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5 min read
Announcement : Spiria is certified SOC 2 Type 2
<div><h2>What is the certification SOC 2 ?</h2><p>SOC 2 (Service Organization Control 2) certification is a standard developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) that assesses an organization's ability to manage the risks associated with the security, availability, processing integrity, confidentiality and privacy of the data it processes on behalf of its customers.</p><p>SOC 2 certification is based on five principles, known as trust criteria, which define the minimum requirements an organization must meet to ensure the security and quality of its services. These criteria are as follows:</p><ul> <li><strong>Security</strong>: the organization protects data against unauthorized access, modification, disclosure, damage or loss.</li> <li><strong>Availability</strong>: the organization ensures the availability and continuous operation of its services in accordance with customer agreements.</li> <li><strong>Integrity of processing</strong>: the organization processes data in a complete, valid, accurate, timely and authorized manner.</li> <li><strong>Confidentiality</strong>: the organization respects confidentiality commitments and obligations towards its customers and third parties concerning the data it processes.</li> <li><strong>Privacy protection</strong>: the organization respects the privacy principles defined by the AICPA and the laws in application concerning the collection, use, storage, disclosure and disposal of personal data.</li></ul><p>« Obtaining and maintaining the SOC 2 certification is to me like an ultramarathon, rather than a 100-meter sprint. It's a first step in a long and continuously evolving process. Cybersecurity, as a whole, requires rigour and constant attention to detail, which our team is ready to invest in. »</p><p>– Vincent Huard, Vice President of Data Management and Analytics</p><p>To receive the SOC 2 certification, an organization must undergo an independent audit by a qualified accounting firm to ensure that it complies with the trust criteria applicable to its services. The audit covers the conception and effectiveness of the controls put in place by the organization to ensure compliance with the five trust criteria.</p><h2>What is the difference between SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2 ?</h2><p>There are two types of SOC 2 certification. Among other things, it is the duration of the audit that distinguishes them. SOC 2 Type 2 is covered by a more extensive and rigorous audit.</p><ul> <li>SOC 2 Type 1 certification attests that the organization complies with trust criteria on a given date. It assesses the conception of controls, but not their effectiveness over time.</li> <li>SOC 2 Type 2 certification attests that the organization meets the trust criteria over a defined period of time, generally from three to twelve months. It assesses not only the conception but also the effectiveness of controls, taking into account their actual use and evolution.</li></ul><p>In other words, SOC 2 Type 2 certification meets more demanding and rigorous criteria, as it involves continuous monitoring and regular verification of controls. It offers greater assurance of the quality and security of the services provided by the organization.</p><h2>What are the benefits for our clients ?</h2><p>By obtaining the SOC 2 Type 2 certification, Spiria reaffirms its position as a trusted partner in the development of digital solutions for its customers.</p><p>Here are some of the main benefits that enable our customers to undertake large-scale projects with peace of mind:</p><ul> <li>The guarantee that we uphold the highest standards of data security.</li> <li>The guarantee that we protect our customers' data against internal and external threats.</li> <li>The confidence that we ensure the availability and performance of our services.</li> <li>The confidence that we are able to react quickly and effectively in the case of an incident.</li> <li>The certainty that we treat your data with integrity, while complying with validation, accuracy, traceability and authorization rules.</li> <li>The peace of mind that we respect your confidentiality obligations and do not disclose your data to unauthorized third parties.</li> <li>The security of knowing that we respect privacy principles and comply with applicable laws on personal data.</li></ul><p>SOC 2 Type 2 certification is a guarantee of trust and security for our clients, testifying to our commitment to delivering quality services and upholding industry best practices. It represents excellence in data security across industries, and is becoming increasingly sought after for software development projects. It was therefore only natural for Spiria to be one of the few expert firms in North America to be certified.</p><p>We are proud to be certified and to guarantee the excellence, reliability and rigor of our business practices.</p><p>Start a project with confidence : <a href="mailto:NewProject@spiria.com">NewProject@spiria.com</a>.</p></div>
Strategy
5 min read
Choosing Between a Time-and-Materials or a Fixed-Price Contract
<div><p>Spiria teams have thorough and extensive experience with both types of projects. In this blog, we’ll share what we have learned on the subject over the years and what criteria contribute to the success of each option.</p><p>But first, let’s go over those two types of projects:</p><h3>Time & Materials projects</h3><p>These are projects whose scope (activities, deliverables, inclusions and exclusions, etc.) are moderately well defined. The initial proposal provides an estimated price range for completing the project, after which costs are billed based on actual hours worked plus the required hardware and resource expenses (such as software licenses or cloud services). This approach is more flexible, as it allows both parties to adjust or change the specifications throughout the development process. This encourages agility and puts an emphasis on project management controls.</p><h3>Fixed-price contracts</h3><p>In contrast, the scope of this kind of project is usually well or very well defined. The initial cost estimate can be stated with confidence because it is based on more reliable information than in the T&M project. As the name suggests, costs are established at the outset, regardless of the actual hours worked and the materials and other resources expenses. Therefore, risk and profitability are critical considerations in opting with this type of contract. Any change to the initial specifications is policed by a change-request process and is billed as additional work.</p><p>Let’s imagine a first scenario in which a project has been previously defined. The client would opt for T&M or Fixed-price, a decision sometimes dictated by the organization’s internal requirements or even by industry regulations. This is often the case with calls-for-tender, which are mostly Fixed-price. Whenever possible, Spiria suggests an approach that leads to a better understanding of the project’s scope, thus mitigating risk. Spiria could recommend that the client invest in an initial discovery phase, whether in T&M or in Fixed-price mode, then propose the actual development and deployment phases as Fixed-cost. This helps the client assess whether it needs to change priorities or modify the scope as a result of the discovery phase. This flexibility allows us to negotiate the defined scope while amending the inclusions/exclusions, in order to remain within the agreed contractual Fixed-cost budget.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/11800/process-en.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/11800/process-en.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/11800/process-en.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/11800/process-en.webp" style="width: 60%; border: none;" alt="A Typical Project Cycle." title="A Typical Project Cycle."></source></source></source></picture></p><p style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Figure 1. A Typical Project Cycle.</p><p>In a second case where the type of contract is not predetermined, we have more latitude to choose our strategy. A client schedules meetings with various suppliers for a Q&A session, followed by internal discussions to evaluate the factors leading to the best strategy. To help the teams decide, the table below presents a non-exhaustive list of criteria that are quantifiable (easily identifiable and measurable) or qualitative. The answers will depend on the information provided during the initial meetings and in the specifications, and on information obtained by asking the client directly. The symbols in the two right-hand columns suggest ways to weigh the answers relative to the two types of projects.</p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width:100%"> <tbody> <tr> <td style="width:76%"><strong>Points</strong></td> <td style="width:12%"><strong>Fixed</strong></td> <td style="width:12%"><strong>T&M</strong></td> </tr> <tr> <td>The business plan, requirements, needs and expectations are clear.</td> <td>➕➕</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The business rules and processes are numerous and complex.</td> <td>➕</td> <td>➕➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The client’s budget is defined and budget planning is set.</td> <td>➕</td> <td>➖</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The schedule is tight or critical due to the client’s circumstances or business context.</td> <td>➕</td> <td>➖</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The required expertise is clearly defined.</td> <td>➕</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The organizational and decision-making structure is large and complex.</td> <td>➖</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The legal aspects are complex.</td> <td>➖</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>A past relationship already exists, or a mutual contact recommended us.</td> <td>➕</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The risk, uncertainties and contingencies are high.</td> <td>➖</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>There is a high likelihood of scope-creep.</td> <td>➖</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The client has staff or other internal capacity<br> (designer, development team, QA, etc).</td> <td>➕</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The technological environment is familiar.</td> <td>➕</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>There are significant technological constraints (e.g. legacy system).</td> <td>➖</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>There are many and complex challenges to integrating the solution.</td> <td>➖</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The choice of technology is pre-established.</td> <td>➕</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Data is available to reliably do quality assurance.</td> <td>➕</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> <tr> <td>The solution is subject to special certifications.</td> <td>➖</td> <td>➕</td> </tr> </tbody></table><p><br>This reflection can lead to different approaches, represented in the following diagram:</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/11800/strategies-en.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/11800/strategies-en.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/11800/strategies-en.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/11800/strategies-en.png" style="width: 100%; border-style:solid; border-width:1px;" alt=" Possible strategies or approaches." title=" Possible strategies or approaches."></source></source></source></picture></p><p style="text-align: center; font-style: italic;">Figure 2. Possible strategies or approaches (click to enlarge).</p><p>The strategy selected dictates how the contract agreement is concluded and has implications for the entire life of the project and its final success. The relationship will start out on the right foot if our process is transparent and we can explain our reasoning to the client. Our ultimate objective is to deliver a project that respects our Spirian values and that provides the expected value to the client.</p></div>
