Interning at Facebook: Building the new mobile advertising interface

Visit the post for more.

Meta logo
Meta
•
Peter Cottle
•5 min read•intermediate•
--
•View Original
Artificial IntelligenceMVCSpring

Overview

The article discusses the author's experience interning at Facebook, focusing on the development of the first mobile advertising interface for the Pages Manager iOS application. It highlights the challenges faced, the collaborative environment, and the technologies used during the project.

What You'll Learn

1

How to implement a mobile advertising interface in an iOS application

2

Why collaboration across teams is crucial for successful product development

3

How to utilize BoltJS for building responsive user interfaces

Prerequisites & Requirements

  • Basic understanding of mobile application development
  • Familiarity with JavaScript and MVC frameworks(optional)

Key Questions Answered

What was the main project undertaken during the internship at Facebook?
The main project was to implement the first mobile advertising interface for Facebook's Pages Manager iOS application, integrating the Promoted Posts feature to enhance user engagement for Page admins.
How did the author describe the learning curve associated with BoltJS?
The author compared switching to BoltJS from vanilla JavaScript to trading in a golf cart for a Ferrari, indicating that while it offered powerful features, it also presented a significant learning curve.
What were the key teams involved in the project and their contributions?
The platform team assisted in designing API endpoints, the internationalization team ensured the interface could handle different currencies, and the payments team optimized the UI flow for new advertisers, showcasing a collaborative effort.
What impact did the new mobile advertising interface have on Page admins?
The new interface allowed Page admins to manage their advertising campaigns seamlessly, providing features like creating, pausing, and adjusting campaigns, which significantly improved the Page management process.

Key Statistics & Figures

Monthly Active Users on Mobile
600 million
This statistic highlights the significant shift in user engagement towards mobile platforms during the time of the project.

Technologies & Tools

Frontend
Boltjs
Used for building the client-side UI of the Pages Manager iOS application.

Key Actionable Insights

1
Focus on cross-team collaboration to enhance product development.
Engaging with different teams can lead to innovative solutions and a more robust product. This approach was critical in the author's project, where input from various teams improved the final outcome.
2
Leverage modern frameworks like BoltJS to build dynamic UIs.
Using advanced frameworks can streamline the development process and enhance user experience. The author found BoltJS to be a powerful tool for creating responsive interfaces.
3
Embrace mentorship opportunities during internships.
Mentorship can provide invaluable guidance and accelerate learning. The author benefited greatly from the support and feedback received throughout the internship.

Common Pitfalls

1
Underestimating the complexity of implementing new features in existing applications.
Many developers may overlook the challenges of integrating new functionalities, especially in a mobile context. Proper planning and collaboration are essential to avoid these pitfalls.

Related Concepts

Mobile Application Development
User Interface Design
Collaboration In Software Engineering