People want answers
In the summer of 2006, as I made the transition from corporate life to self-employment, there were two resources that I revisited time and time again.
Both were generous with ideas, tips and learnings about the world of web design.
14 years later they continue to be a source of inspiration for me and so many others. Their longevity proving that they know what they are talking about.
So what follows is recognition, gratitude and the sharing of some wisdom from Boagworld and 37 Signals.
The Boagworld podcasts started in 2005. I avidly listened to them with a notebook at my side (Moleskine in those days, Paperwallah now), during that summer of 2006.
Fast forward to 2017 and this relatively recent blog from Paul Boag, stills shows he has plenty more to share.
People “are looking for answers to questions.”
It’s the most important consideration when you design for the web (or anything for that matter).
Most people have made a positive choice and opted to visit your website. Someone has mentioned you, or they put a query into search, or were curious and followed a link. They have chosen you because they think you could answer their question.
As Paul Boag says, the first thing they ask is “am I in the right place?”
“When we use the web we have questions and are looking for answers. The job of a website is to provide those answers. Yet too often we are more interested in convincing them than answering their questions. This is ironic as the best way of convincing anybody is to address their concerns. This means answering any questions they have.
Once we have this mindset it completely changes the way we approach our website. We should not start from the premise of “what do we want to say?” We should begin with “what questions do users want us to answer?”
Read the full article:
The second collection of wisdom is from 37 Signals and their manifesto written in 1999.
Some of the 37 points may be dated, but the guiding principles still live on.
Indeed their influence continues today. Their Signal v. Noise blog and recently launched HEY email service show they can still create beautifully crafted software that simply works.
Here are three of the choicest cuts from their 21 year old manifesto.
“We don’t see users, we see people.”
“The people who visit web sites aren’t “users,” click-throughs, hits, numbers on a spreadsheet, or some other form of dehumanizing jargon. They’re your husband, your mom, your friend, the guy who sits in the cube next to you. They’re real PEOPLE, just like you and me.”
“Other companies talk about the importance of designing for the B2B, B2C, C2B, or B2C2B market... The truth is corporations don’t use web sites, people do.”
“You can have the most usable site in the world but if it doesn’t provide a useful, helpful service, you’re just wasting your visitor’s time. And, when your visitors are frustrated, your competitors are their best friends.
So please, be usable and useful.”
Thank you Boagworld and 37 Signals (now Basecamp). You helped give me the impetus to set up my business and you continue to inspire today.
