Frontend Developer #

Responsibilities During Sprint: #

Break down user stories into tasks.
Develop and test frontend code.
Collaborate with backend engineers to integrate APIs.
Fix bugs reported by QA.
Participate in code reviews.
Attend sprint planning, daily stand-ups, and sprint review meetings.
Ensure that UI/UX designs are implemented accurately.
Participate in sprint retrospectives to discuss what went well and what could be improved.
Ensure frontend tasks are completed on time and meet the acceptance criteria.
Communicate any blockers or issues to the team promptly.
Deploy new features and updates to production, ensuring proper testing and monitoring.
Leave detailed information in tickets about testing procedures, impacts, and relevant notes.

The Role of a Frontend Developer in Every Stage of the Development Lifecycle #

Frontend developers play a vital role in creating the user interface and ensuring that the user experience is seamless and intuitive. From our standpoint, it is crucial to involve frontend developers into development process from the initial stages, which helps in designing a product that is both aesthetically pleasing, functional, and maintaining a high standard of usability and accessibility.

1. Research and Analysis #

Activities:

UX Goals Analysis: Understand user interface requirements and user experience goals.
Requirements Assessment: Analyze requirements for feasibility and potential UI challenges.
BE dependency check: Identify dependencies on backend services and APIs.

Integration:

Collaborate with business analysts, designers, frontend developers, QA engineers, and stakeholders to clarify requirements.
Provide feedback on UI/UX requirements to ensure they are practical and achievable.

2. Planning #

Activities:

Approach Evaluation: Evaluate various implementation approaches, assessing risks, challenges, and pros and cons.
Approach Selection: Select the most suitable approach from the options.
User Story Review: Analyze the user stories or tasks assigned to the sprint, ensuring you understand the requirements and acceptance criteria.
Effort Estimation: Estimate effort and time required for frontend development tasks.
Risk mapping: Identify potential risks and dependencies.

Integration:

Discuss the user stories, tasks, and priorities for the sprint with the team.
Collaborate with the team to break down user stories into smaller, manageable tasks.
Work with project managers and frontend developers to align frontend activities with the overall sprint goals.
Define and agree on the sprint goals assigned to you.

3. Design #

Activities:

UI Kit Review: Review the UI kit to ensure all necessary components are included. Contact the designer to address any gaps identified.
Development Strategy: Create a development plan outlining UI components, frameworks, and libraries to be used.
Check for Reusable Components: Identify or create the reusable components that are likely to be part of the new feature.
Mock Components: Develop placeholder components with basic structure and styling, which can be refined once the design is ready.
API Endpoints: Ensure that the frontend and the backend teams has the same view on API and Data Models.
Wireframes: Create rough wireframes based on initial requirements and discussions.

Integration:

Collaborate with designers to ensure that designs are technically feasible and can be implemented effectively.
Collaborate with backend developers to define and set up the necessary API endpoints.

4. Development #

Activities:

UI Implementation: Implement UI components based on the design specifications.
API Integration: Integrate with backend APIs.
API Mocking: Mock backend APIs if they are still in development, based on decisions made during the design stage.
Code validation:: Write unit tests and perform code reviews.

Integration:

Work closely with backend developers to ensure seamless integration of frontend and backend.
Provide feedback on API design and implementation to optimize frontend performance.
Conduct code reviews with peers to ensure high-quality code standarts.
Update the team on development progress using daily meetings.

5. Testing and QA #

Activities:

Self Testing: Conduct testing of the UI components and FE logic - locally and after deployment to dev.
Code validation: Write unit tests and perform code reviews.
Bug Fixing: Fix bugs and optimize the frontend for performance.
Performance Check: If needed, implement performance optimizations specific to the new feature, such as lazy loading.
Accessibility Considerations: Ensure that accessibility standards are considered in the component development.
SEO Check: Conduct a SEO audit to ensure all web pages meet current best practices for search engine optimization. Ensure site visibility and performance.

Integration:

Collaborate with QA to ensure thorough testing of the UI.
Communicate testing results and progress to the team and stakeholders.
Work with backend developers to resolve any integration issues.

6. Deployment #

Activities:

Configuration Documentation: Document pre- and post-deployment production environment manual/script configurations, if applicable, and report to QA and PM for oversight.
Deployment Prep: Prepare the frontend for deployment, including build and optimization tasks.
Deployment Alignment: Ensure deployment aligns with the selected deployment paradigm (e.g., GitLab Flow).
Release: Deploy the frontend services to staging and then production.

Integration:

Coordinate with the project manager about deployments schedule.
Ensure that all deployment steps are followed and any issues are promptly addressed.

7. Maintenance #

Activities:

Production Monitoring: Post-launch monitor the production environment for UI issues (1-2 days).
Documentation: Update UI components’ code in UI Kit based on changes.
Process Improvement: Continuously improve the frontend development process based on lessons learned.
Tech Debt Resolution: Identify technical debt areas and prioritize them based on impact and urgency. Address and resolve technical debt items systematically.s

Integration:

Collaborate with the QA team to address any issues reported.
Ensure that any new requirements or changes are tested and integrated smoothly.

Frontend developers’ early input helps in shaping the user interface and experience, ensuring that design and functionality are aligned from the start. By participating in the initial planning and requirements gathering, they can provide valuable insights into what is feasible and how best to implement desired features. This early involvement prevents costly redesigns and ensures that the final product is both user-friendly and technically sound.