codebones

My name is Matt Hill, and this blog is about building software that people actually want to use. That might sound strange, but in the business world, compelling software is a rare commodity. Most business software is forced on users by well-meaning IT folk (and their corporate masters). Users are told they have to use it. The software is often half-baked, bloated, unintuitive, slow, and doesn’t offer anything close to good “user experience”.

I’m going to focus on various aspects of software development that can have significant influence on the end user, including UI design, software architecture, data visualization, and new technologies. I will also (hopefully) provide many cool examples. These days, I usually build Flex clients and Java servers, so most of my examples will use those technologies.

About Me

I’m a software architect with about 15 years of professional software development experience.  In 1982, shortly after seeing Van Halen’s Hide Your Sheep tour, I wrote my first program on my sweet Apple ][. I’ve been programming computers ever since. I have a background in computer science and music (guitar), and I have a master’s degree in tequila. (I’m working on my Ph.D.) Most mornings you can find me at one of the San Francisco area beaches checking out the surf.