If you were not aware, the 9rules Philosophy Community has setup a reading group and the first reading was Descartes’ First Meditations. When I was younger I enjoyed reading philosophy text immensely simply because it’s great to get a different perspective on life that makes you question everything. As I got older I let my career and lifestyle overtake some of these passions so I found it a blessing that Benedict started the group so that I could once again get involved even in the tiniest sense.
I know you may think this has nothing to do with Business or Design, but I have twisted it around a bit and applied this reading to the practice of business and design.
First Meditations
The text is an explanation of Descartes ability to start from scratch with his beliefs. He feels that everything he has learned and accepted throughout his life is false and he must cleanse himself and start anew to find the truth in life. Interestingly enough I find that I do this almost on a daily basis, questioning what is the truth and trying to find the meaning behind certain ideas and actions.
I don’t think I am remotely close to reaching the period of my life where I can reflect back with the knowledge that I have no more room for growth and no more stages of maturity to reach. It’s difficult to question the truth when you know you have so much more ahead of you to experience.
In our everyday lives I think it’s important that we go through the same process that Descartes takes himself through in these meditations. If you run a business and you believe you are running it correctly and efficiently is it the truth? Is the design of the site the best that it could be and is it really a quality design? Really there is no truth in opinion, but there should always be some opinion in your truths (yeah I’m just trying to sound intelligent here, you caught me).
Like Descartes I have become my own deceiver. There are times when I look at the amount of comments on this site or the amount of mentions that 9rules receives and I believe that we are doing well, but then something is there to remind me that we could be doing so much better. The truth that I seek everyday is understanding what can be done to make everything better. How can I prevent myself from not only deceiving my own mind, but also everyone around me? I must continue to question our actions, which I know will not always provide me with a clear answer, but at least it allows me to explore avenues that otherwise my first instincts would not have traveled.
Every couple of weeks/months I think it’s a good idea to step back and start from scratch with the way you view your website and business. If you could start all over would you and if so what would you do differently? The truth that you believe is that you are the best, but does everyone else hold that same truth?
Descartes would’ve made a great business consultant for his skepticism. Of course you would need an optimist around to balance him, but I think we would all benefit from a bit of doubt every once in a while. Unfortunately I go through it everyday, but that’s because I see potential where others may see a deadend. However, you must make sure to not go into a questioning spiral as you will never move forward and will probably drive yourself insane.
Pete Davis, the Chief Marketing Officer of ClickCaster, Inc., wrote to me last week asking if I could evaluate their site which is a competitor of Odeo (my take on Odeo). While my schedule doesn’t allow me to go as indepth as I would like with an evaluation (money talks ;-), I thought it would be a great exercise to point out some issues I have with the site and then open it up to everyone so hopefully they could walk away with some new ideas and improve the site.
Navigation
Without a doubt if they only fix one thing on the site it has to be the navigation. There are a ton of places where you can get cute with things and the navigation isn’t one of them. Lose the waves and figure out how many levels of navigation you really need.
The waves are too confusing to understand where you are on the site and if they are even clickable or not. Navigation should blend with the site in my opinion and not dominate or confuse.
Copy
The copy on the site needs to be improved as well. Looking at the homepage I see two paragraphs and both of them start off with “Imagine…”. I don’t want to imagine, I want to “do”. Figure out what the purpose of the site is and what you want your users to do and help them do it quickly and easily. Avoid the marketing fluff.
Login Form
The ability to login takes up 80% of the top part of the site. What happened to a simple user/pass form?
ClickCasts vs. Podcasts
On the homepage I have Featured ClickCasts and Featured Podcasts. What this leads to is total confusion because the difference between the two is not readily apparent. Basically there are just too many elements on this page fighting for attention. Nothing dominates the page and lets the user know what your intentions are.
Overall
The site just lacks that crispness displayed from professional sites. I’m sure someone else can elaborate a bit better on this, but from a professional web user’s perspective it’s hard to trust a site that isn’t professionally designed (of course that could just be me).
