Designing Web App Success

By Dan Zanbonini

Most existing web app books cover a specific stage of the development process, such as the technical build or user interface design. For entrepreneurs or project managers who need a complete overview of the web app development lifecycle, little material currently exists.

In this book, balanced, well-researched advice is imparted with the understanding that different situations and organisations require different approaches. It distills the equivalent of multiple books into the vital, practical information you need to create a successful web app, mixing robust resources with narrative explanations.

Part #1: Groundwork

Chapter 1: The Web App Landscape
Chapter 2: Elements of Success
Chapter 3: Bare Bones Project Management
Chapter 4: Getting Set Up
Chapter 5: Preparing Foundations

Part #2: Strategy

Chapter 6: Market Research
Chapter 7: Analysing Users with Personas
Chapter 8: Choosing Features for App/Market Fit
Chapter 9: Putting a Value on User Needs
Chapter 10: Business Models and Pricing

Part #3: Interface

Chapter 11: Complexities of Web Interfaces
Chapter 12: Interaction Design
Chapter 13: Layout
Chapter 14: Making Your App Beautiful
Chapter 15: Using the Right Words

Part #4: Development

Chapter 16: Tools and Considerations
Chapter 17: Front-End Development
Chapter 18: Back-End Development
Chapter 19: Non-Functional Essentials
Chapter 20: Testing and Support

Part #5: Promotion

Chapter 21: The Basic Rules of Marketing
Chapter 22: Measuring and Monitoring
Chapter 23: Search Engine Optimisation
Chapter 24: Conventional Digital Marketing
Chapter 25: Harnessing Social Platforms

Who is Dan Zambonini?

Dan has created websites and web apps since the mid-1990s. In 2000, he quit his Astrophysics PhD to co-found a web agency. The award-winning Box UK now employs 50 web experts in London and Cardiff offices, and creates successful web apps and websites for the likes of the BBC, Tombraider, Ordnance Survey and The National Gallery.

His blog posts about web apps have attracted hundreds of thousands of readers, including positive attention from Mashable, Smashing Magazine, Kevin Kelly and Robert Scoble. His articles have reached the number one position on Hacker News, the popular bookmarks list of Delicious, and the front page of Digg. He has previously blogged for O’Reilly Media, written for .Net magazine and co-authored a Twitter for Museums book.

He is currently traveling around the world while working as a content strategist for boutique agency Contentini. You can find him online at danzambonini.com and follow him on Twitter at @zambonini.