5 ms·

Show HN: A site for teaming up designers and developers on short projects

69 points by zancler 13y ago

ila 13y ago
Unfortunately I've interacted with the author of this project, Zander Brade, and he turned out to be one of the most untrustworthy designers I've ever encountered. Due to my past experience with him I have no intention of touching this site/project. Sorry, but I had to say it.
- zancler 13y ago
  I've done a lot of very stupid things in my career. Only 17, still learning. I'm super sorry though that you feel this way:( Maybe mail me zander.brade AT gmail.com and I can try make it up.
  - RyanZAG 13y ago
    Everyone makes mistakes - you probably won't be able to make up too well with this guy in particular since negative reactions are very hard to shake. However, there are luckily tons more people and good work is good work, so keep it up! I signed up on your site.
    - zancler 13y ago
      Thanks dude. In this case it's likely my fault but your kind words mean a lot. Hope you enjoy Analog!
    - swat535 13y ago
      I agree with Ryan here, I signed up as well, your site fills an important need that developers and designers have and I am looking forward to this. The one point I wanted to criticize is that there was no validation on your form , i made a typo in developer and managed to get through. Also I didn't receive any email confirmation.
- zhs 13y ago
  What happened?
  - zancler 13y ago
    Without knowing who this is, I can't say. I know I've only done one terrible thing as a designer, which was with a really friendly dude, I was 15 at the time and just fucked up horribly. I'm pretty sure this is the incident as I've had few other big hiccups.
    - angersock 13y ago
      How'd you fuck up?
      - jtreminio 13y ago
        He was 15 - does it really matter?
        angersock 13y ago
        "I got in over my head in deliverables" vs. "I totally flaked on talking with the client" vs. "I took his advance and blew it on hookers and blow" Yes, it matters.
        mnicole 13y ago
        No matter what it was, did he learn from it? That's what matters in my book. If he was older, I might care more about the specifics of what he did since I think a lot of people get too comfortable with the lies they build around themselves and appearances they need to keep up, especially professionally. But he's young and he's learning how to hack it in two industries where going at it alone is both rewarding and daunting, and of course you'll mess up somewhere, especially when you have much less experience, both professionally and in life. That said, if it was something more malicious than what you mentioned, then it would be worth looking into.
        13y ago
- digitalengineer 13y ago
  Just a little perspective: The only people who never fuck up are people who never try. I don't know him or you and it's not an excuse, but if you hire a 17 year old you can't expect the same level of experience as working with a freelance designer.
- zancler 13y ago
  Sorry, I just found out who this was, and personally what you consider to be worthy of 'one of the most untrustworthy designers I've ever encountered', I find somewhat offensive. What happened: I missed a Skype call, and wasn't interested in working with you on a potential project. No contracts signed, 8 emails exchanged - just a sign from you that you might be interested in hiring me; and I wasn't into the project. Hardly a crime in my eyes. Also, this means I just shared a different story where I actually messed up.
dolphenstein 13y ago
Isn't there a plethora of these types of sites already? I think you'll need to come up with some kind of extra angle if you want people to sign up.
- zancler 13y ago
  Not that I know of - certainly not a large selection that function in the same way as Analog. The idea was inspired by Builditwith.me by Drew Wilson, and I wanted it to function like Tinyproj - that's how it's come together as is. So yeah, there probably are quite a few, but I'm confident that Analog has something unique going for it.
digitalengineer 13y ago
A few weeks ago there was a discussion between developers and designers here becasue of an article 'Designing Open Source'. Discussion here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5550522 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5550522 Basic idea was designers want to give back to the community but can't find any (good) projects. They could do 'drive-by-design' or put in more time and see the project grow. This site could help. But reputation is everything and I'd like to see a bit more up front. A bit more of the guy who made it would be nice. Kind of makes my Spidey sens go off as empty as it is right now...
- zancler 13y ago
  Annoying coincidence, but just as I was about to launch Analog today my site went down. I'm sure it's a pretty simple fix but it was something I've put to the back rather than going at it now. So I just have a landing page atm instead. http://zanderbrade.com http://zanderbrade.com On any other day you'd be able to see my full site, with a ton of stuff about me, my work and my writing. I'll go work on getting it back up now. So, I understand your reaction. Thanks for the feedback:)
  - digitalengineer 13y ago