Your thoughts?
Honestly, I think you need to spin off Whitespace to its own domain. Besides the home navigation issue, it’s also confusing to see a directory of the network also being listed as a member of said network.
Mark
As I told Mark in the comments of that entry, I have thought about this more times than not, but never come to a solid conclusion so I thought I would open it up to the audience to help me finally come to a decision. The problem with Whitespace being on the 9rules domain is that the site is a separate entity from 9rules. It’s not the company’s blog because we already have one of those so in that sense I can understand the confusion that it can cause people.
The problems though are that the site is well linked to (301 .htaccess redirects, I know) and is generally well-known throughout the community and beyond. I can’t attain whitespace.com so I would have to think of another name.
However, this also allows for new opportunities. New branding. New design. Anyways, what do you think would be best for this site? I know Keith experienced this a while ago and tried to change domains and quickly changed back so hopefully he has some input into the matter.
The independent web plays a large role in personal branding. Personal branding can land you new clients, jobs and opportunities so I just realized how important a unique name is. I know this sounds crazy and is quite possibly the dumbest theory I have come up with to date (and there have been a lot of stupid ones), but let’s take a second to think about it (please don’t spend anymore than a second on this).
Here is a list of names that should standout immediately in your mind when you read them or hear them:
Each one recognizable because of what they have done, but having unique names certainly helps keep them in your mind. A good last name is key here.
So why did I choose to go with ‘Scrivs’ as my online label? Well, in meatspace that’s what my friends call me and to be honest I have this crazy rockstar mentality going on in my head where I think it’s just cool to have one name and be recognizable to anyone that hears it. Poor Mike Davidson doesn’t have that luxury. Of course with all of his success it’s not like it matters, but you have to feel for the guy because it was that much more of an uphill climb. Damn, now that I think about it, Keith Robinson started in the same gutter. Sorry friends, I feel for you and your struggles.
UPDATE: I take that back with Keith. He started off as D. Keith Robinson and the ‘D’ was always a mystery so that helped to build up his reputation. Mike Davidson just has an ill-shaven beard so if we can start calling him the Klondike CEO maybe that will help his cause.
However, let it be known that just because you can use one word to label yourself, it doesn’t mean it will be successful. Some people have names that just sound ugly or can’t even be pronounced. Let’s dig into the 9rules Member database to see what we can come up with. Ah, here is a good one: Sergio I. Villarreal Pou.
There aren’t that many Sergios in the world, but I do know of a few so just going by “Sergio” wouldn’t work for him. He definitely can’t go by “Villarreal” either because who can pronounce that correctly or type it perfectly every single time? So that leaves us with “Pou”….
…
Hell that might actually work. I can’t wait to see Pou at SXSW this year. Going to be a good time.
Finally look at the 9rules team. I already discussed Rundle and myself, but what about Devroe and Tyme. What if Colin’s names was Colin Smith? The whole company persona would simply be screwed because that name has no aura around it. Thankfully his last name is Devroe which gives him this strange aura of sophistication. And I am sure I don’t even have to go into the coolness of having a Community Director named Tyme White who happens to be black.
I guess what I am trying to say is don’t attempt to run a successful company or website without a cool name because it’s just too much of a struggle trying to make a name for yourself. When you leave comments you want to be recognizable instantly and when people write about you, you don’t want them to have to type 39 letters every single time they reference you.
If you need help with a nickname you know where to find me.
I’m a hyper laid-back kind of person. I think seriously, but don’t act seriously if that makes any sense. I have never been the type to change the way I talk around certain people (well maybe I cuss less), but I try to remain true to myself whlie also getting the job done. As 9rules grows and more responsibility and expectations are placed upon the company I find that more and more people are hanging onto my every word and action looking for a mistake or a slipup. While I don’t mind this because it usually means we are getting attention a lot of people are starving for, I fear that it might change the way I approach things.
