# Project Workflow

## 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](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/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**:

* [One-Shot vs Iterative Development](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/one-shot-vs-iterative)

**Making it happen**:

* Write informed Buzzy prompts based on your design
* Review generated Brief, Datamodel, Flows, Blueprint, Theme, and Design tabs
* Test core functionality in preview mode

`Flows` are now part of the core app definition in Buzzy. Defining your app's functionality in flow diagrams gives the AI clearer behavioral context, which improves how the brief, datamodel, blueprint, and theme come together in the generated app.

### Why This Improves AI Output

When flows are defined up front, Buzzy can generate app structure with better alignment to your requirements:

* More accurate blueprint and screen outputs for real user journeys.
* Better handling of conditional behavior and stage-based states.
* Reduced context drift across prompt iterations.
* Better coverage of business logic that is hard to capture in brief text alone.

### 3. Iteration & Refinement

**Managing changes**:

* [Making Changes Effectively](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/making-changes)
* [AI vs Manual Edits](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/ai-vs-manual-edits)
* [Rollback Strategies](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/rollback-strategies)

**Quality assurance**:

* [Testing Approaches](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/testing-approaches)

### 4. Deployment

**Going live**:

* [Deployment Guide](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/deployment)

**Long-term**:

* [Maintenance & Tech Debt](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/maintenance)

## 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 Datamodel, Flows, and Design tabs
* Use Buzzy's Versions tab for rollback (see [Rollback Strategies](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/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](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/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](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/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](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/maintenance) 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 Datamodel and Flows for proper structure and behavior
* 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](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/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](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/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, Datamodel, and Design tabs (30 min)
4. Review and refine Flows for key user journeys (15-30 min)
5. Polish UI in visual editor (1-2 hours)
6. Test in preview mode (30 min)
7. Final testing on live app (30 min)
8. 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

{% hint style="info" %}
**Remember**: Complexity extends timelines exponentially, not linearly. A "twice as complex" app might take 10x longer.
{% endhint %}

## 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:

* **Starting out**: [One-Shot vs Iterative](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/one-shot-vs-iterative)
* **Making changes**: [AI vs Manual Edits](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/ai-vs-manual-edits)
* **Something broke**: [Rollback Strategies](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/rollback-strategies)
* **Need to test**: [Testing Approaches](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/testing-approaches)
* **Ready to launch**: [Deployment Guide](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/deployment)
* **Thinking long-term**: [Maintenance & Tech Debt](https://docs.buzzy.buzz/the-ultimate-guide-for-vibe-coding-an-application-with-ai/project-workflow/maintenance)

{% hint style="success" %}
**Remember**: There's no perfect workflow. Find what works for your project, team, and timeline. The key is being intentional rather than chaotic.
{% endhint %}