The further LowFlow progressed, the more I wanted to eliminate one thing: pointless searching.
Searching where to install a file. Searching where the data is. Searching where to make a backup. Searching which version to use. Searching what to do when there are too many screenshots. All that time doesn't help the trader trade.
Installation had to become simple
So I started turning as much as possible into installers. LowFlow. The add-ons. The modules for the platforms.
Instead of manually moving files into different folders, the client runs an EXE. A few clicks. The right file goes to the right place. And they can move on.
The paths are already prepared
Same logic for folders. I didn't want to ask the client: "where do you want to save this?", "which folder do you want to put that in?", "where is your history?"
When possible, LowFlow prepares the paths itself. The data is organized. The screenshots have their location. The backups have their structure. The client doesn't need to memorize the software's architecture.
Backups are part of the system
A journal inevitably ends up accumulating a lot of data. Trades. Notes. Histories. And especially photos. So the backup couldn't be a last-minute afterthought.
LowFlow lets you create dated archives. The system knows where they should go. And when the amount of data starts to become significant, it can warn the trader that a backup would be a good idea. Not to complicate their work. To keep them from having to think about it too late.
Same thing with the photos
Screenshots are very useful. But over time, they can become numerous. So their management also has to be thought through. Where they go. How they're attached to the trades. When space starts to matter. When a backup becomes relevant.
The goal is not just to add a "photos" feature. You have to think about what happens after several months of use.
Updates had to follow the same philosophy
A new version comes out. The client shouldn't have to search for the right file. Check which version they have. Reinstall everything manually.
LowFlow can handle its updates automatically. One more step removed from the path.
It's the same idea everywhere
Installation. Add-ons. Paths. Backups. Photos. Updates. Guides. I wanted all these small things to be thought through in advance.
Because a single manipulation is no big deal. But when you pile up ten, fifteen or twenty, the product starts asking its user for work. And I want exactly the opposite.
LowFlow has to be close to plug and play
Install. Choose your platform. Make a few clicks. And work.
Anything that can be prepared in advance should be. Anything that can be automated should be. Anything that can save the trader from searching for twenty minutes to find a file deserves to be simplified.
Because in the end, the trader's time is more important than the software's complexity. The complexity can be behind LowFlow. In front, I want it to stay simple.