The Exepad blog
Ideas worth building on.
Practical ideas for building apps, working with models, and creating agents.
37 articles
CSV export problems: what the file leaves behind
A sample customer export, taken row by row: the leading zeros, dates, accents and commas that go wrong when a CSV is opened or imported, and how to check each one. It also covers how fast a copy goes stale and how often to regenerate it.
Why double bookings happen, and how to stop them
The five usual causes of double bookings, seven steps that close the gap, a worked example with two rooms and three therapists, and the tests to run before a booking app takes real customers.
Turn a Word handbook into a useful knowledge app
A handbook becomes easier to use when readers can find an answer and see the source behind it. Start by organizing the material before adding a conversational interface.
Start an internal tool with the workflow you already know
Existing forms, spreadsheets, and email threads reveal how work currently moves. They can inform a brief, but copying every workaround into a new screen preserves the old confusion.
Turn a training deck into an interactive learning app
Slides organize a presentation. A learning app also needs a path through the material, a way to practice, and a clear definition of progress.
Choose software around the service journey
A service business needs a reliable handoff from inquiry to appointment, work, and follow-up. Evaluate software by that journey instead of the length of its feature list.
Build a client portal from a spreadsheet
A spreadsheet can describe projects, but a portal needs a deliberate boundary between each client and the information they may see. Treat ownership as part of the data model.
When a website needs to become an app
A website may explain an offering clearly without accounts or stored records. It becomes an app when visitors need a continuing interaction, such as saving work or following a request.
Use a screenshot as the start of a working app
A screenshot supplies a visual reference. It does not define the data source, what a control does, or how information changes over time.