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Dev's Corner
5 min read
Developing for Microsoft’s HoloLens
<p>This article will discuss a few technical issues we faced while developing the Hololens brain demo that was introduced on <a href="https://www.spiria.com/en/blog/geek-culture/hololens-demo-brain/">this page</a>.</p> <div></div> <p>Microsoft’s decision to team up with Unity has really made life much simpler for Hololens developers. With a bit of Unity knowledge, you can get going very quickly.</p> <p>However, there are a few surprises in store for newcomers to augmented or virtual reality apps. Many of the issues we faced while creating this demo had to do with the UI, which requires a very different approach from regular Unity apps.</p> <p>Thanks to the cross-platform nature of Unity, most other capabilities like physics, animation and lighting don’t require specific changes for Hololens.</p> <p>There are a few steps to actually get your Unity application onto the Hololens device: export the Visual Studio solution from Unity, build the Visual Studio solution, and deploy the resulting package to either the emulator or the actual device.</p> <p>While iterating we tried to do most of the development in Unity. We built a second scene that mimics the final Hololens scene. In the development scene, we were able to quickly fix scripts and animations without wasting time exporting to the device. We used a different camera and input script for the development scene. We used a first-person player controller, a basic environment with planes to simulate a room and a different input script to replace the gaze functionality that is only available on the emulator or the Hololens device.</p> <div> <div> <p><picture><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_debug_scene_2.400x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 599px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_debug_scene_2.760x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 999px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_debug_scene_2.1039x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)" /><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_debug_scene_2.webp" alt="decorative" /></picture><br /><em>Simple Environment</em></p> </div> <div> <p><picture><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_debug_scene.400x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 599px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_debug_scene.760x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 999px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_debug_scene.1039x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)" /><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_debug_scene.webp" alt="decorative" /></picture><br /><em>Brain Objects Close-Up</em></p> </div> </div> <h2>UI Issues</h2> <h3>Reticle a.k.a Crosshair</h3> <p>Microsoft provides excellent tutorials for the beginning Hololens developer. In the <a href="https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/holographic/holograms_101">101 tutorial</a> they provide scripts for using a special cylindrical cursor which they orient to be perpendicular to the surface aimed by the user.</p> <p>This could be useful depending on the application type, but for our purposes we wanted a more traditional overlay-style cursor that stays fixed in the centre of the screen.</p> <div> <div> <p><picture><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_reticle.400x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 599px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_reticle.760x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 999px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_reticle.1039x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)" /><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_reticle.webp" alt="decorative" /></picture><br /><em>Dynamic Reticle</em></p> </div> <div> <p><picture><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_fixed_cursor_0.400x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 599px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_fixed_cursor_0.760x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 999px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_fixed_cursor_0.1039x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)" /><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_fixed_cursor_0.webp" alt="decorative" /></picture><br /><em>Fixed Cursor</em></p> </div> </div> <p>All right – piece of cake: “Let’s use a Unity UI image in overlay mode”. Unfortunately, you quickly realize that Unity UI in overlay mode simply does not show up on the device.</p> <p>Our second attempt was to place a disc facing the user. The disc was added as a child game object of the camera so that it would always stay in front of the user no matter where the user looked.</p> <p>This is where we hit a basic fundamental difference with virtual and augmented reality apps. The visual effect of this setup is very uncomfortable. It’s like putting a quarter a few inches in front of your face and trying to keep both it and the background in focus at the same time.</p> <p>It doesn’t work. You need the disc to be far enough to avoid this unpleasant effect.</p> <p>The next step was to move the disc towards the raycast hit location. The problem was that moving the disc made it shrink. The solution to this was to scale the disc according to its distance from the camera to keep the perceived size as fixed.</p> <pre><code>var headPosition = Camera.main.transform.position;var gazeDirection = Camera.main.transform.forward;RaycastHit hitInfo;if (Physics.Raycast(headPosition, gazeDirection, out hitInfo)){ Vector3 hitRay = hitInfo.point - headPosition; Vector3 headOffset = gazeDirection * distanceToObject; if (headOffset.sqrMagnitude > hitRay.sqrMagnitude) { headOffset = hitRay; } transform.position = headPosition + headOffset; float rayLength = headOffset.magnitude; transform.localScale = new Vector3(rayLength, rayLength, rayLength);}</code></pre> <h3>Text Bubbles</h3> <p>The next issue we had to deal with was how to display text bubbles for the user. The same strategy was used because, once again, it would be uncomfortable for the user to have the text overlay right in front of the camera. We used world coordinates for the UI panels and text. The only particularity is that they have a script that implements billboard behaviour, which keeps these game objects facing the user at all times.</p> <p>These info bubbles point to specific regions of the brain. A simple scaled ramp object from the standard prototype package was flattened and positioned at 90 degrees next to the text panels to create an arrow effect. The origin of the combined game object containing the arrow and the text panels is set at the pointy end and the game object simply gets moved to the brain part’s origin in a script.</p> <div> <div> <p><picture><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_info_bubble.400x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 599px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_info_bubble.760x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 999px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_info_bubble.1039x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)" /><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_info_bubble.webp" alt="decorative" /></picture><br /><em>Text Bubble</em></p> </div> </div> <h3>Buttons</h3> <p>Another limitation we found was linked to button interaction, which is usually very easy to do with Unity. Ultimately, we implemented our own focus events to change the move button’s state when the user gazed at it. Microsoft provides a Unity interaction script for UI <a href="http://forum.unity3d.com/threads/unity-ui-on-the-hololens.394629/">here</a> that may be helpful if you need scroll bars and/or sliders in your app.</p> <p>So UI requires a very different approach for virtual reality apps, and after reading a bit about it, I think there are many best practices left to discover in this area. UX designers, the field is yours for the taking!</p> <h2>Rendering</h2> <p>Next up, let’s briefly discuss adding transparency to the model. The problem here was that the transparency mode of the standard Unity shader caused some strange artifacts on the device. This was caused by the overlapping objects of the brain. Here is the general shader transparency mode change script we had tried.</p> <pre><code>private void EnableFadeMode(Material material){ material.SetInt("_SrcBlend", (int)UnityEngine.Rendering.BlendMode.SrcAlpha); material.SetInt("_DstBlend", (int)UnityEngine.Rendering.BlendMode.OneMinusSrcAlpha); material.SetInt("_ZWrite", 0); material.DisableKeyword("_ALPHATEST_ON"); material.EnableKeyword("_ALPHABLEND_ON"); material.DisableKeyword("_ALPHAPREMULTIPLY_ON"); material.renderQueue = 3000;}</code></pre> <p>We ended up using the Unity legacy transparent shader and packaging that with the app. Unity settings to do this are well hidden. You must go to <em>Edit -> Project Settings -> Graphics -> Always Included Shaders</em>. When fading the brain parts we dynamically switch the shader of each part’s material to the legacy transparent shader.