Developer interview 'Andre Santos'

Introduction

Greetings from Portugal! My name is André Santos and I am 20 years old. Currently I am studying in the Engineering Faculty of Porto University. I am taking the masters in Informatics Engineering.

Programming is a part of my life. Since a several years ago I have been competing in programming contests. And just a year ago, I discover my taste for web designing.

Since I became part of the Betavine community, I realize the enormous potential of Javascript language. Although, any developer belonging to this community has the benefit of receiving great support that Betavine community provides.

Why mobile widgets?

All of us spend a lot of time with mobile phones. Widgets are a way to use them in new manners, creating new experiences, some of them gives us a lot of fun. It is a form of running away from our daily routine. Concerning the development of widgets, it is required more time for conceptualization and design, than for coding. This is a concept that I appreciate very much.

What inspired you to write the Widget?

In a world getting each day more global, where different cultures are approaching each other more and more, the information flows rapidly and abundantly. So, I feel the need to understand all the information that surrounds me.

How have you developed the Widget?

The concept of this widget was already defined. The most difficult part for me was the development of the design. It took me some time to get a good graphical interface that represents the concept behind the En_Translator. Making the design was really a process of experimentation.

Have you any advice for other developers?

Above all, the developing of widgets requires an amazing idea, a very good planning and a good looking interface. Coding should only begin after those strong basis are defined.

What’s good and what needs improving?

My test environment is Opera Browser because I don’t have a mobile phone to test the widgets, this way I don’t have the same perception as those who test them on a mobile phone.

As a curiosity I can say that Adobe Photoshop is the program where I always spend more time because I can’t think in the next step to develop if the interface doesn’t look good to me.

How did the BV website help you?

Tutorials are a very good resource that Betavine provides to the community and they are all mandatory to beginners. Forums are too a helpful resource we can count with when we get stuck.

Do you have a demo/video clip?

No, I don’t.

What is your favourite app/Widget on Betavine and why?

Crossroads is my favourite. It is a very good Widget that combines together an amazing design and a good value to the user.

What feature would you like to see brought to the Betavine platform/community?

Maybe some usability and interaction design tips, despite these topics aren’t directly connected to Betavine propose.

How did you hear about the Vodafone-Betavine Widget competition?

Vodafone Portugal has launched (and it is near the end now) a widget contest, which I decided to enter. For beginners they pointed Betavine as a reference.