Dash Deployment Server
Client: PlotlyTechnology: React, GraphQLGiving Scientists Superpowers
Enabling data scientists to easily present their findings is core to Plotly's mission. Through their Dash framework, researchers and engineers alike can create compelling web applications without leaving their day-to-day Python environment. With fewer barriers in place, valuable insights get shared faster than ever before.
We think this is awesome. Which is why we were thrilled when Plotly asked us to help build an enterprise platform for creating and managing Dash apps. Targeted at users with little deployment experience, the web app needed to present complex features like automated single-sign-on and advanced app telemetry all in a sleek interface.
In Pursuit of Product
Our approach always begins with conversation. To create the ideal product, open and frequent client communication is essential. We worked with Plotly's existing engineering team to make sure we deeply understood the requirements of their customers before beginning our initial designs.
After grasping what the platform needed to accomplish, we turned our focus towards sketching out low fidelity mockups. In our experience, intuitive interfaces aren't the result of designers working in isolation; they grow out of iteration and experimentation. To that end, we focused on leveraging prototyping tools to garner feedback as quickly as possible. By starting with a bare bones representation of our idea, we were able to incorporate comments from Plotly's stakeholders within days, not weeks.
Putting It All Together
Of course, a good design is only as good as it's execution. By reaching for modern, battle-tested tools, we were able to build out the interface with confidence. Key to our development process is comprehensive test coverage. With the possibility of enterprise customers relying on these apps for communicating business critical data, this was more important than ever. We worked closely with Plotly to write unit and integration tests that ensured our solution was robust.
Today the Dash Deployment Server empowers Plotly's private cloud and on-premise customers, providing them with platform-as-a-service capabilities for their Dash applications. We continue to work with Plotly to extend and enhance the platform.
