The Business, Science and Technology Desk of San Francisco Public Library and Bonfire School present Learn, Design and Build Software

Design software

Software can be hard to understand. It’s harder still to make software. This class aims to make learning with an industry professional fun and engaging. Through a series of group exercises we will think about the needs of others and how we can solve their problems with software.

There are three main concepts in this series, each with it’s own class!

March 15th: Learn to find human needs for software

Listen and spend time with others to know what people need

March 22nd: Design software based on human needs

Draw pictures and tell a story of what to build to meet those needs

March 29th: Build software with Python using design

Code software and change it until it meets the needs of others

Location:

San Francisco Public Library
Computer Training Center
5th Floor, Main Library
(415) 557-4388

Ice Breakers

If you arrive early with other students, ask your neighbor:

What do you expect to learn today?
Why did you come to this class?
What programming have you done?
How did you get here today?

About the Instructor

Louis Rawlins is a writer and technologist building community in design and health. For the past decade, he designed mobile apps and built websites in Silicon Valley. Louis founded Bonfire School for people of any background to create what they want – crafts, software, dance and more – in a place that supports personal health. He dreams that it can become a physical school one day. Louis is excited to teach a public class in San Francisco, a city that has inspired him since he arrived in 2004.

If you have feedback or questions after the class, please email [email protected]

Mindful Moment

Let's take a breath for clarity to see how we are doing and what we will do next.

Group Introductions

Your instructor has lived in San Francisco for twelve years.

Where are you from? What would you like to learn?

Design Studio

When we build software, we want to build the right thing for the right person. One of the best approaches to doing that is a combination of drawing and storytelling. Anyone can do it and we'll see how.

Responding to a "design brief" that outlines our problem to solve, we will work individually and together to come up with solutions.

Design Brief

San Francisco Public Library patrons want to find books to read on their digital devices. In a world of iPhone, Android devices, tablets and laptops, the library has accumulated books in a variety of digital formats from many services. Finding and reading books online has gotten complicated. Patrons can download books to their computer in PDF, EPUB, and MOBI format. To read these books, they can use services like OverDrive, Axis 360, Hoopla, Safari Online... just to name a few. Your task is to make the process of finding and reading digital books easier. Consider how you can make it clear when a patron has downloaded a book. How can you help people figure out what device they are using and what format is appropriate? Help people through the process and clarify what needs to happen when you can.

We will use the Design Studio Worksheet for the following exercises.

Session #1: On your own, sketch solutions to the design brief. Work quickly. You can use circles, squares, triangles or any shape you can imagine. Stop when you're done and we'll share with the group.

Session #2: Incorporate what you just learned from the group. Sketch ideas quickly again. Stop when you're done and we'll share with the group.

Short Break

Get up and move around. Drink some water. We'll start again in 10 minutes.

Design Studio, Continued

Let's take another pass at communicating what we've learned. Maybe you had an inspiration during your break. Maybe you had a chance to chat with someone.

Session #3: On your own, sketch solutions to the design brief. Work quickly. You can use circles, squares, triangles or any shape you can imagine. Stop when you're done and we'll share with the group.

Now we will work as a group.

Session #4: Get a large post-it and draw your design together. Incorporate everything you've learned into this design. Stop when you're done and we'll share with the class.

After we are done designing and telling stories, reflect on what you did one your own and as a group. What was surprising? What was difficult?

Professional Context

Starting with a problem, designing a solution and refining that idea are a large part of a designers job. Design skills help us see how we can use our knowledge of what people need and apply that to building something people can use.

What kind of questions do you think we need to answer before building software? When do you think you can use what we learned in class? How can it be useful?

Class Reflection

What worked and what would you change? Let's improve together.

Class 2: Design software