    Thank you for your reply. As I said, like the idea. You're only 17 so I think you're doing some great things. (Especially if I think back to all the things I was doing at age 17). When you're site is up again I'll have a look and perhaps I'll sign up.
    - zancler 13y ago
      Turns out it was easier than expected haha. http://zanderbrade.com http://zanderbrade.com Thanks a bunch for all the nice stuff:)
_moar 13y ago
Nice page layout. The /create page is missing a text field to tell if my project is missing a developer or a designer.
- deleted 13y ago
  [deleted]
cmalpeli 13y ago
I don't know how I feel about just typing in the idea for my project into some random form and hitting submit.....
- tshile 13y ago
  Yeah, and I'm not sure how I feel about giving my info and saying just saying 'Send me ideas!' It'd be nice if there was a way to browse/view what the service is doing/offering before signing up.
- zancler 13y ago
  Well, it's only 120 chars. The idea is for it to be just for side projects, rather than billion dollar ideas - so the risk of showing off your idea isn't huge. I do get your concern though, and I'm gonna work on beefing up the FAQ and Terms so insecurity will be minimised:)
moron4hire 13y ago
Developers: learn Photoshop and CSS. The designers you'll find this way will not be worth anything more as designers than operators of Photoshop and CSS. Designers: learn programming. The programmers you'll find this way will not be worth anything more than a really inefficient way to test your designs through a compiler. There is real value to having a skilled designer and a skilled developer, but those people are rare and you aren't going to find them reliably if you don't know anything about their fields. At best, you might randomly stumble on one. Considering that communication is far more important of a skill than most other skills, the only way to find the right people is to first get to know them as people, not as objects to plug in to a whole in your project. I talk more about this on my blog (http://moron4hire.tumblr.com/post/48619863000/hiring-is-dating http://moron4hire.tumblr.com/post/48619863000/hiring-is-dati...) Both of you will be far better served by the experience. You might have an idea now that seems like it has a burning need to be developed and you don't have the time to learn on your own, but it's just not true; that's the manic tendencies inside of you talking. If you give in now, you'll be in this exact, same position in N months when the next burning-a-whole-in-your-brain project idea comes along. By all means, continue with your project as you learn. It will probably suck, but you'll come out of the other side with more skills, ready to make the next project even better.
- imjared 13y ago
  While I agree with the thinking here, simply learning Photoshop and CSS doesn't make you a designer and learning programming doesn't make you a programmer. I'm a front-end dev who's more than competent in Photoshop and can write really modular, daresay good CSS but if I had to decide between using a designer or making my own design, nine times out of ten, I'm going to use someone who is, by trade, a designer and has an eye for crafting a beautiful UI, choosing colors, and for laying out type. I'm slowly but surely getting better at design things but I choose to focus my energy on development rather than prettifying pixels (I say that with absolutely no intent of malice). I agree that broadening my skills to include design would be helpful. I'd also be really great off if I learned how to treat my own ailments and fix my own car. I can't do it all though, so when I have the need, I partner with designers. I look through portfolios, gauge talent and ability, and hope for the best.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
tiredoffps 13y ago
I think the animations (bounce effects) on this page are a little too much and it actually hurts the UX. It needs to be more subtle.
rodolphoarruda 13y ago
I hope to see something similar for project/product/program managers willing to join dev/design teams.
- zancler 13y ago
  Started working on expanding that in.
wc- 13y ago
Signed up and looking forward to the email! Does anyone know of other sites like this out there? I've spent the past year or so pushing my own startup idea, it didn't work out but I learned a lot. Now I am just looking to take a few months off of my own ideas and pitch in on someone else's MVP, get more experience, and meet new people. I guess I might as well shamelessly plug myself: I am a developer who writes python and nodejs on the backend, loves coffeescript, and my last project used Meteor.
- chrisjames 13y ago
  I am a first-year CS student looking to build a very small personal project. I could definitely use a mentor, if you are interested. You haven't listed your email but mine is in my profile, feel free to drop me a line. and if not try http://www.weekendhacker.net/ http://www.weekendhacker.net/. It launched about a year ago with the same idea and format as Analog. It grew quickly and was fairly successful for a while. It has been quiet lately, the creator mentioned going through some personal stuff, but the most recent mailing was May 4 and it looked great and sounded promising. Good luck finding a project.