</p> <div> <div> <p><picture><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_standard_shader.400x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 599px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_standard_shader.760x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 999px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_standard_shader.1039x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)" /><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_standard_shader.webp" alt="decorative" /></picture><br /><em>Standard Shader</em></p> </div> <div> <p><picture><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_legacy_shader.400x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 599px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_legacy_shader.760x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 999px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_legacy_shader.1039x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)" /><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2401/hl_legacy_shader.webp" alt="decorative" /></picture><br /><em>Legacy Transparent Shader</em></p> </div> </div> <h2>Performance</h2> <p>One thing we struggled with was performance. The brain model we used, which could be split into multiple parts had very highly detailed meshes. We alleviated this problem somewhat by doing a first pass of automatic mesh reduction. We didn’t have time to do a full re-topology, which causes a bit of lag when moving around the brain model. The Hololens is no slouch, but it clearly doesn’t match desktop grade PC graphics cards.</p> <h2>Voice Commands</h2> <p>This is one feature of the demo that was a walk in the park to implement, and that worked right out of the box. You just use the script provided in <a href="https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/holographic/holograms_101">Tutorial 101</a>, write the text version of the command, and add a handler for the command.</p> <h2>Unity and Visual Studio Tools</h2> <p>Here are a few workarounds for some errors in Visual Studio that we encountered while building the app:</p> <ol> <li>We had to periodically restart Visual Studio to prevent the <a href="http://stackoverflow.com/questions/36384375/dep0001-unexpected-error-1988945906-while-deploying-windows-uwp-app-to-phone">DEP0001 deployment error</a>.</li> <li>We had a SerializationWeaver tool error. Make sure your Unity project name <a href="http://forums.hololens.com/discussion/874/solved-sudden-trouble-building-app-metafile-first-pass-dll-missing">has no spaces</a>.</li> </ol> <p>Also, make sure to follow all the configuration steps in <a href="https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/holographic/holograms_100">Tutorial 100</a>. Some steps are missing from <a href="https://developer.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/holographic/holograms_101e">Tutorial 101E</a>. The problem we had when configuring a new project was that our application was not getting maximized on start-up.</p> <h2>Links</h2> <p>Here are a few interesting links:</p> <ul> <li><a href="http://www.gdcvault.com/play/1023652/Building-3-Dimensional-UI-for">Building 3-Dimensional UI for VR</a>.</li> <li><a href="https://www.packtpub.com/game-development/unity-virtual-reality-projects">Unity Virtual Reality Projects</a>.</li> </ul> <h2>Conclusion</h2> <p>I hope these tips help you clear a few hurdles in this otherwise amazing technology that Microsoft has provided to us.</p> <p>Happy coding!</p>
Best Practices
5 min read
Design and development methodologies for regulated software
<div><div><p>While software development regulation is now emerging in the medical, energy, and security fields, the regulatory process tends to be slow and behind the technological curve. Indeed, unlike the regulatory environment, software development methodologies are quick to evolve. How can we ensure that we are using the best software development methodologies while creating a product that meets regulatory requirements? How can we create an approach that addresses the slow pace of regulation yet capitalizes on the quick evolution of software development methodology?</p><h2>The interplay between software development and regulating agencies</h2><p>The goal of software development regulation is to ensure the highest possible quality of the final product while protecting the user. Guidelines are established for the entire product development process — requirement, planning, design, testing/verification, and maintenance. The regulations applied to the requirement and design stages help regulatory agencies determine how the product will be used, and how it can best be tested. These stages of development create a requirement for detailed specifications about the product; based on these documents, regulatory agencies are able to determine what standards the system must meet. This usually results in a back-and-forth process between the developing party and the regulatory agency. The testing and verification stages involve strict guidelines. All of this design and testing allows regulatory agencies to ensure that the system operates as described and meets specific requirements. The last stage of regulation is the maintenance and distribution of the code — including responding to issues and ensuring ongoing quality. Whereas the overall code and libraries get reviewed, there are fewer guidelines on how code should be written. This is where developers need to ensure that their code is robust, secure, and maintainable.</p><h2>Defining and comparing two methodologies for software development</h2><p>We will discuss two widely accepted methodologies: Waterfall and Agile. Each has its strength and weakness for regulatory-compliant software development.</p><p><b>Waterfall</b> is a methodical approach. Its linear format allows for each step to be easily understood. When each task is completed, the next one begins. The first stage involves the gathering of requirements, then design, implementation, verification, and finally, maintenance. For very well-defined projects with stable requirements, Waterfall is a great software development methodology, but its rigid format increases the cost, and often the time, spent in development — especially at the later stages of the cycle.</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-01.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-01.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-01.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-01.webp" alt="Waterfall Method." title="Waterfall Method."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>As is the case for other methodologies, this development methodology has certain trade-offs when used to develop regulated products. Waterfall meets the strict documentation requirements to comply with the regulatory standard. In a pure Waterfall methodology, all the documentation needs to be created and confirmed before moving on to the next stage. While this rigidity aligns with many regulatory agencies, it lacks the flexibility to quickly adapt to changes. Just ask yourself how many times a product changes from inception to implementation; yet this linear approach to development makes it difficult to add a feature or change the scope of a product or project. Deviations from the original plan cost time and money, requiring developers to either go back to the requirement stage or to execute hotfixes and “hacks” to achieve the desired performance, adding to the technical debt of the project. Besides, as experienced software developers know, this approach can lead to “spaghetti code”, where a program flow is tangled and twisted. The extent of the drawbacks is beyond the scope of this blog post; suffice it to say that Waterfall is to be avoided.</p><p><b>Agile</b> focuses on developing the software in iterations that represent small increments of new functionalities. One of the benefits of this type of development is that it segments the code in separate portions, creating a neater code base. Another benefit of small, incremental additions is that each feature can be tested independently. But Agile doesn’t usually work for larger teams, or teams that are accustomed to the waterfall methodology. It is particularly useful in later stages of development, as well as for User-Interface-focused projects.</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-02.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-02.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-02.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-02.webp" alt="Agile Method." title="Agile Method."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>Unlike Waterfall, Agile provides considerable flexibility, and it segments projects into sprints. What makes Agile unique is its flexibility, which allows for a more adaptable, efficient methodology that segments tasks and the underlying code. The design is performed separately for each feature, and can be expanded at almost any time, since this methodology separates each feature into self-contained units. This method can potentially reduce the technical debt of a specific project: because of the quick iteration of Agile development, some documentation can be left for the end, since reviewing documentation and ensuring that every document is updated before every sprint can be time-consuming.</p><h2>Mixed method development</h2><p>Waterfall supports teams in that they do not have to continuously verify whether their product meets requirements and standards, because they are able to assess the compliance of their design from the onset of development. The trade-off is the rigidity of the process that makes it difficult to adapt and change in order to meet the demands of consumers, markets, and technological changes.</p><p>Agile, on the other hand, gives teams the flexibility needed to make changes and modifications on the go, but requires teams to actively assess whether each incremental change meets regulatory standards.</p><p>How can we address the requirement that development be properly documented, while also using a development strategy that is responsive and flexible? Well, we can combine the two methodologies to minimize overhead while ensuring best coding practices.</p><h2>Hybrid methodology</h2><p>The best approach is to begin by defining business goals and engineering requirements using the Waterfall method. Once goals and requirements are broadly defined and meet regulatory requirements, they can be broken down into higher-level system design components. Then we can use the Agile methodology to develop the specific features of the project. At the completion of the project, we return to the Waterfall method to verify the whole system.</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-03.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-03.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-03.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2309/dev-methods-en-03.webp" alt="Hybrid Method." title="Hybrid Method."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>At the high-level requirement gathering and design portion of the development process, we determine the business goal to be achieved, and the high-level components that will be needed to meet it. Because individual functions are not important for regulatory purposes at this point, they need not be perfectly specified. The regulatory agency might want to ensure that you are using proper bolts, libraries, and coding practices, but it doesn’t concern itself with how to write a loop, for example, or the ins and outs of how the system updates itself. This is where we should be using Agile development, as it will ensure the highest quality of code. The output of the previous stage should give us a backlog of tasks that will need to be implemented using Agile methodology. Different features can be added later, but must be kept within the scope of the project. For example, if you are designing an autonomous aircraft, you can’t easily change the foundation to develop an autonomous boat. That is to say, even the Agile method’s flexibility must be controlled to ensure successful and timely development. Once the product is developed, we can return to a more linear model to complete the verification stage.</p><p>By combining two methodologies, we can create an approach to developing software in highly regulated markets while limiting specific risks: time and technical debt. This combined methodology can also be used for less regulated fields. Every development team should focus on mitigating risks, developing robust systems, and ensuring future development. This is especially true when we consider the interconnectedness of technology innovation. Proper practices will allow us to feel safer and develop more robust systems.</p><h2>Importance of software methodology</h2><p>Recently, we released <a href="https://www.spiria.com/en/blog/iot-m2m-embedded-solutions/data-revolution">another blog post</a> that highlighted the impact of data in our daily lives, and whether data should be shared with the ubiquitous Google and Facebook, among others. To reiterate, “Strong security is the responsibility of every software and product developer, and should be a priority.” This applies not just to the regulated markets but also to many other types of projects.</p></div>
