Project Workflow

Strategic guidance for managing Buzzy app development from planning to deployment.

The Reality of Building with Buzzy AI v3

Building with Buzzy is not a straight line from prompt to finished app. It's an iterative process that requires strategy, discipline, and understanding when to use AI prompts versus the visual editor.

This section addresses the real challenges:

  • Context loss across AI prompts

  • When to use AI vs visual editor

  • When to rollback to previous versions

  • Testing your Buzzy app thoroughly

  • Maintaining app quality over time

The Workflow Stages

1. Planning & Design

→ Design Fundamentals

Before writing your first prompt:

  • Understand your data structure

  • Map user flows

  • Define roles and permissions

  • Set success criteria

2. Initial Build with Buzzy AI v3

Choosing your approach:

Making it happen:

  • Write informed Buzzy prompts based on your design

  • Review generated Brief, Blueprint, Data, and Design tabs

  • Test core functionality in preview mode

3. Iteration & Refinement

Managing changes:

Quality assurance:

4. Deployment

Going live:

Long-term:

The Core Workflow Challenges

Challenge 1: Context Loss

The problem: Each new Buzzy AI prompt operates with limited context. Your 5th prompt might alter what your 1st prompt created.

The solution:

  • Keep prompts focused and specific

  • Reference previous structure explicitly

  • Review generated changes in Data and Design tabs

  • Use Buzzy's Versions tab for rollback (see Rollback Strategies)

Challenge 2: Testing Fatigue

The problem: Thorough testing is important but time-consuming. It's easy to get lazy or impatient.

The solution:

  • Test strategically, not exhaustively

  • Automate repetitive tests

  • Focus on critical paths

  • Accept imperfection in early iterations

→ See Testing Approaches

Challenge 3: Testing with Real Data

The problem: Your app might work with test data but have issues with real-world scenarios.

The solution:

  • Test with varied data in preview mode

  • Review generated Datatables and field types

  • Test different user scenarios

  • Check edge cases and validation

Challenge 4: Maintaining App Quality

The problem: Generated apps may not follow best practices for security, performance, or user experience.

The solution:

  • Review server-level security (Viewers, Team Viewers fields)

  • Check data model design (proper use of Subtables and Linked Fields)

  • Ensure display rules and actions work correctly

  • Test on both web and mobile

→ See Best Practices

Challenge 5: Long-Term Maintenance

The problem: Apps need ongoing updates and improvements over time.

The solution with Buzzy:

  • Buzzy maintains the Core Engine automatically

  • React/React Native updates handled by Buzzy

  • Security patches applied platform-wide

  • You focus on app logic and user experience

→ See Maintenance & Tech Debt to learn how Buzzy solves traditional tech debt problems

Workflow Best Practices

1. Start Small

Don't: Try to build the entire app in one prompt

Do:

  • Build core feature first

  • Test it thoroughly

  • Add features incrementally

  • Validate each addition

2. Be Specific

Don't: "Fix the bug" or "Make it better"

Do:

  • "The submit button doesn't validate email format before submitting"

  • "Add loading indicator when fetching user data"

  • "Make mobile menu close after selecting item"

3. Review Everything

Don't: Assume AI-generated structure is perfect

Do:

  • Test each change in preview mode

  • Review Data tab for proper relationships

  • Verify security settings (Viewers fields)

  • Check display rules and actions work correctly

4. Document Decisions

Don't: Rely on memory for why things are built a certain way

Do:

  • Keep notes on design decisions

  • Document unusual patterns

  • Explain business logic

  • Record AI limitations encountered

5. Use Buzzy's Version Control

Don't: Make major changes without saving versions

Do:

  • Use Buzzy's Versions tab to save stable states

  • Save versions before major AI prompts

  • Name versions clearly ("v1-before-adding-payments")

  • Rollback when experiments don't work

→ See Rollback Strategies

When Things Go Wrong

The App Broke

  1. Assess: What changed? What broke?

  2. Rollback: Use Buzzy's Versions tab to restore last working state (see Rollback Strategies)

  3. Analyze: What went wrong in the data model or screen logic?

  4. Fix: Address specific issue with targeted AI prompt or visual editor

Feature Not Working as Expected

  1. Understand: Why is it failing?

  2. Root Cause: Is it the data model, display rules, or actions?

  3. Fix: Targeted change using visual editor or AI prompt

  4. Verify: Feature works and nothing else broke

Lost Context

  1. Stop: Don't keep prompting blindly

  2. Review: Look at current state vs desired state

  3. Reset: Consider rolling back to known good state

  4. Rebuild: Small, specific changes from there

Running Out of Time/Money

  1. Assess MVP: What's absolutely necessary?

  2. Cut Scope: Remove nice-to-have features

  3. Simplify: Reduce complexity where possible

  4. Ship: Get to working version, iterate later

Workflow Patterns

For Simple Apps (Hours to Days)

  1. Design data structure (30 min)

  2. Write comprehensive Buzzy AI prompt (15 min)

  3. Review generated Brief, Data, Design tabs (30 min)

  4. Polish UI in visual editor (1-2 hours)

  5. Test in preview mode (30 min)

  6. Final testing on live app (30 min)

  7. Publish

For Moderate Apps (Days to Weeks)

  1. Design phase (2-4 hours)

  2. Build core Datatables and screens with Buzzy AI (1-2 days)

  3. Visual editor refinement of UX (1-2 days)

  4. Feature additions with AI prompts iteratively (ongoing)

  5. Regular testing in preview and live (ongoing)

  6. Progressive publishing

For Complex Apps (Weeks to Months)

  1. Comprehensive design phase (days)

  2. Prototype core with Buzzy AI (days)

  3. Build complex features with Buzzy Functions (ongoing)

  4. AI assistance for standard screens and Datatables (ongoing)

  5. Continuous testing and QA (ongoing)

  6. Staged publishing

Remember: Complexity extends timelines exponentially, not linearly. A "twice as complex" app might take 10x longer.

Success Metrics

Track these to know if your workflow is healthy:

App Quality:

  • Data model issues found per iteration

  • User experience problems

  • Bug count after changes

Productivity:

  • Time from prompt to working feature

  • Balance of AI prompts vs visual editor

  • Rollback frequency

User Value:

  • Feature completion rate

  • User-reported issues

  • Time to fix problems

Maintainability:

  • Clarity of data model

  • Ease of understanding app structure

  • Ease of making changes in Buzzy

Next Steps

Choose the topic most relevant to where you are:

Remember: There's no perfect workflow. Find what works for your project, team, and timeline. The key is being intentional rather than chaotic.

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