In the world of website design there is this lovely idea of 'user experience'. I've become quite interested in user experience. Personally, I've always been very definitive about sites I love to use and those I don't. My opinion on how a company relates to me has been heavily influenced by the way they let me experience them.
As I've worked with clients over the past few months I've felt like this idea of the user's experience is the thing that I've been driving at, I now have a handy phrase for it. I love the way the web has driven us to discover these ideas and make them part of our everyday experience.
There's an interesting article here from a company that help businesses create amazing user experiences on their websites - they've helped some of my favourite sites so I think they know their stuff. Flow Interactive - What makes us happy what makes us stupid
Thursday, 31 July 2008
Sunday, 13 July 2008
What do you want to use your phone for?
Still on the subject of the E27 Unconference, I was at a session on Mobile Platforms. Aside from lots of techie conundrums, the discussion centered around how people actually use their mobiles, what they mean to people and the iphone.
Since then I've been thinking about what I want to use my phone for. Here's my list so far:
What do you think? What do we want to really use our phones for? How do we want businesses to talk to us?
I'm plotting interface designs now...
Since then I've been thinking about what I want to use my phone for. Here's my list so far:
- Phone calls, taking pictures and listening to my music. I'd want to upload pics straight to Picasa too.
- SMS - With option to SMS ideas I have and things people tell me into my email inbox.
- Check my Google account for calender and contact details. I'd want to be able to upload info back to these places too.
- Request recommendations for near-by restaurants, hotels and bars from reviewers who like stuff I like - I'd want a short description, with the option to SMS the place to get directions and make bookings. Oh and I'd like it to be able to translate the message into the local language!
- Street maps specific to my location with nearest public transport info included.
- Location of nearest public toilet, decent coffee, post office, ATM for my bank and perhaps news on whether any of my mates are near-by.
What do you think? What do we want to really use our phones for? How do we want businesses to talk to us?
I'm plotting interface designs now...
It all starts with a great idea
Yesterday I was surrounded by geeks. At the E27 Unconference for web start-ups I got over excited about the amount of good ideas and clever people there are in my community. Here's a list of the most interesting groups I saw.
Homespace- Beautifully easy to use website for finding homes. Map based, it also includes a price comparison so you can see how much people have been paying for similar property.
ZopIM - Chat with the people who are currently visiting your website. There's no need to log into Messenger, it's integrated into your site. The businesses' end also collates data about your visitors.
GoThere - Another beautifully functional website. Type in any two places to get maps, directions and public transport info (including cost and journey duration).
Homespace- Beautifully easy to use website for finding homes. Map based, it also includes a price comparison so you can see how much people have been paying for similar property.
ZopIM - Chat with the people who are currently visiting your website. There's no need to log into Messenger, it's integrated into your site. The businesses' end also collates data about your visitors.
GoThere - Another beautifully functional website. Type in any two places to get maps, directions and public transport info (including cost and journey duration).
Tuesday, 6 May 2008
Facts and Feelings
Is communication just about facts, figures and information? At a recent press conference I listened to people launching a really lovely product. The ideas behind the product were fascinating, but they were being devalued by the way they were delivered. The organisers thought the event was about telling us what to think. They forgot that if they themselves were the essence and spirit of what was being launched we’d get it without being told.
The product being launched was a major art exhibition with the title ‘Wonder’. Art and wonder are pretty ephemeral; they are experiential. We weren’t given experiential, we were told about ephemeral in a pretty conventional, dull and predictable way. A panel behind long tables communicated how credible the experts were. An intro video with everyday people caught on camera in candid moments talking about ‘Wonder’ communicated that the exhibition would reach out to the community. Then came the urgent and vital information about why, when and how.
When the distant experts, the curators of the event, started talking we got a glimpse of the interesting insights and ideas that were at the heart of the exhibition. Behind the table, muffled by poor acoustics and an awkward atmosphere of urgent uncertainty, their message about what it is to feel wonder - to be awed - was half lost. What they did say felt contrary to the reserved, political, practical focus and the lack of creativity.
I wondered what it would have been like if it was all a bit more real; if we’d been able to hear about and connect with the spirit of the exhibition. The feelings that reside in the minds, hearts and occasionally the words of the people who are making it happen.
The thing that’s really difficult for me is that these guys have a great product. I went to their last exhibition. I was moved, challenged, confronted, comforted, inspired and awed because art lets us experience our own humanity. But this energy, this exceptional and unique aspect of the product, was not given a confident airing. It was all facts and figures and not enough feelings.
The product being launched was a major art exhibition with the title ‘Wonder’. Art and wonder are pretty ephemeral; they are experiential. We weren’t given experiential, we were told about ephemeral in a pretty conventional, dull and predictable way. A panel behind long tables communicated how credible the experts were. An intro video with everyday people caught on camera in candid moments talking about ‘Wonder’ communicated that the exhibition would reach out to the community. Then came the urgent and vital information about why, when and how.