Best Practices
5 min read
Developers: how to remain relevant with self-training
<div><div><p>As software developers in the midst of ever-changing technology, we are constantly faced with new challenges. Self-directed training allows you to keep up with the times and not become obsolete. Here are a few tips and tricks to give you the confidence and motivation to jump start or continue your self-training efforts.</p><h2>The advantages of self-directed training</h2><p>Pursuing your learning after you’ve joined the labour market is a good idea on several levels:</p><ul><li>Stay up-to-date on the technologies you already know.</li><li>Discover new technologies and learn about the latest best practices.</li></ul><p>Continuous learning gives you a professional edge by keeping your skills current, increasing your productivity, enhancing the quality of your code, and potentially easing your migration to new technologies.</p><p>One way to achieve this is through self-directed training:</p><blockquote><p><i>Self-training is a means of learning that leverages the learner’s ability to work independently.</i></p></blockquote><p>This autonomous, unsupervised learning includes, for example, attending a seminar, watching on-line training videos, or following any training course designed to complement your skills.</p><p>One of the great advantages of self-learning is its flexibility. Nowadays, on-line training resources are ever-more accessible, and you can find material on virtually any and every technology. You can set your own goals and schedule, and start training up on a new subject immediately. Then, you can adapt your learning program according to your goals and availability.</p><p>Self-training is a more active, faster and cheaper process than traditional learning (when it’s not downright free), making it the ideal learning solution for developers who work full-time.</p><h2>Essential skills to stay motivated and productive</h2><p>That said, the very flexibility and lack of supervision of self-training can be drawbacks, depending on your topic or your temperament. Without a concrete action plan, it can be difficult to stay motivated or, on the contrary, to stop exploring a topic and going in circles.</p><p>However, with the following qualities that make for a good developer in the first place, it shouldn’t be too difficult to stay on track:</p><ul><li><b>Curiosity</b>: A thirst for knowledge, and the need to discover new things and take on new challenges.</li><li><b>Self-confidence</b>: Knowing your limits, and especially trusting your abilities.</li><li><b>Patience and perseverance</b>: Being able to sift through a subject, even if it looks daunting at first.</li><li><b>Optimism</b>: Never getting discouraged and always staying positive.</li><li><b>Organisation and time management</b>: Using your time wisely and staying productive.</li></ul><p>Of course, you’ll also need sound judgment and even intuition to know what to study, i.e. to pick the topics that are most relevant and offer the highest payback over the short, medium and long term.</p><p>On the other hand, there is no wasted learning. Even a minor detail that seems irrelevant today could be the key to learning or understanding a new concept tomorrow, assuming you can remember it of course!</p><h2>Tips and tricks to get started</h2><p>All this certainly sounds good, but with so many new technologies, how do you know where to start? The learning process will vary from person to person and the options are endless. Here are a few of my own ideas to help you develop your learning plan.</p><h3>Find time</h3><p>The most difficult thing is finding time to learn. The least difficult way to do this is to take a few days between projects to explore a new technology. Obviously, this isn’t always possible; but it doesn’t mean that you must wait until you have large chunks of free time to learn. In fact, you’re better off taking a few minutes a day to read an article, or a few hours a week to take a tutorial.</p><h3>Make a list of topics</h3><p>Even when things are busy at work, you should still be on the lookout for topics to explore when you have a little down time. Jot them down for future reference; this way, you’ll have an idea of where to start when you have a few spare moments. Also, you should prioritize your topics by level of interest or complexity, in order to choose your next direction depending on how much time you have on your hands.</p><p>Besides your list of topics, you should also have a favorites folder with a list of articles to read, so you’ll always have reading material at the ready.</p><h3>Define your learning goals</h3><p>Before embarking on a topic, set yourself specific learning goals as well as a time limit. This will force you to focus your learning activity and avoid getting lost in minutiae. Furthermore, parceling your learning into modular blocks will improve your concentration and help fit your learning into your schedule.</p><h3>Build a library of resources</h3><p>There are so many on-line resources for developers: discussion forums where you can ask questions, tutorial sites, on-line training videos, etc. And let’s not forget official documentation, which is often the best source of information available to approach a new technology.</p><p>Categorizing and indexing all these resources is a great way to optimize learning, and to keep track of what you’ve already learned. For example, you can organize your favorites based on technologies or on topics, bookmark a forum page with the solution to a particularly tricky bug, or keep a list of useful, frequently-consulted resources.</p><p>Not only does this support learning, but it also makes it easier to review what you’ve learned and to access it more quickly as needed.</p><h2>Conclusion</h2><p>Even after you’ve joined the labour market, you should continue learning to remain relevant and to broaden your horizons. Due to its flexibility, self-directed training is the best and most efficient way to achieve this.</p><p>I hope this article rekindled your interest in learning, while giving you a few ideas to start off on the right foot. Happy learning!</p></div>
Best Practices
5 min read
Agility in a global software development team
<p>In February 2001, the 17 apostles of lightweight software development met for a weekend in a mythical place called the “Snowbird resort, Utah”, now known as the birthplace of the Agile movement. They came out with 12 principles, out of which they derived the “Manifesto for Agile Software Development”. It consists of 4 values:</p> <ol> <li>Individuals and interactions over processes and tools</li> <li>Working software over comprehensive documentation</li> <li>Customer collaboration over contract negotiation</li> <li>Responding to change over following a plan</li> </ol> <p>Looking at those values, we can understand that Agile software development encourages many practices: shorter release cycles, inspect and adapt, reactivity to changes, decreased overhead, value driven prioritization... At the heart of it all lies an effective and efficient collaboration between involved parties. An increased collaboration also means more communication. But in the last few years, a shift have been observed in the way we go about software development: the continuing improvements in Internet access and the increased use of telecommuting have caused the modern development team to evolve. This has brought more challenges to team collaboration, regional colors (accents) and time shift between members to name a few.</p> <p>In this article, we will explore various communication and collaboration tools, drawing from my personal experience, and we will look at their strong and weak points. Finally, making the hypothesis that we are approaching this the wrong way, we will look at alternative to distributed teams.</p> <h2>Communication</h2> <p>One of the principle behind the manifesto is that “The most efficient and effective method of conveying information to and within a development team is a face-to-face conversation.” (Kent <em>et al</em>.). David Parnas corroborates this by saying that the root cause of most software failure is ineffective communication. But how do you substitute face to face interaction in an non-collocated team? We will look at three commonly used communication types: textual, audio and audio-visual.</p> <h3>Textual</h3> <p>First there is textual communication: email,chat, text messages… We will not discuss the latter because we haven’t seen them used as a communication tool beside the usage that will be discussed here, so we will focus on email and chat.</p> <p>Written communication tend to be very precise because each question, answer or statement can be revised and rewritten until it appears perfect to the eye of the writer. The flip side to that is that it’s in the eye of the writer, who doesn’t know how the reader will interpret each statement. It also is bad at conveying emotions and sarcasm and is often misinterpreted, sometimes leading to unnecessary friction between team members. Promoting team camaraderie is very difficult if your team relies mainly on written communications.</p> <p>Email latency is a real problem, often people don’t respond right away to message they receive, they will wait until they have the time to write, and they even sometimes go forgotten (by accident or intentionally). Something that would have taken a few minutes in a face to face conversation can degenerate to many hours, even days, when using email. To palliate this problem the team can agree on a maximum time delay to answer emails, for example your team could agree they have to respond to email message within an hour of receiving them, and if the sender doesn’t have an answer after that delay they can send a text message to the other involved parties to confirm reception and remind them about it.