#8 – Pirijan Ketheswaran: Kinopio, Canvas-based tools, being a solo developer
May 2, 2024
auto_awesome
Pirijan Ketheswaran, creator of Kinopio and co-creator of Glitch, discusses his journey as a solo developer, sharing insights on building offline apps, the importance of a local-first approach, and the collaborative features of Kinopio. He explores the technical architecture of Kinopio, challenges faced in building Canopio, and the benefits of understanding different disciplines in product development.
Effective problem-solving involves breaking down big issues into manageable tasks, similar to cells splitting to handle excess information.
A transition from biology and urban planning to design and engineering emphasizes visual appeal and user needs over dense content.
Designing with a blend of engineering skills allows for user-centric innovation, exemplified by implementing text and image processing using regex.
Deep dives
Resilience as a Design Principle
Designing with resilience in mind involves understanding the importance of adapting to challenges efficiently. An example highlighted is the capacity for cells to split when handling excess information, a concept mirrored in breaking down big problems into manageable tasks.
Challenges of Transitioning from Biology to Design and Engineering
The journey from studying biology and urban planning to becoming a designer and engineer was driven by the realization that visual appeal in presentations often outshines dense written content. This transition imbued a unique perspective on problem-solving and adapting to user needs.
Merge of Design and Engineering Expertise
The inherent crossover between design and engineering incorporates a chameleon-like adaptability to cater to user requirements effectively. This blend enables an understanding of user needs and technical possibilities, exemplified by implementing text and image processing using regex in Canopio.
Advice for Engineers to Improve Design Skills
Encouraging engineers to enhance their design skills involves visualizing design as more than aesthetics, focusing on user needs and efficient functionality. Leveraging technical knowledge to innovate design solutions, like integrating image processing through regex, can lead to user-centric and resourceful product development.
Mechanical Empathy and Material Perspective
Applying the concept of mechanical empathy to software development involves understanding the capabilities of different tools and approaches for optimal product creation. Viewing coding materials as versatile elements with distinct functionalities fosters comprehensive problem-solving and innovative design choices.
The guest of this episode is Pirijan Ketheswaran, the creator of the Kinopio, a playful, canvas-based tool for thought. He is also the co-creator of the online IDE Glitch. This conversation will go trough his journey as a creative including his time at Fog Creek and later building Kinopio as a solo developer.