69 points by zancler 13y ago

ila 13y ago

Unfortunately I've interacted with the author of this project, Zander Brade, and he turned out to be one of the most untrustworthy designers I've ever encountered. Due to my past experience with him I have no intention of touching this site/project. Sorry, but I had to say it.

zancler 13y ago
I've done a lot of very stupid things in my career. Only 17, still learning. I'm super sorry though that you feel this way:( Maybe mail me zander.brade AT gmail.com and I can try make it up.
- RyanZAG 13y ago
  Everyone makes mistakes - you probably won't be able to make up too well with this guy in particular since negative reactions are very hard to shake. However, there are luckily tons more people and good work is good work, so keep it up! I signed up on your site.
  - zancler 13y ago
    Thanks dude. In this case it's likely my fault but your kind words mean a lot. Hope you enjoy Analog!
  - swat535 13y ago
    I agree with Ryan here, I signed up as well, your site fills an important need that developers and designers have and I am looking forward to this. The one point I wanted to criticize is that there was no validation on your form , i made a typo in developer and managed to get through. Also I didn't receive any email confirmation.
zhs 13y ago
What happened?
- zancler 13y ago
  Without knowing who this is, I can't say. I know I've only done one terrible thing as a designer, which was with a really friendly dude, I was 15 at the time and just fucked up horribly. I'm pretty sure this is the incident as I've had few other big hiccups.
  - angersock 13y ago
    How'd you fuck up?
    - jtreminio 13y ago
      He was 15 - does it really matter?
      - angersock 13y ago
        "I got in over my head in deliverables" vs. "I totally flaked on talking with the client" vs. "I took his advance and blew it on hookers and blow" Yes, it matters.
        mnicole 13y ago
        No matter what it was, did he learn from it? That's what matters in my book. If he was older, I might care more about the specifics of what he did since I think a lot of people get too comfortable with the lies they build around themselves and appearances they need to keep up, especially professionally. But he's young and he's learning how to hack it in two industries where going at it alone is both rewarding and daunting, and of course you'll mess up somewhere, especially when you have much less experience, both professionally and in life. That said, if it was something more malicious than what you mentioned, then it would be worth looking into.
        13y ago
digitalengineer 13y ago
Just a little perspective: The only people who never fuck up are people who never try. I don't know him or you and it's not an excuse, but if you hire a 17 year old you can't expect the same level of experience as working with a freelance designer.
zancler 13y ago
Sorry, I just found out who this was, and personally what you consider to be worthy of 'one of the most untrustworthy designers I've ever encountered', I find somewhat offensive. What happened: I missed a Skype call, and wasn't interested in working with you on a potential project. No contracts signed, 8 emails exchanged - just a sign from you that you might be interested in hiring me; and I wasn't into the project. Hardly a crime in my eyes. Also, this means I just shared a different story where I actually messed up.

dolphenstein 13y ago

Isn't there a plethora of these types of sites already? I think you'll need to come up with some kind of extra angle if you want people to sign up.

zancler 13y ago
Not that I know of - certainly not a large selection that function in the same way as Analog. The idea was inspired by Builditwith.me by Drew Wilson, and I wanted it to function like Tinyproj - that's how it's come together as is. So yeah, there probably are quite a few, but I'm confident that Analog has something unique going for it.

digitalengineer 13y ago

A few weeks ago there was a discussion between developers and designers here becasue of an article 'Designing Open Source'. Discussion here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5550522 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=5550522 Basic idea was designers want to give back to the community but can't find any (good) projects. They could do 'drive-by-design' or put in more time and see the project grow. This site could help. But reputation is everything and I'd like to see a bit more up front. A bit more of the guy who made it would be nice. Kind of makes my Spidey sens go off as empty as it is right now...

zancler 13y ago
Annoying coincidence, but just as I was about to launch Analog today my site went down. I'm sure it's a pretty simple fix but it was something I've put to the back rather than going at it now. So I just have a landing page atm instead. http://zanderbrade.com http://zanderbrade.com On any other day you'd be able to see my full site, with a ton of stuff about me, my work and my writing. I'll go work on getting it back up now. So, I understand your reaction. Thanks for the feedback:)
- digitalengineer 13y ago
  Thank you for your reply. As I said, like the idea. You're only 17 so I think you're doing some great things. (Especially if I think back to all the things I was doing at age 17). When you're site is up again I'll have a look and perhaps I'll sign up.
  - zancler 13y ago
    Turns out it was easier than expected haha. http://zanderbrade.com http://zanderbrade.com Thanks a bunch for all the nice stuff:)

