Lesson 3: The Setup

Ok, if you're following along, we looked at the tools we will be working with and the project we have been asked to complete. Even though we established that I would like to jump in feet first and start creating this project, I asked you to plan with me. Specifically, I wanted you to think about your project from a high-level perspective.

The answers to the questions from the first two lessons will set you up for success. So here are yesterday's questions and my choices:

• Should all recipes include the same types of general information? (e.g., Prep Time, Cooking Time, Number of Services, etc.)
  
  Yes, of course! This means that we should probably create a topic template, which will help us reduce time to create a recipe and also ensure we remember all of the essentials.
  
• How should we organize this project?
  
  This is a matter of personal preference. We have to think of this in a couple of different ways: 1) File Storage—easy enough - we can just create a directory structure to help us organize our recipes by type. 2)Table of Contents—we will need at least 5 of these - 1 each for: the complete cookbook (print edition), the complete cookbook (online edition), appetizers, main courses, and desserts.
  
• What conventions will we use?
• What styles are appropriate?
  
  Even though it takes time and is one of the more boring parts of the project, consider taking the time to create a style guide. In my case, I want to define how I am going to abbreviate measurements, whether or not I want to use passive voice, etc. Here is a sample style guide to get you started.
  
• How will you receive an approved recipe and in what format? (this is huge! If you take time to create a simple Word template everyone can use to submit a recipe, it will save you tons of time later)
  
  Take it from someone who has had to contend with content created in a variety of sources from plain old Notepad txt files to InDesign files to Excel files, save yourself some time and headache by creating a simple Word template for content contributors who will not have access to your Flare project. In the software world we call these Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) and (as much as I love my SMEs) I never want them within 50 feet of my Flare project as I'm sure they don't want me anywhere near their code. :)
  
  Here's my recipe sample template to get you started.

Check your work and see how your solutions lined up with mine. Remember that there is no right or wrong, there are going to be different solutions for each project. 

I promise that very soon we will start working on our project! However, I can't stress how important this prep work is. If nothing else, it will save you time in the long run! Happy planning!