategic Partner

Jen Kramer, Technology Instructor

For nearly twenty years, Jen Kramer has been educating clients, colleagues, friends and graduate students about the meaning of a "quality website." Since 2000, she has built websites that are supportive of business and marketing goals in a freelance capacity and as part of an agency.


Jen is a Lecturer at Harvard University Extension School in the Master's of Liberal Arts in Digital Media Design, teaching at least five courses per year, advising students, and assisting in curriculum design. She is a 2018 Shattuck Award winner, presented for excellence in teaching.


Jen is also a prolific video author, creating over 35 training courses for Lynda.com (a division of LinkedIn Learning), O'Reilly Media, Aquent Gymnasium, osTraining, and Frontend Masters.


She is also available for individual private tutoring, customized classroom training, and occasional freelance web design work.


Jen earned a BS in biology at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an MS in Internet Strategy Management at the Marlboro College Graduate School.

Heather O'Neill is a product strategist and tech consultant with over a decade of experience creating meaningful products for the people who use them. As the CEO of Pixels for Humans, Heather helps tech start-ups solve their toughest challenges and grow into mature, community-focused businesses, that center people over profits.


A problem solver at heart, Heather also works with design teams to define problems, hypothesize solutions, and track success in their work. Heather is the recipient of the 2018 Women in Tech, Tech 10 award in Rhode Island and has taught workshops at Harvard Extension School, O’Reilly, UXPA International, and more. 


Heather is also an adjunct professor at Lesley University in Boston, where she teaches Design Leadership, UX and HTML as part of the Interactive Design program.


Heather earned a dual BA in mathematics and music at Northeastern University in Boston, graduating Cum Laude in 2006.

purple 'Before you code' book cover with a white band across the top which has design and lightbulb icons and a pixels for humans logo. Title reads "Before you code, creating successful websites and apps. By Heather ONeill and Jen Kramer"

BEFORE YOU CODE

Product success is part of the plan
By Heather O'Neill & Jen KramerForeword by Sarah Doody

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