The Second Stage in the Journey of an IoT Developer
In our previous post in this series, we explored the first stage of IoT development: Learning & Experimentation. This post explores the second stage of the IoT developer journey.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is changing the way we think about product design. Everyday items like refrigerators and cars have become connected and intelligent. They can measure our past behaviors to anticipate our future needs. Because of their ability to send and receive data, these products are becoming more like services, which fundamentally transforms how we build them.
Learning & Experimentation is where developers get to tinker, then Design & Planning stage is where developers get to dream. All ideas are welcome, including those that are in, around, and outside the box. Even the box itself is up for debate. A great place to explore is the Intel® Developer Zone for IoT. You’ll find inspiring projects, have access to the latest developer toolkits, and find a list of hacker events around the world. Instructables* is another wonderful resource, full of IoT projects highlighting how people are connecting everyday things to the web, turning them into smart devices.
This is also the stage to identify potential obstacles. Other than the already-sunk opportunity cost, risk is relatively low. Better to see a problem now, than after you’ve sourced materials and started to prototype.
While traditional design principles like aesthetics and usability still apply, when designing for IoT, you also need to consider the individual elements that inform the overall architecture. Software, connectivity, network and application protocols. Think of them as the additional building blocks that make your product smart.
You’ll want to consider the data. What type of data will your product create? How will it be managed, stored, and analyzed? How do we ensure its accuracy and integrity? Can the data services create a wonderful user experience? Good designers will think about how measurement and analysis might lead to valuable insight, or how their product might combine with other intelligent products to create greater value for more people.
And then there’s the revenue. While it’s not critical to have all the answers at this stage, it’s helpful to examine where opportunities might exist, and what types of business models may apply.
At Intel we realize there are many considerations during the Design & Planning stage. We also know that developers are anxious to start building their vision. But if you take the time to craft a well-thought-out blueprint, then the prototyping phase will be that much smoother.
Next up: Stage 3: Execution & Build
Previous: Stage 1: Learning & Experimentation
Start inventing today with the Intel® IoT Developer Program, which offers knowledge, tools, kits, and a community of experts to quickly and easily turn your innovative ideas into IoT solutions.
Dream it, build it with the Intel® IoT Developer Kit for the Intel® Edison and Intel® Galileo platforms. These kits are versatile, performance-optimized, and fully integrated end-to-end IoT solutions supporting a variety of programming environments, tools, security, cloud connectivity, and hardware.
For more resources and to learn how the new Intel® IoT Developer Kit v1.0 can help streamline your IoT projects:
- Download the Intel® IoT Developer Kit
- Visit the Intel® Developer Zone for IoT
- Attend one of our roadshows for hands-on training in creating your own IoT projects