Wix Engineering’s Post

Training and education is in the heart of Wix Engineering's culture

[What You Build Might Last Longer Than You Could Imagine] In the old days, during the 3rd week of Airbnb's engineering bootcamp, the bootcamp host would take the new hires for a fun activity. For the bootcamp I hosted, we decided to learn screen printing from our own design shop on the 3rd floor. It was fascinating that Airbnb had the capacity to do this in-house. We were supposed to come up with a design to print, so we just did a simple one: we put all the new hires' names on it. After the print session, we didn't know what to do with the extra posters we printed (as it doesn't cost much to print more after you have made the screen), so we decided to just put the posters on the wall in different places throughout the office. Well, here are some new hires' names you should know anyway, so why not? Fast forward one year later, I had moved back to Seattle, and one poster hadn't been taken down in Cairo after one year, and literally had the names on it if anyone wanted to ask what it was about. The new hire group decided to have an official ceremony to voluntarily take down the last one together before it became some sort of "tradition" that couldn't be touched. When I think about this story, two things come to mind: - It takes courage to break a norm, and  - What you build will likely last longer than you could imagine. Why are they important to us? Because if you put some great thought into what you're building, your impact is likely to last a very long time. Many will possibly outlive our tenure in a company. If they're better than a poster with random names, they're likely to live more than a year. On the other hand, when you're facing something that doesn't make sense, remember this poster on the wall - take it down. Maybe it shouldn't be there at all :) #BuildYourLegacy #BreakTheWall

Ever felt the pressure of overcomplicating your projects, unsure how to strike the right balance between simplicity and effectiveness? Look no further! 🚀Our latest blog post is a go-to source of practical advice for you. Peter Papp shares invaluable tips, and everyday programming insights, complete with easy-to-follow code examples for you to navigate rapid development without getting lost in over-engineering. Ready for a smoother project journey? Get the full scoop now. 👇

I've worked with enough engineer-designed interfaces to value design highly at even early stage startups ... but, man, they can be a pain in the ass sometimes. I mean that in a truly affectionate way, because I've realized over the years the context many of my favorite design-minded folks are coming from - a demanding world of perfection-seeking where critique is a core competency. While most of my engineering colleagues are coming from a world where nothing is finished, nothing is perfect, and everything is slightly broken everywhere. Shipped can be better than perfect. Until you get both sides aligned to the same goal, you'll find these two world views butting into each other in fun and exciting ways ... But once aligned, it's off to the races. https://lnkd.in/gVzDZaaY

"Building software with the future in mind?" Just like this city skyline, design your applications with scalability in mind. #FutureProofSoftware #SoftwareDevelopment #DesignThinking #devops The cartoon city skyline represents a software application. The tall buildings are features that have already been built. Leaving starter bars sticking out is a pragmatic approach, saving time and money when adding the next floor, as the structure is already partially prepared for the expansion. The text "Pillars of hope: provision for future growth" refers to the fact that the software has been designed with the future in mind. The steel starter bars sticking out of the tops of the buildings represent hooks that can be used to add new features in the future. This is a good practice in software development because it makes it easier to add new functionality without having to rewrite the entire codebase. Thoughts or Comments

💯 5 weeks later and I am done with Maven's Design System Bootcamp (by Molly Hellmuth) but work is never done. 💡 The Design System effort currently underway at Covenant Eyes will be an evergoing project but I could not feel more empowered to continue to contribute to that vision thanks to this Design System Bootcamp. There is a clear before-and-after of all things I learned around design systems and fortunately for me, those things are immediately applicable in my day-to-day work. If you ask me today if I could ramp up a design system effort I would say with 100% confident that I can, and this course got me there. 🙌 #designsystems #uxdesign #uidesign

Software engineering can get bogged down in weighty issues and deep thinking and deeper disagreements and seriousness. It's also a profoundly silly line of work - telling computers to talk to themselves, or pick better ads, or find the right dog walker. Or building yet another list. That's why I'd recommend engineers and engineering managers look for opportunities to inject lightness, whimsy and _fun_ into work. Because, listen, work is hard. But it should also be a little fun. And not just Type 2 "fun". https://lnkd.in/e3p8r6Ne (Today's art: A decorative sculpture of a jester from Casa Loma on the outskirts of Toronto, Canada. https://casaloma.ca/)

I got accepted into buildspace's nights and weekends season 5! Just to give you an insight to what buildspace is: Buildspace is a platform that empowers users to build and learn by providing a comprehensive suite of tools and resources. It offers a unique blend of coding, design, and project management capabilities, allowing users to create innovative projects and collaborate with others. With Buildspace, users can access a vast library of tutorials, coding challenges, and design exercises to hone their skills and develop a portfolio of work. The platform also features a community-driven approach, where users can share their projects, get feedback, and learn from others. By leveraging Buildspace, individuals can gain hands-on experience, build a strong foundation in coding and design, and prepare themselves for a career in the tech industry. PS: If anyone is interested in working on their own ideas, feel free to dm me for the buddy passes. #buildspace #s5

The “Sunk Cost” and “Component” fallacies are common traps that design systems teams often fall into. Building a design system goes beyond just creating components; it requires a solid foundation. Neglecting this crucial step can result in poor, unusable code and lack of real progress. In my experience, I like to draw a comparison between redwood and oak trees. Redwoods may look majestic and massive, but their shallow roots require other trees for support. Conversely, oak trees have deep, massive roots and can live for over 1,000 years. They may take longer to grow, but they stand the test of time. Build a solid foundation and be like an oak tree! #DesignSystems #FoundationalDesign #Coding #TechIndustry #LessonsLearned

One of my biggest blockers to building prototypes was having to set up starter code and ready made code samples all over again.🛠️ Prototyping is a lot about plug and play aka reusability. The more off-the-shelf stuff you can use (where appropriate), the faster you can ship. That doesn't mean you use a library for doing every small thing, but you know when NOT to reinvent the wheel. For this, it's good to have your own set of personal libraries which let you reuse code across projects. It should be possible to use the library / component with a simple package install into the project or by just copy pasting code into few files with minimal edits. I don't have the time to make everything reusable into a library, so I sometimes pick the latter option. At the end of the day, you want your project to see light of the day. If you do a full-time job, you'd often spend precious weekend time building your prototypes. To make the best use of your time, you should carefully choose what you build! I just find it easier to work on codebases where I have everything set up and it's quick and easy for me to make changes and get visual feedback / automated tests feedback —I call this the "smooth zone". In the average case scenario, I want to bring prototyping projects into the "smooth zone" as quickly as possible so that I can iterate rapidly. What are some cool practises you follow when building prototypes? Let me know in the comments section! ✨ #SoftwareEngineering #FullStackDevelopment #Prototyping #ProductEngineering