SensoryMetrics

SM friend Amanda Fisackerly of Fizz-Biz sends us an interesting quote from US president Coolidge (1923–1929) in the context of product success.

‘Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence
Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent
Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb
Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts
Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent’

So would Calvin be a PC or a Mac? An iPod or a Zune? A Segway or a Toyota?

He’s got a point!

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Australian personal trainer Kat Eden has just posted 9 Secrets of Truly Happy People on Dumb Little Man. Well worth reading, but for now here’s the 10-second version:

1. They know what really matters
2. Choose just 2-3 important projects for each year
3. They put time aside for them each day
4. They surround themselves with people who motivate, inspire or build them up
5. Happy people eat well
6. They take time to play or to just ‘be’
7. They learn not to make excuses, justify, or cop out
8. Happy people take time to be grateful – for themselves and for others
9. They get something done

Got me thinking. Can we apply the same principles to product design and create something that just screams happiness?

1. Know what really matters. Product design should re-enforce the key value proposition: what’s the big idea? What significant problem are you solving?
2. Choose 2-3 important projects each year. Once a product launches, the dance begins. Customers want new features, bugs have to be fixed, and the product needs to grow to meet a maturing customer base. Too often, the little nasty projects cloud the path to 2 or 3 significant innovations that could be released every year!
3. Find the time for the important projects. Big projects take a lot of planning and attention. Having the discipline to move the yardstick even a little each day is critical. Otherwise, day-to-day minutiae takes over. The project will never see the light of day.
4. Surround the product with people who motivate, inspire or build them up. Find out who’s passionate about your product. Find out why? Whatever they say, do more of it!
5. Happy people eat well. It’s almost a cliche now – happy employees = happy customers. Happy developers = happy product. Why is this so difficult for some companies? Treat people, customers, and your product with respect.
6. Find a place to just be. Everyone needs a resting state – where you can just breathe and have a broad view of your world. It’s my opinion that products that offer a wide perspective of its status results in a happier product.
7. No excuses, justify, or cop out. Set expectations from the onset. Marketing usually focuses on what a product does. I find it refreshing when they offer information on what it doesn’t do.
8. Be grateful. Sure, the sales team thanks the customer. But is the product thanking them as well. Reward your power-users with added value. The more they use it, the more invaluable it becomes.
9. Get something done. Of course your product does something, otherwise nobody would have bought it. If your product does a lot of “behind the scenes” work – let the user know about it. Boast about all the hard work it’s doing.

Is your product truly happy?

Happy Product via the awesome Films of Mark Osborne

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SM friend (and former NCI CTO) David Cuddy sent us some great info links from Aastra – the current manufacturer of the Vista VoIP phones. The “create your own phone app” is something we just HAD to try!!

Here’s Dave:

Although this forum is focused on the Vista/PowerTouch 350, some visitors may have its successor, the Vista 390. Or be considering getting a 390 as a replacement for a dead/dying 350. Here is a useful link to a PDF file that explains how to erase the old Bell iSelect ADSI scripts (or presumably ADSI programming of any kind) and restore the set to factory defaults:

The PDF file contains a link to a page on the Aastra web site that allows one to program the softkeys on the 390.

It’s pretty slick – you fill out a pair of web forms to configure two pages of Vista softkeys and labels, and then phone up an ADSI server at Aastra. The server downloads the requisite ADSI script into your phone. Automagically, your phone’s softkeys get configured just as you like them.
I don’t know if it works with a Vista 350.
No warranty expressed or implied.

Thanks Dave!

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The 5th annual World Usability Day is coming up on November 12th. This is where people raise money to rid the planet of usability once and for all!

Ok not really.

It’s meant to showcase usability research and draw attention to design issues such as sustainability. What it usually becomes though is a scattering of intellectuals “preaching to the converted”. At its worse, it’s a platform for the “usability industry” to justify their existence.

It is perhaps ironic that the WUD web site is in itself barely usable. Navigation of planned events is scattered across map views, country views and other non-sensical paradigms. Nothing stands out and everything sticks out!

In of itself, usability is a good thing. But more often than not usability professionals take “ease of use” out of the business context which results into a weaker whole-product experience. But then, I’ve ranted about this before!

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As most of you know, Jobe Roberts (Sensorymetrics co-founder and eclectic web-genius) was raised in a travelling circus during the great depression. He helped his family survive by perfecting his unicycle showmanship. Unicycle frenzy ensued.

Honda has now jumped on the unicycle bandwagon. The UX3 is a personal mobility device that claims 360 degree motion. Its battery will provide for 1 hour of one-wheeled fun.

So what do you think – will Honda’s UX3 be the iPod or the Zune of the electric unicycle market?? What would Segway do??

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Nothing should really surprise us when it comes to Twitter. Fabulous kiddie-host / porn-theatre-patron Pee-Wee Herman began tweeting yesterday. 4 tweets thus far, 20,621 followers!

All this to promote his new live stage show premiering November 8th in Hollywood.

It’s all just a wonderful game, isn’t it?

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Milton street is a lovely historic New York neighbourhood. I remember walking down there 15 years ago. Suddenly, strange real estates signs are popping up. Fake signs. Jules Cobb Real Estate points to ABC’s new show Cougar Town, starring head cat, Courteney Cox. I’m not really sure about the marketing savvy here. Or how the real estate industry is reacting. Are property prices affected by a concentration of lustful MILFs? Up? or Down?

via New York Shitty

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User Experience is reaching the wonder wilds of New York City artists!

via Animal New York

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Our Who hijacked “User Experience” post from last week generated some interesting comments from the User Experience professionals group on LinkedIn. Here’s a sample:

From: Matthieu Mingasson, Head of User Experience Department at Ogilvy Interactive

There is indeed an overlaping between User Experience Design and Marketing: it is called Experience Planning. Data analysis, benchmarking and user researches have to be done when a project starts. Marketing specialists are obviously in good position to do it. I don’t see it as a problem but just as a real subject shared by different professional profiles.
As you know, UXD is larger than strategic. It’s also tactic. For instance, Interaction Design, as a part of UXD, is needed to implement solid design. This part cannot be hijacked by marketing professionals. It’s way too far from their expertise and abilities.

From: Carl Turner, MBA candidate at Jenkins Graduate School of Management – NC State University

Marketers learn upfront analysis as “voice of the customer” and “lead user analysis.” It would benefit UX designers to find out what marketers are learning about upfront analysis, since they’re doing a lot of the same things if they’re practicing user centered design.

From: Matt Dickson, eCommerce Marketing Consultant at Aviva Australia

…it is all about working collaboratively – marketing teams have access to and should be considering the 7p’s – one of which “Physical Evidence” relates to the online experience. Marketers need to look at the broader customer experience too, so they may well have ideas about how the online experience needs to interact with the offline experience of a company.

They should also hold the customer view and understand the customer, and know how existing company processes, online and offline, need to integrate to create the best overall customer experience.

We’re not hijacking the process as I see it, simply contributing what we know to ensure a holistic approach is taken.

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