FlyDocs

Plastr built FlyDocs as a local, file-based, developer-only framework for their lean team to get more value out of AI. It specialized in bringing structured context and a more efficient usage of LLM skills and tokens into their spec-driven development.

In fact, it was such an effective solution that they wanted to make FlyDocs accessible and usable for external teams, regardless of their development expertise or tech stack. So they turned to strideUX soon after to help level up and productize this raw but valuable tooling.

Though FlyDocs quickly provided value to Plastr’s team, there were a number of early hurdles evident during project launch that didn’t have clear paths forward. First was the highly technical setup process. Next was the UI which was essentially non-existent, as the preliminary tool lived in code and files.

It was also built to function in a single folder but needed to be revised to be used in multi-repository workspaces. And finally, practical user-based controls needed to be built out for both individual contributors and engineering leadership alike, choosing carefully what should be abstracted vs exposed to each primary user persona.

Some projects have timeframes and deadlines. Others, like this one, have an “ASAP” urgency that requires deep focus, rapid iteration, all pushing towards release. Per usual, strideUX collaborated with the team at Plastr daily through async Slack, and feedback loops were maintained regularly throughout the week through regular meetings.

Productization started by transforming the MVP tooling into a cloud layer tool that carried widespread integration across various popular product and engineering tools like Linear and Jira. Next was designing a dashboard that rethought the standard SaaS UI patterns of dashboard + sidebar design, replaced by a more intuitive yet functional UX that flexed to meet different needs across different user roles.

What made this project extra special is that the team used FlyDocs itself to help organize and optimize all project work. This not only allowed the project to move faster, but to experience the ever evolving tool, as it was being designed and used simultaneously.

With the help of the team from strideUX, Plastr was able to transform FlyDocs into a cloud-enabled, product-ready platform. Its seamless onboarding experience enabled a fast integration into multiple beta testing organizations, and even benefitted one organization so much they signed up for a paid version before beta was even over.

Overall, FlyDocs is a framework that serves as an accelerant to a team’s existing tech stack and processes, not a replacement tool. It is now able to enhance how teams already work with AI in spec-driven development. The product’s balance between complexity and simplicity delivered in a distinct, modern interface was exactly the outcome that Plastr was looking for.