_moar 13y ago

Nice page layout. The /create page is missing a text field to tell if my project is missing a developer or a designer.

deleted 13y ago
[deleted]

cmalpeli 13y ago

I don't know how I feel about just typing in the idea for my project into some random form and hitting submit.....

tshile 13y ago
Yeah, and I'm not sure how I feel about giving my info and saying just saying 'Send me ideas!' It'd be nice if there was a way to browse/view what the service is doing/offering before signing up.
zancler 13y ago
Well, it's only 120 chars. The idea is for it to be just for side projects, rather than billion dollar ideas - so the risk of showing off your idea isn't huge. I do get your concern though, and I'm gonna work on beefing up the FAQ and Terms so insecurity will be minimised:)

moron4hire 13y ago

Developers: learn Photoshop and CSS. The designers you'll find this way will not be worth anything more as designers than operators of Photoshop and CSS. Designers: learn programming. The programmers you'll find this way will not be worth anything more than a really inefficient way to test your designs through a compiler. There is real value to having a skilled designer and a skilled developer, but those people are rare and you aren't going to find them reliably if you don't know anything about their fields. At best, you might randomly stumble on one. Considering that communication is far more important of a skill than most other skills, the only way to find the right people is to first get to know them as people, not as objects to plug in to a whole in your project. I talk more about this on my blog (http://moron4hire.tumblr.com/post/48619863000/hiring-is-dating http://moron4hire.tumblr.com/post/48619863000/hiring-is-dati...) Both of you will be far better served by the experience. You might have an idea now that seems like it has a burning need to be developed and you don't have the time to learn on your own, but it's just not true; that's the manic tendencies inside of you talking. If you give in now, you'll be in this exact, same position in N months when the next burning-a-whole-in-your-brain project idea comes along. By all means, continue with your project as you learn. It will probably suck, but you'll come out of the other side with more skills, ready to make the next project even better.

imjared 13y ago
While I agree with the thinking here, simply learning Photoshop and CSS doesn't make you a designer and learning programming doesn't make you a programmer. I'm a front-end dev who's more than competent in Photoshop and can write really modular, daresay good CSS but if I had to decide between using a designer or making my own design, nine times out of ten, I'm going to use someone who is, by trade, a designer and has an eye for crafting a beautiful UI, choosing colors, and for laying out type. I'm slowly but surely getting better at design things but I choose to focus my energy on development rather than prettifying pixels (I say that with absolutely no intent of malice). I agree that broadening my skills to include design would be helpful. I'd also be really great off if I learned how to treat my own ailments and fix my own car. I can't do it all though, so when I have the need, I partner with designers. I look through portfolios, gauge talent and ability, and hope for the best.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

tiredoffps 13y ago

I think the animations (bounce effects) on this page are a little too much and it actually hurts the UX. It needs to be more subtle.

rodolphoarruda 13y ago

I hope to see something similar for project/product/program managers willing to join dev/design teams.

zancler 13y ago
Started working on expanding that in.

wc- 13y ago

Signed up and looking forward to the email! Does anyone know of other sites like this out there? I've spent the past year or so pushing my own startup idea, it didn't work out but I learned a lot. Now I am just looking to take a few months off of my own ideas and pitch in on someone else's MVP, get more experience, and meet new people. I guess I might as well shamelessly plug myself: I am a developer who writes python and nodejs on the backend, loves coffeescript, and my last project used Meteor.

chrisjames 13y ago
I am a first-year CS student looking to build a very small personal project. I could definitely use a mentor, if you are interested. You haven't listed your email but mine is in my profile, feel free to drop me a line. and if not try http://www.weekendhacker.net/ http://www.weekendhacker.net/. It launched about a year ago with the same idea and format as Analog. It grew quickly and was fairly successful for a while. It has been quiet lately, the creator mentioned going through some personal stuff, but the most recent mailing was May 4 and it looked great and sounded promising. Good luck finding a project.