Social Network Site Development

Hi all! 

I have been working on a concept for a social network and in my research have found elgg to be one of resources most recommended and highly rated.  That being said, I am not a developer and expect to hire someone to build the site for me.  As part of my planning, there are a couple of things I would like input on to the extent possible.  

First, as a developer, what information do you need from a client that best helps you execute the project?  Is there a format or such that you have used or been given that offers you the level of detail you need; keeping in mind that I may not know all of the features and plug-ins that are available.  Is there a good way to communicate to a developer what features are needed, so that services can be seperated into what is a currently available feature vs. what may need to be a custom developed application?

I built a prototype based on an iPhone app in Keynote with templates from Keynotopia so I could get a feel of user experience and help me understand what features I think it might need. This is just static pages with hyperlinks that makes it feel like a real app.  As a non-developer, it was a good starting point since once my site is developed, mobile apps would be needed for it to be fully appreciated, though I do understand that the web site needs to be developed first.

Secondly is with regards to understanding what would be a realistic budget.  I know this is a rather open ended request and one that is difficult to answer without details of the project.  What I am interested in is some budgetary cost in terms of different levels of magnitude; i.e. a basic elgg site with minimal plug-ins using readily available themes; something more of a midrange with lots of plug-ins, and something on the larger scale.  Any assistance in helping with some order of magnitude and expectation is certainly appreciated.  

In general, my project will involve photo sharing features and features similar to facebook in terms of commenting, likes/dislikes, following, and profiles, mapping feature, etc. and some other custom features that will have to be developed.  Best I can tell..85-90% of it would be comprised of existing features or available plugins.  After I have fully defined my project in terms needed to get developed, and ensure that sufficient capital is available to get it implemented, I will be looking to hire a developer(s)/team.

I understand that you may not want to post some or any of this information publicly so you are welcome to send via private message.  If you want to also message me about your services as a developer, that is also welcomed.   Any recommendations, input, or such that members care to offer (whether its something I want to hear or not! ha!) is appreciated.

Best regards,

Shane

 

  • Hi Shane,

     

    First of all, let me compliment you on taking such a thorough approach, thus making the life of your future developer(s) much easier. It definitely helps when the client knows what he wants, and can explain it in terms other than 'thingy thing that does that thing'.

     

    In terms of project specs:

    I have worked with very detailed specs, and not so detailed specs. As a developer, I prefer the latter, where I am provided with a general explanation and a direction, but left with more room for creativity in terms of implementation. Every so often, you run into limitations that exist within Elgg, and if the specs are too specific, you are not left with many options for an elegant solution.

    It definitely helps to have a preliminary layout at  hand. I think it is also important to outline processes and data structures you are trying to build. Helping your developer understand basic algorithms like if/then, would definitely make a task easier. For example, you could help your developers by defining a process like login:

    If username and password are correct forward to user dashboard, otherwise suggest to a) retrieve password b) register etc.

    It would also help if you could get a general feel and understanding of Elgg. You would be able to communicate with your developer on a different level. You could do a preliminary research in the communities, and available repositories/shops (I have some listed at www.hypejunction.com), and identify the plugins you would like to use - either as a model or as a foundation for customizations.

     

    In terms of budgets, that of course varies on the project scope. Elgg projects can be as cheap as free (DYI option where you just download and install plugins available in the community). I have seen Elgg projects with budgets over 5000 USD. So, it all depends on what you are trying to achieve, how much coding it will involve, and who you hire to implement the job (developers in different countries have different rates). Another factor to consider is that developers that work with Elgg on regular basis have code snippets, libraries and classes that they can reuse in your project (such as third-party api integrations, e.g. Facebook, PalPal etc), where as developers working generally with PHP will probably need to code from scratch.

     

    Good luck with the project. Looking forward to see the complete site, when it's live ;)

  • Ismayil Khayredinov,

    Thank you for the candid and detailed response.  Your suggestions are well noted and will be a great assistance to me as I further the journey of getting my project developed.  While I had my own assumptions, its good to hear from developers point of view what information is most useful.  You make a particularly good point on allowing a bit of flexibility and creativity on the developer and designers part.

    Thank you so much for taking time to respond and offering your valuable insight.

     

    - Shane

     

  • Hi Shane,

    Please contact me as I have something exciting to offer, similar to FB.

    Thanks,

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