Applying Design Principles to APIsIn Four Parts

Brian Mulloy@landlessness

Apigee@apigee

“Whatever is worth doing at all, is worth doing well.”

-Philip Dormer StanhopeEarl of Chesterfield

1746

amazon.com

Baker’s Dozen1. Development Cycle2. Errors3. Visibility4. Flexibility-Usability Tradeoff5. Hick’s Law6. 80/20 Rule7. Inverted Pyramid8. Advance Organizer9. Consistency10. Self Similarity11. Aesthetic-Usability Effect12. Cost-Benefit13. Immersion

Four Parts

I. Empathize

II. Don’t Overwhelm

III. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

IV. Be Beautiful

Development Cycle ● Errors ● Visibility

Flexibility-Usability Tradeoff ● Hick’s Law ● 80/20 Rule ● Inverted Pyramid

Advance Organizer ● Consistency ● Self Similarity

Aesthetic-Usability Effect ● Cost-Benefit ● Immersion

Part I: Empathizei. Development Cycleii. Errorsiii. Visibility

Development CycleUniversal Principles of Design

Successful products typically follow four stages of creation: requirements, design, development, and testing.“

Questions to ask at each phase:1. What is the developer doing?2. How can we help?

Development Cycle: Requirements

Share our domain knowledge

Share our domain knowledge✓ Educate others about our domain✓ Certify our partner developers

Development Cycle: Design

Point the way

Point the way✓ Inspire with an app gallery✓ Guide the design of apps✓ List the objects in our system

Development Cycle: Development

Share our API knowledge

Share our API knowledge✓ Engage developers with an API console✓ Be accessible via forums, social media & email

Development Cycle: Testing

Ask for input, give data

Ask for input, give data✓ Receive bugs & feature requests directly from developers✓ Show each developer his API data

Development CycleUniversal Principles of Design

✓ Educate others about our domain✓ Certify our partner developers✓ Inspire with an app gallery✓ Guide the design of apps✓ List the objects in our system✓ Engage developers with an API console✓ Be accessible via forums, social media & email✓ Receive bugs & feature requests directly from developers✓ Show each developer his API data

ErrorsUniversal Principles of Design

An action or omission of action yielding an unintended consequence.“

Make it easy to learn from mistakes

Make it easy to learn from mistakes✓ Respond with HTTP status codes for apps✓ Respond with verbose messages for app developers✓ Create social error pages with details and hints

VisibilityUniversal Principles of Design

The usability of a system is improved when its status and methods of use are clearly visible.“

Be transparent and human

Be transparent and human✓ Broadcast system status and alerts✓ Apologize for mistakes and give details✓ Publish the API product roadmap

End of Part I: Empathizei. Development Cycleii. Errorsiii. Visibility

Part 1: Checklist✓ Educate others about our domain✓ Certify our partner developers✓ Inspire with an app gallery✓ Guide the design of apps✓ List the objects in our system✓ Engage developers with an API console✓ Be accessible via forums, social media & email✓ Receive bugs & feature requests directly from developers✓ Show each developer his API data✓ Respond with HTTP status codes for apps✓ Respond with verbose messages for app developers✓ Create social error pages with details and hints✓ Broadcast system status and alerts✓ Apologize for mistakes and give details✓ Publish the API product roadmap

Four Parts

I. Empathize

II. Don’t Overwhelm

III. Don’t Reinvent the Wheel

IV. Be Beautiful

Development Cycle ● Errors ● Visibility

Flexibility-Usability Tradeoff ● Hick’s Law ● 80/20 Rule ● Inverted Pyramid

Advance Organizer ● Consistency ● Self Similarity

Aesthetic-Usability Effect ● Cost-Benefit ● Immersion

THANK YOUQuestions and ideas to:

Brian Mulloy@landlessnessbrian@apigee.com