See that 'About Me' box? Ridiculously over-engineered.
I wanted to add a link to the box yesterday and gave up in frustration. Oh, I knew that I could add the link directly by modifying the HTML directly, and that's no biggie, but I was looking for a way to do it using the provided editing tools.
Firstly there are multiple links in which the solution to my problem may have been found. Was it the templates link? Or the layout? Or the 'template designer' which isn't the same as templates. Or...
Yeah. So in the end I just modified the HTML, but I felt like I had lost. Like there's a simpler solution somewhere but it was hidden from me. There is a CSS sheet somewhere, but I have no idea where. There are defined values somewhere else that I could have changed, but.... nope.
I'm not an impatient person, but it seems a bit much that in order to modify a relatively simple aspect of the page that I need to have anything other than a basic understanding of how it works. I don't have any interest in becoming a blog power user, I just want to set things up, tweak a few bits and bobs and be on my way. I don't want to know the underlying theory behind all the gadgets that go to making up a blog, that stuff needs to stay between the engineers who write the blog software.
The thing is there is a lot going on under the hood on even the simplest looking site. The key questions are if everything is actually needed, and if it's done in the best way to help end users get up to speed in an intuitive and effortless way. I can't say this has been my experience.
The problem is me and my ilk. We design things from the point of view of the engineer who will have to put everything together, maintain it and improve it. But sometimes that's at the cost of the peace of mind of the eventual user, who ends up frustrated that a simple edit button on a box turns out not to edit the box in any way except to change it's title! As I say, that's not intuitive.
Simpler labelling helps, don't call the link that allows you to change the title 'Edit'. Call it 'Change Title' or something. No ambiguity, the user moves on in search of their goal and hasn't wasted time wondering why you can't edit anything once you click on the 'Edit' link. They're not clicking on the Edit button repeatedly thinking This time it'll be different. They're also not frustrated and second guessing their choice of blog host. As a product owner, you definitely don't want that.
But it's hard to see the wood for the trees. As an engineer your in-depth knowledge makes things 'obvious' to you when the reality is someone discovering the system for the first time is completely lost. Or if not lost, not necessarily prepared to devote the time needed to become anything other than passably competent with the technology.
Take a step back and try to look at your product from the perspective of a complete novice. Have a look at the number of times you mention specific terms that are second nature to you, but will mean nothing to the first time user. Each time that happens you're on the brink of losing the customer.
I wanted to add a link to the box yesterday and gave up in frustration. Oh, I knew that I could add the link directly by modifying the HTML directly, and that's no biggie, but I was looking for a way to do it using the provided editing tools.
Firstly there are multiple links in which the solution to my problem may have been found. Was it the templates link? Or the layout? Or the 'template designer' which isn't the same as templates. Or...
Yeah. So in the end I just modified the HTML, but I felt like I had lost. Like there's a simpler solution somewhere but it was hidden from me. There is a CSS sheet somewhere, but I have no idea where. There are defined values somewhere else that I could have changed, but.... nope.
I'm not an impatient person, but it seems a bit much that in order to modify a relatively simple aspect of the page that I need to have anything other than a basic understanding of how it works. I don't have any interest in becoming a blog power user, I just want to set things up, tweak a few bits and bobs and be on my way. I don't want to know the underlying theory behind all the gadgets that go to making up a blog, that stuff needs to stay between the engineers who write the blog software.
The thing is there is a lot going on under the hood on even the simplest looking site. The key questions are if everything is actually needed, and if it's done in the best way to help end users get up to speed in an intuitive and effortless way. I can't say this has been my experience.
The problem is me and my ilk. We design things from the point of view of the engineer who will have to put everything together, maintain it and improve it. But sometimes that's at the cost of the peace of mind of the eventual user, who ends up frustrated that a simple edit button on a box turns out not to edit the box in any way except to change it's title! As I say, that's not intuitive.
Simpler labelling helps, don't call the link that allows you to change the title 'Edit'. Call it 'Change Title' or something. No ambiguity, the user moves on in search of their goal and hasn't wasted time wondering why you can't edit anything once you click on the 'Edit' link. They're not clicking on the Edit button repeatedly thinking This time it'll be different. They're also not frustrated and second guessing their choice of blog host. As a product owner, you definitely don't want that.
But it's hard to see the wood for the trees. As an engineer your in-depth knowledge makes things 'obvious' to you when the reality is someone discovering the system for the first time is completely lost. Or if not lost, not necessarily prepared to devote the time needed to become anything other than passably competent with the technology.
Take a step back and try to look at your product from the perspective of a complete novice. Have a look at the number of times you mention specific terms that are second nature to you, but will mean nothing to the first time user. Each time that happens you're on the brink of losing the customer.
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