For example, when I first started blogging I was fairly carefree about what I wrote about and who I went after simply because there were no expectations placed upon me. However, as the readership of this site increased I found that I was placing greater expectations on myself with regards to what I wrote about and who I chose to critique and compliment. People are concerned that ads change the way people write when I think the biggest influence on a blogger is traffic and audience.
I think though that I am making stuff up in my head because every client I encounter or every member I talk to all seem to be fairly laidback as well and it’s easy to hold a conversation with them. Now the VCs were a different type of story only because they can be very stoic and just take things too seriously.
I guess I am wondering do you ever feel there is a situation that you need to change the person you are to make someone else happy (client, partner, advertiser, VC)? Or do you view life simply as if they can’t handle me, they aren’t the type of person I wish to deal with?
Two years ago I wrote about the use of a ‘Home’ link in the navigation of a site and had this to say:
The Information Architecture of a site is something that gets overlooked by designers for various reasons. One of the lastest IA mistakes that I am beginning to see popup is the lack of a “home” link in the navigation. Many times the logo takes the place of a Home tab, but I don’t think it should be used as a substitute.
One of the problems that we designers have is that we assume that users understand that web like we do. However, I have found myself many times looking for the “home” link only to remind myself a couple seconds later that I should try to click on the logo. I can only imagine the trouble that non-expert users would have.
Now looking at the designs of sites like Work Boxers I see that there is no home link at all. Granted I didn’t design the site (Rundle did), but I find that I am not looking for a home link at all. I have to assume that’s because I don’t navigate those sites like a normal user, but I am certainly not missing the home link by any means so I have to wonder if my words from two years ago still hold true for me today.
The Information Architecture of these sites isn’t the greatest by any means simply because the navigation relies solely on the categories list on the side. Over time the design will evolve to help readers navigate the site more efficiently, but I have to open the question of do you see the need for an obvious ‘Home’ link anywhere on the site? Am I counting on people to simply click the logo and for newbies to press the back button too much? If they land on an internal page and don’t know how to get ‘Home’ that presents a major issue. Hell, I might have just answered my own question but I would love to hear your thoughts.
Rundle just bet me $50 that I couldn’t get 50 comments on an entry here between now and February 1 and of course I had to take him up on it. So I figured I would hold a contest for the person that can come up with the best tagline for either myself, Mike Rundle or Colin Devroe. Examples:
- Scrivs: Runs through ideas like Barry Sanders run through the hole.
- Rundle: I wonder if anyone will notice that I used gradients this time?
- Colin: Got milk? (inside joke)
I won’t even split the money with the winner. I will give you the whole $50 - paypal fees, but I have to get to 50 comments first before judging. Help me out here. And if you were wondering, yes this kind of stuff happens everyday at 9rules HQ.
Oh and anything goes, but don’t hit us too low below the belt ;-).
UPDATE: Hit 50 easily, but keep em coming because the winner will be decided on Friday at 5pm.
There’s a point in a company’s lifecycle where they hit a wall. New products and innovations are slow to come out and the feeling that they are so big nobody can catch them seems to become a company’s belief. It’s these times when the innovators, the smaller companies, have their window of opportunity to make strides and 2005 saw the beginning of this happening. This is the year though that the big companies stop to take notice and wonder what just happened to their market/mindshare. When I say “fail” I am thinking they won’t disappear (although they might), but fail in the sense of what they are trying to achieve and categories they are trying to keep.
1. Microsoft
Microsoft is so far behind in the innovative desktop wars you have to wonder does it even make any sense to continue on with the development of Vista/Longhorn (of course it does, but you still have to wonder). Every new “feature” that they announce seems to have already been implemented in either OS X or Linux and the UI just seems to be made with prettier graphics.
