Pinegrow Offspring -- Pine Seedling -- Designer App Coming?

[Pinegrow_User]

@matjaz

For technical reasons, PGS generates SASS code on the fly, from styling information that is saved in a XML file (XML works better with source versioning systems than JSON)

Ah XML, ok.

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@matjaz

Let’s see where this discussion goes next

Well, the following probably wont be popular, but here goes.

@Printninja

IMO, the Pinegrow team would benefit from consulting with people who are using PG in a commercial environment where getting websites built quickly and professionally is job #1. The needs and pressures of using any piece of software in the professional arena quickly expose whatever drawbacks or inadequacies are present, and the feedback is usually going to be quite valuable.

Equally crucial is keeping track of what your competitors are doing, and making sure they don’t gain a significant competitive advantage (like Webflow seems to be doing.)

There are too many PG competitors cropping up every month for them to miss any opportunity to get ahead of the competition.

I agree @Printninja.

As you mention, targeted communication, direct user feedback along with comparative industry awareness are each essential. Unfortunately at times it seems current users are left without a voice (Forum/Slack) regarding user input, features suggestions, etc. Even though the Pinegrow team is said to be silently watching throughout. I have no doubt they are observing even without providing reaction or input in most cases.

But as one example, it took nearly 2 years to get any developer feedback and subsequent action on peoples desire for a VS Code extension. However it was then followed by a handful of days (see github commits) to bring it to market and make it a reality. These types of instances concerning delay can have varying negative effects on the public brand as well as current and potential users when they are left lingering. When instead in many cases such things could be discussed and even resolved fairly quickly as shown with that example. There are similar things voiced by users that would bring a substantial overall benefit to a multitude of users both current and potential. While avoiding this type of lingering negative impact upon the product, instead making the app and product line stronger and more marketable for everyone involved.

At some point users can begin to feel largely unheard, and stop offering valuable usage feedback along with feature and workflow suggestions. This too can have negative impact upon a product. Other similar examples of user suggestions, many requiring similar minimal implementation time, while offering widespread benefits exist throughout the Forum and Slack with little too no feedback or action being provided.

So various things could certainly improve for the broader good concerning current and ongoing communication between the developers and the end users. Things simply move too fast in this space for any app developers to be tone deaf regarding user voices and potential customers. Everything from feedback on usage, feature and workflow suggestions along with user awareness input of beneficial features in other apps and the industry as a whole.

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@matjaz

Hope we won’t all be disappointed in the end

I understand this design centric app could provide a large influx of revenue and users into Pinegrow moving forward – which is certainly great for overall growth and development of the entire company and product line. But this new fragmentation does cause some worry, regarding focus on the main core app. Instead of focusing on its refinement, new features, documentation, api, marketing, etc. With some of those existing areas still needing direct attention, updating and development. This new endeavor is being given development time and thus taking away from the focus of those existing areas.

I truly understand the desire of this direction of catering better to designers.

But the biggest “disappointment” would be if this newly altered focus causes none of the apps to fully reach their potential or keep pace with the industry and competition. I would much rather prefer to have Pinegrow Pro and upward solidified, advanced and reach their fuller mature potential more quickly. But I understand the place and potential of this new app in the product line and how it can indeed benefit the future of Pinegrow as a company.

So we’ll see.

“The man who chases two rabbits, catches neither.” ― Confucius

I doubt “squirrels” would be much different, probably worse with climbing included. ;–) So hopefully things don’t slow down or become hindered concerning the focus on the core app while chasing after other things. Unless staff has increased, its hard to imagine some impact not taking place with this added product initiative.

@matjaz

For Pinegrow 5 the main focus is improving the styling with CSS/SASS. What we have now is a powerful foundation, but some parts of the workflow are still awkward, for example, working with nested SASS structure.

Obviously I am unaware of the significance regarding changes coming for version 5. But from that, it sounds perhaps maybe more like refinements than major advancements. Recalling the announcement concerning the altering of versioning numbers:

@matjaz

Version numbers are just labels for different incremental states of Pinegrow. We don’t decide what we do based on them. Rather, we just follow our general to-do list and when we feel that we made a significant jump in quality / features we do +1 to the version number.

Hopefully “Pinegrow 5” wont suffer the lack of “significant” advancements in features, while being distracted with chasing two rabiits or squirrels.