</p> <p>Chatting has the advantage that it’s more engaging and interactive, like a real conversation but it can still be forgotten behind another window on your computer desktop. It can also be distracting because the rhythm can get awkward which cause the participating parties to be distracted every few minutes by a new message, and a feeling of urgency will prompt them to answer right away, this is also made worst by having a sound playback for each new message you get.</p> <h3>Spoken</h3> <p>Secondly there is voice communication, those include phone, skype and others voice only communication systems. When holding a meeting over the phone the dynamics of it change. People are often distracting on the phone, doodling something on a piece of paper or taking a quick glance at their email and they may then wander about the response to will give to this one, not paying attention to the meeting until their name is called.</p> <p>Some people rely on the gestual of their interlocutor to decode their emotions and to know if everything is really well or if they have something else to add but are keeping it to them self. Not having visual clues about someone feelings will sometime lead to others not picking up on a situation right away and it may then degenerate further until the person decide to speak up. This can lead to a sentiment of isolation and helplessness.</p> <p>Dealing with regional accent can sometimes be challenging, for example I once was on a team with a strong eastern-european representation, and a fellow team member told me that it was in my best interest to do something before a certain date. I thought he meant that my job was in jeopardy but in fact it was a friendly reminder that after that date it would be a hassle to do what I wanted to do. To minimize those kind of misunderstanding team members should not be anxious about asking for clarification until they are satisfied with their grasp.</p> <h3>Teleconferencing</h3> <p>Teleconferencing on the other hand is almost as good as face to face communication. It palliate most ot the issue of the other styles, people being distracted will be picked up by their peers and be gently (or not) reminded that their attention is expected. Teleconferencing also allows desktop sharing between members, this can help during presentation, planning, retrospective and reviews. Desktop sharing can also be used for peer debugging or programming, enabling collaboration rivaling the one of a colocated team. Teleconferencing has some inconvenients: it requires some minimum infrastructure that may be less accessible in some part of the world. Where bandwidth is limited it can also get expensive. Another disadvantage is that you can not just drop in as when colocated, encounters have to be planned and take into account time zones.</p> <p>But each communication media has it’s advantages and disadvantages, let’s recap them in a table</p> <div dir="ltr"> <table> <tbody> <tr> <th>Mode</th> <th>Advantages</th> <th>Disadvantages</th> </tr> <tr> <td>Textual</td> <td> </td> <td>Slow, latency</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Voice</td> <td>Accessible</td> <td>Not engaging</td> </tr> <tr> <td>Teleconferencing</td> <td>engaging, visual clues</td> <td>Requires more infrastructure & planning</td> </tr> </tbody> </table> </div> <h2><strong>Collaboration</strong></h2> <p>How do we collaborate when we are not in close proximity?</p> <p>The whiteboard is one of the most used information radiator, besides the Kanban it host a multitude of information : burndown charts, definition of done, important incoming dates, group norm, anything relevant to your project can be put up there. Having a whiteboard that is readily accessible by all at most time is of very high value to the team. It will keep the members informed of the current status and other relevant information. But to be useful it needs to be regularly accessed and updated by team members.</p> <p>Realtimeboard.com (RTB) is one of the better virtual whiteboards alternatives. You can draw in it, add Post-it, add comments, attach files and videos and it will alert you whenever someone modify it. It uses flash so it’s not accessible on most mobile devices, it would be a nice feature and is surely something they're working on. What sets it apart from other ones is its intuitive user-interface, most people will pick it up quickly.</p> <h3>Real example of RTB being used</h3> <p><picture><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2374/rtb.400x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 599px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2374/rtb.760x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(max-width: 999px)" /><source srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2374/rtb.1039x0.webp" type="image/webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)" /><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2374/rtb.webp" alt="decorative" /></picture></p> <p>Implementing a Kanban with this tool is really straightforward with virtual Post-it of any color you may want. The difficulty, as is often the case, will be to discipline everyone one to update it regularly and consistently. It’s even more relevant in non-collocated teams because you cannot just turn around and ask.</p> <p>Collaboration during Ceremonies (meetings) can be challenging, but by combining teleconferencing, desktop sharing and a virtual whiteboard you can get everyone involved. Designating one team member to share his desktop and update the whiteboard as the meeting evolve is helpful and engaging for others.</p> <h2><strong>Alternative</strong></h2> <p>Looking back at communications, is there any way that we could make face to face communication more feasible, or at the very least reduce the amount of indirect communications?</p> <p>Kruchten (2011) makes a link between team distribution and a need for more explicit communication and coordination, and goes as far as talking about those being required by the interface to the software modules. We assume he actually was thinking about component based development (CBD). Component based development is a practice where each team will work on a specific component of a system. Implementing CBD in a consulting setting can be difficult, especially when acting as contingent. Production will start slowly; this is where keeping a component expert on site can help by providing quick answers to the team's questions.. Having an experienced staff will help during the transition to CBD. After the initial knowledge transfer phase, the experienced developer will be able to act as mentor for new ones. Once the transition of ownership of the component is over, the inter-office communication will be reduced. The client will only need to state its requirements to one or two person of the team who will understand them very well. They will then act as a proxy of the client, you can see them as internal Product Owners. The next step would be to get them to do the design and analysis of the wanted changes. Once trust is established, building long term partnership with the client will be possible.</p> <h2><strong>Conclusion</strong></h2> <p>Here we looked at various communication types and evaluated their strong and weak points. We also found out that they cannot replace face to face interaction but that, using the whole array of available tools, we can communicate efficiently. We then saw how a virtual whiteboard can bring value to the team. There are other ones available that may better fit your needs but we feel this is one of the better offerings out there. But we didn't look at other collaborative tools like wikis and issue/project trackers, these could probably be the object of another post. Finally we looked at an alternative to global teams by trying to create smaller component based teams. We looked at CBD from a consulting point of view and found that, while being less efficient during the ramp up phase, it will pay up after. It also boosts trust between the parties leading to better partnership.</p> <p>In a very agile manner these are not rules to follow, but merely the fruit from our observations, your mileage may vary.</p> <p><em>References</em></p> <p>Beck, K., Beedle, M., van Bennekum, A., Cockburn, A., Cunningham, W., Fowler, M., . . . Thomas, D. <em>Manifesto for agile software development</em>. Retrieved 11/14, 2014, from http://agilemanifesto.org/</p> <p>Kruchten, P. (2013). “Contextualizing agile software development.” <em>Journal Of Software: Evolution & Process</em>, 25(4), 351-361. doi:10.1002/smr.572</p> <p>Simons, M. (2006). “Global software development: a hard problem requiring a host of solutions.” <em>Communications Of The ACM</em>, 49(10), 32-33.</p>
Culture
5 min read
A successful tenth anniversary
<p> Destination: Quebec City</p><p> Goal : To entertain over 100 attendees for the weekend</p><p> On Saturday’s schedule, several winter activities were organised; tubing at Valcatier, Skiing at Mont Sainte-Anne, Quebec’s Aquarium and the Carnaval.</p><p> In the evening of Saturday, more surprises. Everyone was asked to gather in the Ball Room for more fun & games. Games for all ages, bringing out the kid in everyone; bouncing castles, foosball table, table hockey, arcade games... but it didn’t end there. After a delicious dinner service and memorable speeches, the fun continued. A photobooth was setup with costumes for all to goof even more and to capture the moment.</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2372/2013innobec10eqc-096-300x227.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2372/2013innobec10eqc-096-300x227.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2372/2013innobec10eqc-096-300x227.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2372/2013innobec10eqc-096-300x227.webp" alt="From left to right: Yves Forget, Stéphane Rouleau and Patrick Bergeron" title="From left to right: Yves Forget, Stéphane Rouleau and Patrick Bergeron"></source></source></source></picture></p><p> This weekend will remain memorable to me. I have seen people proudly wear their red scarves, smiles and giggles on every kid’s face while they were having a blast in the bouncing castles; thrilled shrieks while tubing; big cuddly polar bears at the aquarium and steep ski slopes, all the while being in awesome company.</p><p> Thank you to Stéphane, Patrick and Yves to have given us the opportunity to organise such an event! Thank you to Catherine, Benoit, Simon and Halim, because together we have been able to brainstorm and make our ideas come to life.</p><p> 15th anniversary, bring it on! We’ll be ready.</p></div>
News
5 min read
Seven Straight Years on Growth 500 List