Linux did a great job of distracting Microsoft while OS X was able to come in and start biting away at the mindshare of the public. With Apple using Intels in their computers now, that provides another blow to Microsoft not because you can easily move over from Windows to Mac OS X on your Intel box (you can’t easily), but the fact that they use the same hardware will put a lot more at ease who are thinking about making the switch. Now we are on an even playing field, which was something Microsoft always had an advantage over the last couple of years so we will see how they respond.
more
When I was doing the solo web design thing a couple years back I found I always had a hard time explaining the importance of design to a client. As a lover of great design you know the value in it, but most business people like to hear these things in quantitative terms. Last month I talked about design and getting links, but even that might not be enough to persuade a client. Next I tackled design and banner ads, but even that might not push your potential client over the edge to lay down the cash to pay for your services.
Well here is a more professional study done by researchers who get paid to research this kind of thing. Nature.com is reporting that the majority of people pass judgement on a website in less than second. If that doesn’t show your clients the value great design has, then I’m not sure what does.
Lindgaard and her team presented volunteers with the briefest glimpses of web pages previously rated as being either easy on the eye or particularly jarring, and asked them to rate the websites on a sliding scale of visual appeal. Even though the images flashed up for just 50 milliseconds, roughly the duration of a single frame of standard television footage, their verdicts tallied well with judgements made after a longer period of scrutiny.
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The lasting effect of first impressions is known to psychologists as the ‘halo effect’: if you can snare people with an attractive design, they are more likely to overlook other minor faults with the site, and may rate its actual content (such as this article, for example) more favourably.
Fascinating and a great article to show current and future clients. Looking back at which categories will fail in 2006 and the companies within them, I wouldn’t be surprised to see many fall based on poor design.
Article found via Darren.
2005 was a very positive year filled with growth, acquisitions and false dreams. In 2006 I think you will begin to see the fall of many business categories built upon models that aren’t sustainable for long-term growth. I will try my best to play Nostradamus as I look at a few online categories that are doomed to fail in my opinion.
Blog Networks
Ironic that I start off with this one, eh? Barry Bell is going in the right direction when he asks where’s the value in blog networks? 9rules many times is referred to as a blog ring because we “simply get a ton of sites and just put a logo on them”, but the irony is the “real” blog networks exhibit more of the qualities of a web ring than 9rules does.
As is the case with the rest of the categories I touch upon in this entry, you have to provide some type of value to the end user and many blog networks just don’t do that. Many of them don’t even provide any value to their writers, but since they are so easy to startup and a ton of people are getting caught up in the “pro-blogging” wave they will continue to grow in numbers for a little bit longer before declining rapidly.
Checkout why blog Networks will fail in ‘06 at Work Boxers.
Online Feedreaders
SearchFox is the first victim this year, closing its doors on January 25th and I can only imagine that more will follow. It just seems to be the kind of space where the expenses outweigh the revenues (the tipping point is never reached). There is definitely room for something innovative in this space, but for once this sector needs to step into the mainstream I think to truly be successful.
Digg-Type Sites
You will see a lot more Diggs this year because they are easy to implement and setup and the rewards outweight the risks. However, with so many coming on to the scene, which one becomes the de facto standard? Digg is not without its problems, but it already has a choke hold on this sector and if Kevin Rose ever decides to expand its topics it can truly be a force amongst mainstream web users.
I don’t think however that Digg threatens real news sites such as Newsvine since Newsvine only reports real news (as far as I can tell) or Slashdot, which has a stronger community. Digg reminds me more of Fark with its quick links and short blurbs. Its success comes because of its quick hit addiction. You always comeback looking for that cool new link (the quick link), but usually just leave unsatisfied.
So those are my three categories that I think will definitely see a major dropoff this year. Probably not in the first half as momentum is still going, but shortly thereafter and honestly I couldn’t be happier. Monday I will go into why I think many of these sites and companies don’t make it big like they imagined they would and what type of companies are the ones that get bought up by Yahoo, Google, et al.
