I’ve been following Rob Conery’s MVC Storefront screencast series since September 2008. At the time, I had just discovered the MVC framework and was looking for information and tutorials on the new (for Microsoft) web application pattern. Boy, did I hit the jackpot. I got more than just information about how to build MVC apps. Rob gave viewers a solid approximation of the real-world development process using the MVC pattern and other up-to-date design patterns and development philosophies. He wasn’t afraid to make mistakes in public, critique canonical process definitions, and then change his mind and pursue other directions if things didn’t work out. He made all his decisions in public for all to see.
Now he’s on a new tack with Kona. Calling Kona MVC Storefront 2.0 is my tongue-in-cheek way to describe Rob’s desire to take the MVC storefront to the next level and inject it with a dose of Web 2.0. He wants to make Kona simple to modify, more interactive and user centric, and less dependent on any one technology stack. Yes, Rob really works for Microsoft. If this is the new face of Microsoft, bring it on.
In his latest screencast and in his MIX09 talk, he states boldly that application architecture doesn’t matter. This may sound like flame bait, and it may be, but that is not exactly his point. Architecture is just as important as it’s always been. What he is saying is that having a good application architecture isn’t enough. What also matters is the experience for administrators and end users. Just because an application my have beautiful architecture, scales well, is easily extended, and provides for all required functionality, doesn’t make an application successful in the market or in the eyes of users.
All in all, Rob is reminding developers and application builders that what matters most is what users want and need. Sound familiar?