<div><div><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2351/spiria-logo-1200x414px.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2351/spiria-logo-1200x414px.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2351/spiria-logo-1200x414px.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2351/spiria-logo-1200x414px.webp" alt="Logo Spiria." title="Logo Spiria."></source></source></source></picture></p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2351/growth-500-2018-en.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2351/growth-500-2018-en.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2351/growth-500-2018-en.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2351/growth-500-2018-en.png" alt="Logo Growth 500, 2018." title="Logo Growth 500, 2018."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>MONTREAL, 13 September 2018 /CNW Telbec/ — Today, <i>Canadian Business</i> and <i>Maclean’s</i> released their 30th annual ranking of Canada’s 500 fastest-growing companies. For the 7<sup>th</sup> year in a row, Spiria made this prestigious list of highly successful companies. “Our main corporate objective is to provide our clients with an outstanding experience by combining unparalleled expertise, quality service and local presence. This is essential in maintaining our continuous growth year after year,” said Stéphane Rouleau, CEO of Spiria. “We will continue on the very successful path of pursuing external growth by extending to new markets, as we did with our Toronto acquisition. We will also relentlessly promote and showcase the exceptional know-how and proven skills of our teams to gain the trust of new major clients, as we did this year with Caterpillar, Epic Games, Skillable and Trilliant.”</p><p>Spiria, a company that specializes in developing custom digital solutions, experienced a very successful year in 2018. In early January, the company announced its acquisition of Toronto-based DevBBQ, a team of 20 experts in mobile- and Web-based app development. In March, it celebrated its 15<sup>th</sup> anniversary, an event that enabled them to imagine the future of the company as a team. Then in May, Spiria was honoured with the M&A Club award for “Transaction of the Year, $2M - $10M” at its annual Awards Gala in Montreal. Spiria received this award in recognition of last December’s merger and acquisition of Toronto’s DevBBQ, which became Spiria Toronto.</p><p>Today, with this 7<sup>th</sup> appearance on the Growth 500 listing, Spiria continues its path to success. Spiria’s growth is the result of sustained client interest in quality and custom IT solutions that support their digital transformations.</p><p>“The companies on the 2018 <i>Growth 500</i> are truly remarkable. Demonstrating foresight, innovation and smart management, their stories serve as a primer for how to build a successful entrepreneurial business today” says Deborah Aarts, <i>Growth 500</i> program manager. “As we celebrate 30 years of the Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies program, it’s encouraging to see that entrepreneurship is healthier than ever in this country.”</p><h2>About the <i>Growth 500</i> ranking</h2><p>For 29 years, the <i>Growth 500</i> ranking — formerly <i>PROFIT 500</i> — has been Canada’s most respected and influential ranking of entrepreneurial achievement. Developed by <i>PROFIT</i> and now published in <i>Maclean’s</i> magazine and CanadianBusiness.com, the <i>Growth 500</i> list ranks Canadian companies based on five-year revenue growth. For more information on the ranking, visit Growth500.ca.</p><h2>About <i>Canadian Business</i></h2><p>Founded in 1928, <i>Canadian Business</i> is the longest-serving and most trusted business magazine in Canada. It is the country’s premier media brand for executives and senior business leaders. It fuels the success of Canada’s business elite with a focus on the things that matter most: leadership, innovation, business strategy and management tactics. Learn more at CanadianBusiness.com.</p><h2>About Spiria</h2><p>Since 2003, Spiria has been driving digital change through innovation for enterprises interested in charting new territories. Its IT solutions, developed by 150 passionate experts across offices in Montreal, Gatineau and Toronto, transform business strategies, client experiences and operations. Spiria’s expertise and know-how have been perfected with the completion of over a thousand projects. Numerous companies in different industries like Autodesk, Acosta, Broadsign, Caterpillar, Hewlett-Packard, and Shutterstock continue to trust Spiria to consistently deliver.</p><p>—</p><p>For further information: Benoît Fortier, bfortier (at) spiria.com.</p></div>
Culture
5 min read
The First SinoGeeks Meetup
<div><div><p>However, “Diversity is Canada’s strength”, as they say. Immigrants have advanced professional skills and a positive attitude to go with it, something society needs. We feel we can do something for the community.</p><p>SinoGeeks Montreal is an online Chinese IT group in the greater Montreal area, originally created in WeChat, a popular social network app in China. Very soon, the group hit the maximum number of members of 500. Every Wednesday night or two, the organizer, Bin Zhu, a development manager from MindGeek, asks a member to share his or her career experience in Canada. Members talk about their job search and experience in Canada, how to adapt to the new country and culture, sharing knowledge, startup ideas and stories… Over 20 members have shared their stories online. Over time, more and more people developed the same hankering: to meet in person to improve communication and strengthen ties.</p><p>As a member of SinoGeeks Montreal, I happened to mention this initiative to my employer, <a href="https://www.spiria.com">Spiria</a>. To my delight, I immediately received their strong support. Spiria kindly provided us with everything needed for a meetup: a nice and spacious meeting place, name badges, drinks and snacks. On May 27th, a Saturday afternoon, 63 Chinese people working in different IT fields and companies, including MindGeeks, Ericsson, Nuance, nZone, Rogers, Nakisa, Staples, and McGill, gathered at the Spiria Montreal offices, and the first meetup of SinoGeeks Montreal was under way. This was also a first for Spiria, as it was its largest meetup event they had hosted to date.</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-1v.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-1v.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-1v.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-1v.webp" alt="SinoGeeks MeetUp." title="SinoGeeks MeetUp."></source></source></source></picture> <picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-2v.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-2v.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-2v.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-2v.webp" alt="SinoGeeks MeetUp." title="SinoGeeks MeetUp."></source></source></source></picture><br><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-3v.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-3v.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-3v.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-3v.webp" alt="SinoGeeks MeetUp." title="SinoGeeks MeetUp."></source></source></source></picture> <picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-4v.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-4v.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-4v.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-4v.webp" alt="SinoGeeks MeetUp." title="SinoGeeks MeetUp."></source></source></source></picture></p><h2>First Impressions</h2><p>Upon their arrival at Spiria, attendees were immediately impressed by the comfortable working environment. They were also happy to meet our humorous sponsors, Spiria CEO Stéphane Rouleau and VP Patrick Bergeron. Stéphane started with a warm welcome, and Patrick shared a funny story of how they met. It just so happens that they too met online, back in high school.</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-6v.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-6v.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-6v.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-6v.webp" alt="Patrick Bergeron et Stéphane Rouleau." title="Patrick Bergeron et Stéphane Rouleau."></source></source></source></picture> <picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-5v.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-5v.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-5v.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-5v.webp" alt="SinoGeeks MeetUp." title="SinoGeeks MeetUp."></source></source></source></picture><br><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-7v.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-7v.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-7v.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-7v.webp" alt="SinoGeeks MeetUp." title="SinoGeeks MeetUp."></source></source></source></picture> <picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-8v.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-8v.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-8v.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-8v.webp" alt="SinoGeeks MeetUp." title="SinoGeeks MeetUp."></source></source></source></picture></p><h2>Listening Workshop</h2><p>After the Sino geeks introduced themselves, Yuan Zhang, a Functional Analyst from Levio, gave a workshop on improving communications skills, called How to Listen Effectively. In daily work and life, people are eager to speak but not so good at listening. Yuan designed interesting games for us to learn effective listening: observe a plant and describe it in detail; tell a story, have it retold, have it analyzed and then evaluate the teller, the re-teller and the analyzer. People were divided into groups to play and share. Throughout the workshop, there were many laughs, and we got to know each other better.</p><p>Time just flew by. After the workshop and a one-hour free conversation period, our first meetup in the Spiria Montreal office wrapped up successfully. New friends exchanged contact information, some of us decided to do dinner together, and the volunteers stayed behind to clean. We were tired but excited. We know we can give back to the community, thanks to the efforts of every member of the group and Spiria’s generous support. We are looking forward to meeting up again in the future to help more skilled immigrants continue to advance their career paths in their new country.</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-10v.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-10v.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-10v.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-10v.webp" alt="SinoGeeks MeetUp." title="SinoGeeks MeetUp."></source></source></source></picture> <picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-12v.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-12v.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-12v.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2435/sinogeeks-12v.webp" alt="SinoGeeks MeetUp." title="SinoGeeks MeetUp."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>Many thanks to the diligent photographers for capturing wonderful moments at Spiria (photos by Teng Han, system administration by Vigilant, and video by Wayne, a senior QA at Touchtunes).</p><p>Check out the meetup video:</p><div></div>
Culture
5 min read
Clean sweep take 2 and other initiatives by SpiriaÉcolo!
