Abstract & Best Practices

Before you Start

Solution Exercises may require specific hardware. Each solution will outline any prerequisites needed for Hardware, Cabling and Software loads as needed for the Exercise.

If following along

Outlining Customizations

When Jumping into your customization, it's good to understand a few things prior to diving in.

You should should consider the following

KEEP THINGS SIMPLE

There are some pretty robust solutions out there. It can be easy to over-engineer a solution, especially as your skill set starts to flourish.
Wherever possible, keep things simple
- But sometimes too simple can be a bottleneck, do what's best to provide a robust solution, while also not getting too far into the weeds.

Understanding your Hardware

What are the hardware and software differences between codecs?
- Should I hard code Video Output 3 or should I dynamically discover those inputs
How many peripherals are connected?
- This could change from room to room. Knowing how to adapt this in your solution dynamically will reduce complications when deploying at scale
Are there differences in how the xAPI is executed between devices?
- There certainly is, but it's not impossible to handle and make you solution robust and rugged
What external services are available to me to optimize or enhance this experience?
- APIs are wonderful, and everywhere. Explore them and find out what's possible when they start to work together

Understanding your Stakeholders

Who will interact with my customization?
- IT Folks, C-Suite, Engineers, Admins, Etc
Are you working with the person procuring or using the solution?
- Procurement and the end use may be one in the same, but at times they are disconnected. If possible, engage with those who ultimately use your customization to get a better understanding of their need.
How do these individuals do work?
- Is this a seminar space, a conference room, an open collaboration space, a classroom, a lab?
- Optimizing your solution to fit those needs are key to success
What are their expectations of the solution?
- Is the vision of the end user in line with your vision of the solution. Keeping an open dialogue with your customer as to what's possible will help keep your goals in line
What can you anticipate that wasn't considered in the original ask?
- Some asks are too simple. Putting in the extra 2 cents to really flesh out a professional solution, even for a small ask, can yield a better solution in the end.

Tackle your solution from outside the box

Best to design for scale, wherever possible
- How can I make my solution on all hardware and software iterations?
Make you solution flexible
- If your code can solve for multiple room flows, build in tools to let you quickly adapt your code
Think of your colleagues and future self
- Some day you or a colleague may be called upon to troubleshoot a solution, make sure you leave breadcrumbs or documentation to help yourself years from now.