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SaaS How important is layout

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Arevico

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How important is layout in a saas project if you want to get something to market and get feedback on it ? I feel i piss away way to much time on finding templates, selecting a grid, maybe a lit of perfectionisme.

Should i just buy a random bootstrap template and jot together a few screen, make a few screenshots for a landing page and proceed to validating the idea. Does have using a framework such as bootstrap have dire consequences later ?
 
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lowtek

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How important is layout in a saas project if you want to get something to market and get feedback on it ? I feel i piss away way to much time on finding templates, selecting a grid, maybe a lit of perfectionisme.

Should i just buy a random bootstrap template and jot together a few screen, make a few screenshots for a landing page and proceed to validating the idea. Does have using a framework such as bootstrap have dire consequences later ?

Layout is going to be critical once you have a business. To validate your idea, it should just be presentable. Just get a free bootstrap theme and email list (mail chimp, etc.) and start validating. This literally takes one day to do.

Why would bootstrap have dire consequences? It's just a front end. Virtually everything you need for functionality will have a Javascript API. Your choice of back end is far more likely to have detrimental consequences than your front end.
 

Arevico

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Thanks for your reply. So basically just get it to market fairly representable and once the idea has been validated you can always iterate?

Why would bootstrap have dire consequences? It's just a front end. Virtually everything you need for functionality will have a Javascript API. Your choice of back end is far more likely to have detrimental consequences than your front end.

The main thing I'm worried about is maintainability in the future, especially when using mulitple dependencies like vue, laravel, bootstrap, etc. The main issue i think is the technological debt you get by adding and adding and adding stuff once you've decided on a framework.
 

lowtek

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Thanks for your reply. So basically just get it to market fairly representable and once the idea has been validated you can always iterate?



The main thing I'm worried about is maintainability in the future, especially when using mulitple dependencies like vue, laravel, bootstrap, etc. The main issue i think is the technological debt you get by adding and adding and adding stuff once you've decided on a framework.

Ah, now I understand your question. I have no direct experience with this, but I am technically inclined (i.e. a programmer) and here are my thoughts: If you are concerned about technical debt, then don't build a business on the latest shiny framework. Use stable, tried and true technology. Pick something like LAMP stack over Meteor. Djangular/Python/MySQL would also work, or a Java back end with a suitable database.

Bottom line is that all this is just analysis paralysis. You may launch something, gain some traction, and fizzle. You may launch and get no traction. Or you may launch and it blows up. You don't know until you launch, and the only way you launch is by putting code to file - so start typing and quit worrying about problems you don't have.
 
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journeyman

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Absolutely, for the beginning validation stage don't worry about it too much. Any website that doesn't look too ugly will do.

Pick whatever you know best and will make it quicker for you. Even Wordpress, and then you can transition to a proper custom app.

I have changed the front-end of my web app 3 times already, so if you are anything like me, your first choice is still going to change soon even if you give it loads of thought.

Good luck and happy to help with anything as I enjoy web dev!
 

daru

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Hehe, technical dept. Literally laughed and cried at the same time when working with a particularly crappy code base at my day job today. As an programmer/hacker one just want to punch someone in the face.

But you know what, they got into business and makes money with this code base!

So I think you are pretty safe for even knowing the term "technical dept" and have these worries. So just hack it together and validate!

For a fairly ordinary SaaS I would just go with Django (the documentation is AWESOME). Then Bootstrap for styling front-end templates.
Hell, Django Admin is so good that it may even suffice to demo the service with! If you hit a jackpot Django with Bootstrap scales fine.
 

TreyAllDay

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I've launched some saas products with truly horrendous layouts before. UI usually becomes a long-term thing though.

There are lots of great templates out there to work with though - in fact we are using this one right now
Pages - Admin Dashboard UI Kit - Dashboard
 
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