<div><div><p>For the second year in a row, the SpiriaÉcolo team organized a clean-up of the streets around our Montreal office. Once again, we were surprised by the sheer volume of trash we picked up.</p><p>Another thing that surprised me personally this year was the quantity of bottles and other recyclables that we picked up. I would have thought that with the City’s new sealed bins, less items would be scattered by the wind. I was also surprised to find that there are no recycling bins in Jarry Park, meaning that water bottles, energy drink bottles and lunch packaging gets thrown out as if it were trash.</p><p>This second edition of our clean-up was a success on various levels. On top of actually cleaning the neighbourhood, we:</p><ul> <li>connected with colleagues we don’t usually have dealings with;</li> <li>got outdoors, worked standing up, moved around, cleaned (anything but sitting in front of a screen!);</li> <li>did something positive for the environment and the neighbourhood;</li> <li>once again met neighbours who smiled at us and thanked us.</li></ul><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/photo_participants.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/photo_participants.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/photo_participants.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/photo_participants.webp" alt="Spiria Écolo." title="Spiria Écolo."></source></source></source></picture></p><p>Many thanks to our team of cleaners for 2018: Jean Henocq, Francis Poulin, Julien Deslières, Christian Roy, Bernard Lefebvre, Alexis Leroux-Chartre, Isabelle Renaud, Martine Brouillard, Rose-Marie Bouthat, Jeremi Leclerc Côte and Daniel Sauve. And a big thank-you to <a href="https://www.spiria.com">Spiria</a> for supporting this kind of activity and for supporting SpiriaÉcolo.</p><p>But we have also carried out other initiatives over the last three months!</p><h2>Composting</h2><p>Francis Poulin was responsible for bringing composting to Spiria. We obtained composting bins from the City and placed them in strategic locations: in the basement kitchen, next to the first floor coffee machine, and on the second floor. The more composting bins there are, the more Spirians think to compost. We are now at the awareness-raising stage, sending out gentle reminders to all staff to get them to make it a habit of composting instead of trashing. We are confident that over the next year, composting will become second nature for all.</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/affiche_compostage_en.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/affiche_compostage_en.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/affiche_compostage_en.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/affiche_compostage_en.webp" alt="Spiria Écolo." title="Spiria Écolo."></source></source></source></picture></p><h2>Reusable bowls for lunchtime soup</h2><p>Our Montreal office is right next door to Soupson, a corner store that also sells soup and sandwiches made fresh daily. It’s a very popular spot with Spirians. The problem is that the soups, which are quick and delicious, are served up in Styrofoam containers. So we bought reusable glass bowls and put up a sign by the door to remind employees to grab one. To our immense gratification, take-up has been high!</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/affiche_soupe_en.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/affiche_soupe_en.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/affiche_soupe_en.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/affiche_soupe_en.webp" alt="Spiria Écolo." title="Spiria Écolo."></source></source></source></picture></p><h2>No more bottled water at Spiria!</h2><p>Thanks to Edith, we’ve made another green stride by no longer purchasing bottled water. The bottled water was supposed to be for our clients, but we realized that many employees were using them too, even though we have two water filtration machines and attractive reusable bottles emblazoned with the Spiria logo. So, with a view to spur change, we bought more water glasses as well as glass bottles for client meetings and other meetings in our boardroom. We’ll use up our last batch of bottles, but won’t order any more. We’ve already received positive comments from our clients. They appreciate the thoughtfulness, as does our planet!</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/tele_pub_bouteille_eau_slide1_en.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/tele_pub_bouteille_eau_slide1_en.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/tele_pub_bouteille_eau_slide1_en.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2284/tele_pub_bouteille_eau_slide1_en.webp" alt="Spiria Écolo." title="Spiria Écolo."></source></source></source></picture></p><h2>Future Projects</h2><p>Our team (Edith Cardinal, Alexis Leroux-Chartre, Francis Poulin and myself) have yet more plans for this year. For example, we are working on a noon-time presentation on composting and recycling rules by a representative of the City of Montreal. And we’ll capitalize on the opportunity to showcase items of our daily lives that can be replaced with greener alternatives.</p><p>There is so much that can be done to become more environmentally friendly, and we thank Spiria for making the office greener, one step at a time!</p></div>
News
5 min read
Mobile and Web application development company DevBBQ joins Spiria
<div><div><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2487/spiria-toronto-en-blog.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2487/spiria-toronto-en-blog.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2487/spiria-toronto-en-blog.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2487/spiria-toronto-en-blog.webp" alt="DevBBQ joins Spiria." title="DevBBQ joins Spiria."></source></source></source></picture></p><p><b>Spiria, one of North America’s fastest-growing custom software development firms, is proud to announce the addition of DevBBQ to its Canadian team.</b> The acquisition of this Toronto-based mobile and Web application developer will accelerate Spiria’s ability to deliver innovative digital solutions to businesses across North America.</p><p>“Toronto is one of the fastest growing tech markets in North America. Since we provide user-driven innovation and software development services based on proximity, we felt it was essential to on-board a local team with a solid reputation,” says Stéphane Rouleau, President & CEO of Spiria. “With DevBBQ, we are adding experienced mobile and Web experts with strong business values aligned with ours. And that counts for a lot in an industry based on collaboration and trust.’’</p><p>DevBBQ’s senior management agrees. “We found an immediate fit with Spiria. We believe in bringing on skilled people who look beyond the code to understand business strategies. That’s important for us, for our clients, and it is reflected in the solutions we develop. Pairing Spiria’s 14 years of experience in custom software, with our Web and mobile application development abilities, will provide innovative and exciting opportunities for companies in the greater Toronto area” explains Jordan Van Schyndel, Vice President of Spiria Toronto. </p><p>DevBBQ is the developer behind innovative digital solutions for companies like Paymi, Salesforce, Party City, Collinson Group and Deloitte. DevBBQ, now Spiria Toronto, will continue to operate under the same and current management. Second addition in the past three months, this Toronto team joins Spiria in providing custom premium software, smart IoT solutions, and Mobile and Web application development services to businesses across North America. </p><p>With teams in Boston, Montreal, Gatineau-Ottawa and now Toronto, Spiria consolidates its position as a North American leader in the premium custom software and IoT solution development industry. </p><p> <br></p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2487/istock-472095539.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2487/istock-472095539.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2487/istock-472095539.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2487/istock-472095539.webp" alt="Toronto. © iStock." title="Toronto. © iStock."></source></source></source></picture></p></div>
News
5 min read
Spiria Wins the M&A Transaction of the Year Award
<div><div><p>On May 3, Spiria received the Transaction of the Year Award in the $2 to $10 million CAD category (the other category being $10 to $500 million). The ceremony took place at the Club M&A’s annual gala at the Windsor, Montreal. This award recognized the merger-acquisition completed in January between Spiria and DevBBQ, a web and mobile application development company based in Toronto.</p><p>Stéphane Rouleau, President and CEO of Spiria explains: “We are pleasantly surprised by this award, which not only acknowledges a successful transaction, but also a great human adventure. This award increases awareness around the Spiria name and enables us to create stronger ties with the mergers and acquisitions specialists’ community. This recognition is very useful to our corporate strategy; we use these mergers-acquisitions as growth drivers and to expand our scope of activity in North America. We believe in proximity and close collaboration with our customers to deliver innovative, high-performance, and truly customized digital solutions and services. This involves having a proximity-based strategy and a local presence in the leading North American software development markets. That’s why we expand our geographic footprint by onboarding companies that share our philosophy and values, with which we can develop real, deep and sustainable synergies.”</p><p>The past twelve months have been busy for Spiria, with the addition of teams from Boston and Toronto, a sixth consecutive ranking in PROFIT 500, the top 500 fastest growing Canadian companies, and finally, its 15th year of business anniversary celebration!</p><p>With locations in Boston, Montreal, Ottawa-Gatineau and Toronto, Spiria is consolidating its position as a North American leader in a high value custom software solutions industry.</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2287/gala-ma-2018.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2287/gala-ma-2018.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2287/gala-ma-2018.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2287/gala-ma-2018.webp" alt="M&Amp;A 2018." title="M&Amp;A 2018."></source></source></source></picture> <br></p><h2>About M&A</h2><p>Founded by Brahm Elkin in 2009, the M&A Club consists of 13 branches across Canada whose members are professionals in the field of mergers and acquisitions, and corporate finance. Each branch of the Club meets ten times a year and hosts roundtables, encourages business networking and presents special guests. Since last year, M&A has held an annual gala at the Windsor in Montreal to present awards that honour the success and outstanding work of merger and acquisition experts in Quebec. Learn more: maclub.ca.</p><h2>About Spiria</h2><p>Established in 2003, Spiria engineers digital change for companies driven by the passion to innovate and the desire to lead the way. The digital strategies and solutions created by Spiria’s 150 experts transform business models, customer experiences and operations. The carefully designed and skillfully engineered Web, Mobile and IoT solutions transform the way 400 businesses set across multiple industries deliver amazing experiences and define what comes next. </p></div>