When the distant experts, the curators of the event, started talking we got a glimpse of the interesting insights and ideas that were at the heart of the exhibition. Behind the table, muffled by poor acoustics and an awkward atmosphere of urgent uncertainty, their message about what it is to feel wonder - to be awed - was half lost. What they did say felt contrary to the reserved, political, practical focus and the lack of creativity.
I wondered what it would have been like if it was all a bit more real; if we’d been able to hear about and connect with the spirit of the exhibition. The feelings that reside in the minds, hearts and occasionally the words of the people who are making it happen.
The thing that’s really difficult for me is that these guys have a great product. I went to their last exhibition. I was moved, challenged, confronted, comforted, inspired and awed because art lets us experience our own humanity. But this energy, this exceptional and unique aspect of the product, was not given a confident airing. It was all facts and figures and not enough feelings.
Thursday, 20 March 2008
Getting to know The Right Words
Come and hear more about the big idea behind The Right Words at our next workshop. I'll be sharing some examples of real communication and answering your questions.
The first workshop involved plenty of good quality chatting, laughing and learning. Join us at the next one, it's a great chance for us to meet and for you to see what I'm all about.
April 17, 6.30-8.30 at Post-Museum, Rowell Road, Little India. Email me by April 10 to let me know you're coming.
The first workshop involved plenty of good quality chatting, laughing and learning. Join us at the next one, it's a great chance for us to meet and for you to see what I'm all about.
April 17, 6.30-8.30 at Post-Museum, Rowell Road, Little India. Email me by April 10 to let me know you're coming.
Wednesday, 5 March 2008
Being present during my presentation
(First written March 5)
The pun title just popped out of my coffee addled brain, it was too much to resist.
So it's almost a week since 'The right words' philosophy was verbally launched in the public domain. A group of nine lively minded people came along to hear what I had to say and ask some questions at my first 'Finding the right words' workshop. Most of the group were friends, which gave me equal measures of relief and nervousness. As ever fears were unfounded. The evening was relaxed and stimulating. What stuck me more then anything was the way that I managed to stay present throughout. I kept up with my thoughts as my brain created them and my mouth framed them in words. I also kept with my audience and enjoyed some wonderful moments where their questions and comments showed me that they'd understood my message.
It hasn't always been this way for me when presenting to a group. I've spoken in front of people, from groups of 4 to 400, many times. But this was new. I was calm, I took comfortable pauses, I was real and my ideas came out in ways people understood.
So why the change? I went on a a training course. Hang on a minute, a training course? To me it's rather incredulous that a course could really make me change the way I do things. Courses normally give me ideas. I then make a whole bunch of intentions on the way home and put the folder on the shelf next to the others. Not this time. This was one of two occasions where I've been fundamentally changed by a course.
The first time I was shifted along by a piece of training it was a management workshop on using emotional intelligence. After leaving the class, I took the first steps towards overcoming a pretty bad case of claustrophobia. There begins an interesting story which I'll save for another occasion.
The most recent fundamental change happened just a few months back. This time it was two days of presentation skills training. Since that weekend I've felt different, more at ease. I've been more comfortable about communicating and it's changed the way I get to interact with the world. I've discovered just how clarity, confidence and being yourself makes for more fluid communication and more fluid living.
What I learnt stays with me and saw me through last week's inaugural workshop.
Andrew Lightheart is the man who made all this happen for me, you can check out the details of his presentations skills masterclass at www.cobaltcommunication.com
The pun title just popped out of my coffee addled brain, it was too much to resist.
So it's almost a week since 'The right words' philosophy was verbally launched in the public domain. A group of nine lively minded people came along to hear what I had to say and ask some questions at my first 'Finding the right words' workshop. Most of the group were friends, which gave me equal measures of relief and nervousness. As ever fears were unfounded. The evening was relaxed and stimulating. What stuck me more then anything was the way that I managed to stay present throughout. I kept up with my thoughts as my brain created them and my mouth framed them in words. I also kept with my audience and enjoyed some wonderful moments where their questions and comments showed me that they'd understood my message.
It hasn't always been this way for me when presenting to a group. I've spoken in front of people, from groups of 4 to 400, many times. But this was new. I was calm, I took comfortable pauses, I was real and my ideas came out in ways people understood.
So why the change? I went on a a training course. Hang on a minute, a training course? To me it's rather incredulous that a course could really make me change the way I do things. Courses normally give me ideas. I then make a whole bunch of intentions on the way home and put the folder on the shelf next to the others. Not this time. This was one of two occasions where I've been fundamentally changed by a course.
The first time I was shifted along by a piece of training it was a management workshop on using emotional intelligence. After leaving the class, I took the first steps towards overcoming a pretty bad case of claustrophobia. There begins an interesting story which I'll save for another occasion.
The most recent fundamental change happened just a few months back. This time it was two days of presentation skills training. Since that weekend I've felt different, more at ease. I've been more comfortable about communicating and it's changed the way I get to interact with the world. I've discovered just how clarity, confidence and being yourself makes for more fluid communication and more fluid living.
What I learnt stays with me and saw me through last week's inaugural workshop.
Andrew Lightheart is the man who made all this happen for me, you can check out the details of his presentations skills masterclass at www.cobaltcommunication.com
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