The Formulation Scientist's Toolkit
What is the FST and why do you want it?
It's a smart toolkit for solving your formulation problems, packaged as an interactive pdf eBook which you download by clicking this FST link. It's free and Creative Commons, so you can use it any way you like.
A Smart Toolkit
Inside the FST's pdf I've packed over 100 tools that formulators need, linked to 100's of apps on this site. Each tool is explained and linked to others. Because it's a smart toolkit you can quickly find the set of tools you need. Start with a Product and you find the right Science tools. Explore the Science tools and you find how they interconnect with other Sciences and Products. Still not sure? Use the pdf's thumbnails, bookmarks & search. Everything's connected so you can find all the tools you need for your job.
Lots of apps
Words are fine but there are 100s of apps to bring them to life. Click on a link in the FST and you're using the app in your browser. Then swap between book and browser till you know what's going on. It's a dynamic way to learn.
A self-assembling book
There are 130 short chapters, hyperlinked both internally and to my apps. At its heart is the Matrix - a table with columns of all the Products and rows of all the Sciences, with an X showing which Sciences are needed for each Product.
The book self-assembles from the Matrix. Each time the Matrix (or any chapter) changes, the book can be updated with a few clicks of a few buttons.
Your own megacorp book
We all know that the knowledge inside a megacorp is easily hidden or lost. Imagine your own corporate Product/Science matrix and your own experts writing the relevant chapters. What a great way to capture your internal knowledge ... and it's links across Products and Science themes. You can do this yourself, using any of my content (I'll send you the raw chapters), or I can help you to do it, modifying current apps or writing new ones for your internal network.
Problems?
What if your favourite Product isn't in the FST, or it's missing a key bit of Science, or if there's an error in the text or ... ?
Let me know. I can quickly fix simple errors and add bits to current chapters. An extra Product or extra Science entry will require me to update the Matrix (easy!), create new, blank chapters with the required Product/Science links (easy) then all I have to do is write the chapters which will be much easier if you are able to help guide me.
The FST Community
The FST will get bigger and better via feedback from the FST Community - which means everyone who downloads and uses a copy. Email me steven@stevenabbott.co.uk with your complaints, bugs, suggestions and I'll try to make the toolkit more useful for everyone. If you are an expert and would like to contribute a big chunk of material then, of course, I'll be delighted to acknowledge your contribution.
Action, not blah
The FST is about tools you can use, not blah that you can't. So I've chosen a direct "this is how it is" style. If you disagree, let's have a virtual meeting to discuss. I added some informal comments, clearly marked, as occasional breaks from the main text.
A definitive FST
Imagine what would happen if a high-powered, well-funded team decided to create a real FST. It would be in every way bigger and better than anything I can do. If you're someone senior in a megacorp or leader of some big formulation conference organisation, why not find a way to make this FST obsolete? I, and the rest of the formulation community would be delighted!
Version Information
The FST is 509 pages, with 155,000 words, with 1300 internal links and 300 external links to 200 apps.
Is it worth downloading a new version? Here's a record of changes between versions so you can decide.
- 16 Oct 2023: v1.0
- 30 Oct 2023: v1.01. Minor tweaks
- 29 Jan 2024: v1.02. A few updates/corrections