Custom Development
5 min read
Planning for version 2.0 starts from day one
<div><div><p>Planning and preparation are key to the success of your application, so it is important to have a long-term vision of what you want to achieve. But be careful not to let your goals overwhelm the initial launch. I have had people come to me with amazing software application ideas that include many features, functionalities and large visions. Frequently, I encounter the desire to have everything all at once, yet the costs and time to develop the whole enchilada are prohibitively expensive and become show stoppers! So back to my original question; do you need to have everything on day one of your launch? What does your version 2.0 look like? Do you even know?</p><p>An initial and basic rapid prototype of a functional software application is needed to get the ball rolling. You can do this yourself, or enlist friends or professionals to help you get it started. From the very outset, you need to think ahead, and be comfortable with launching your project in instalments. This can save you thousands of dollars in marketing your product. It will assist with raising more money for future releases as well as providing for more features and functionalities.</p><p>In version 1.0, certain basic features are necessary to get your product off the ground. We call this your MVP (<a href="https://www.spiria.com/en/blog/custom-development/mvps-your-most-valuable-plan-to-hit-the-market-swiftly/">Minimal Viable Product</a>). This does not mean, however, you need to limit your vision and the scope of your product. Continue to think BIG, but grow in an agile way, responding to the needs of your target audience and adjusting your application based on how users interact with your initial product.</p><p>From the outset, it is extremely important to define what falls under MVP, as well as plan for future versions. These future versions should not be carved in stone but are an outline of smart ideas and functionalities that will take your product to the next level. Trust me, your initial vision will evolve, grow and change many times as you develop paying customers. The needs and demands of your customers will help dictate what goes into the future releases. <a href="https://www.spiria.com/en/services/human-centered-design/user-experience-design/">User experience</a> (UX) and <a href="https://www.spiria.com/en/services/purpose-built-development/quality-assurance-test-automation/">quality assurance</a> (QA) will provide insights into the new features needed for your <a href="https://www.spiria.com/en/services/purpose-built-development/custom-software-development/">software application</a>.</p><p>I could go on for days… but I will end on this note:</p><p>Be transparent with your product, your plan and your customers.</p><p>Document everything! Don’t blame it on time constraints, development, or other demands; sometimes we just forget to keep track. Remember to track your data – missing or forgotten data reports can be a killer for your business in more ways than one.</p><p>Have your release notes available and plan your next steps in advance.</p><p>Remember, you don’t need to go all-in with the first version! Make a great plan, follow your recipe, think ahead and know what your next version entails, and be agile in your approach. Good luck, start small but dream big!</p><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2471/mvp-vs-product.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2471/mvp-vs-product.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2471/mvp-vs-product.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2471/mvp-vs-product.webp" alt="MVP vs. Product." title="MVP vs. Product."></source></source></source></picture></p></div>
Design
5 min read
Design News, May 2018
<div><div><h2>A free, online Photoshop-like resource</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-1.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-1.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-1.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-1.webp" alt=" " title=" "></source></source></source></picture></p><p>If you want to create or touch up an image with a program that almost perfectly mimics the look and feel of Adobe Photoshop, look no further than psdfiddle.com. You can create a new project or open an existing one in “.PSD” (Photoshop), “.XCF” (Gimp) or “Sketch,” or even in JPG, PNG, GIF, etc.</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ <i><a href="https://www.psdfiddle.com">PSDfiddle</a>.</i></p><h2>A tangled web of software design choices</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-2.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-2.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-2.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-2.webp" alt="decorative"></source></source></source></picture></p><p>Today, designers have a wealth of choice when it comes to applications, especially when compared with the previous decade, when Adobe dominated the field. This article asks: is the proliferation of visual design software actually useful, or is it simply confusing?</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ <i>Webdesigner Depot</i>, Ben Bate, “<a href="https://www.webdesignerdepot.com/2018/04/from-fireworks-to-framer-is-software-choice-good-for-design/">From fireworks to framer: is software choice good for design?</a>”</p><h2>Artboard Studio packaging mock-ups</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-3.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-3.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-3.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-3.webp" alt="decorative"></source></source></source></picture></p><p>The Artboard Studio web application allows you to create and visualize 3D product packaging designs. On the site, you can request access to the “pre-launch” version of the application. You can also create these types of designs using Adobe Dimensions.</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ <i><a href="https://artboard.studio">Artboard Studio</a>.</i></p><h2>DSGN: showcasing quality websites</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-4.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-4.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-4.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-4.webp" alt="decorative"></source></source></source></picture></p><p>DSGN bills itself as “a showcase of damn fine, high standard websites. It’s a place to discover, collect and come back to the sites you love, and share the sites you’ve made or found.”</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ <i><a href="https://dsgn.link">DSGN</a>.</i></p><h2>When you think about design, focus on concept</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-5.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-5.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-5.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-5.webp" alt="decorative"></source></source></source></picture></p><p>In design school, designers are trained not to follow aesthetic recipes, but to focus on the concept that underlies the project. This article explains and describes the term “concept,” meaning the central, original idea, and the foundation upon which all design projects should be based.</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ <i>Archknow</i>, “<a href="https://medium.muz.li/what-is-a-design-concept-how-to-master-it-36abc63f81b0">What is a design concept? How to master it?</a>”</p><h2>Sharpening your eye for design</h2><p><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-6.400x0.webp" media="(max-width: 599px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-6.760x0.webp" media="(max-width: 999px)"><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-6.1039x0.webp" media="(min-width: 1000px)"><img src="https://mirror.spiria.com/site/assets/files/2278/1805-design-6.webp" alt="decorative"></source></source></source></picture></p><p>It’s well known that artists and professionals in creative fields must be keen observers. The Renaissance masters created their masterpieces based on observational principles and practices, as well as quasi-scientific analysis. According to this article, designers too must foster this ability to analyse and observe, leading them to closely examine every last detail and develop an eye for design.</p><p lang="fr" xml:lang="fr">⇨ <i>Archknow</i>, “<a href="https://uxdesign.cc/how-to-develop-an-eye-for-design-c5a4c64bb26c">How to develop an eye for Design</a>.”</p></div>