Comments on: How Self-less Are You? http://insites.ingenesis.net/2007/07/20/how-self-less-are-you/ into the web & tech Sun, 15 Nov 2009 23:59:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0-beta2-14822 By: Jonathan Davis http://insites.ingenesis.net/2007/07/20/how-self-less-are-you/#comment-339 Jonathan Davis Wed, 08 Aug 2007 13:27:16 +0000 http://insites.ingenesis.net/2007/07/20/how-self-less-are-you/#comment-339 @kyle, man have I been there before. Thanks for sharing. It's easy to say you're a user advocate, but it is a delicate dance with a client to make them realize the importance of the same. I've even had some clients say they agree that the design should be for the audience, and still make decisions blatantly driven by their own "good taste". Talk about frustrating! @kyle, man have I been there before. Thanks for sharing. It’s easy to say you’re a user advocate, but it is a delicate dance with a client to make them realize the importance of the same.

I’ve even had some clients say they agree that the design should be for the audience, and still make decisions blatantly driven by their own “good taste”. Talk about frustrating!

]]> By: Kyle http://insites.ingenesis.net/2007/07/20/how-self-less-are-you/#comment-338 Kyle Wed, 08 Aug 2007 03:18:39 +0000 http://insites.ingenesis.net/2007/07/20/how-self-less-are-you/#comment-338 This really hits home with me. As I work with clients to build their Web sites, this issue of user-centered design and decision making comes up a lot. The clients themselves often respond to design based on what they like, when the design is targeted at the audience. This is when it is good to talk the client into testing a design with focus groups. At the very least, a designer can go out and randomly get feedback at a library or coffee shop. I also experience a lot of frustration when a client's technology staff make coding or server decisions based on what is easiest to maintain, than what will serve the audience the best. It is great to be a user advocate, but can be very frustrating when working with people that are not. This really hits home with me. As I work with clients to build their Web sites, this issue of user-centered design and decision making comes up a lot. The clients themselves often respond to design based on what they like, when the design is targeted at the audience. This is when it is good to talk the client into testing a design with focus groups. At the very least, a designer can go out and randomly get feedback at a library or coffee shop.

I also experience a lot of frustration when a client’s technology staff make coding or server decisions based on what is easiest to maintain, than what will serve the audience the best.

It is great to be a user advocate, but can be very frustrating when working with people that are not.

]]> By: Jonathan Davis http://insites.ingenesis.net/2007/07/20/how-self-less-are-you/#comment-334 Jonathan Davis Fri, 03 Aug 2007 13:01:16 +0000 http://insites.ingenesis.net/2007/07/20/how-self-less-are-you/#comment-334 You're absolutely right. Content is still king. What I was trying to express was that it's not enough anymore to simply rest on killer content. However, you can have killer content about cave men, for example, but if the audience your targeting doesn't really care about cave men, you've still lost them. Worse, you've attracted a different audience that likely won't stick around unless you continue to have more content that interests them. That's why it's important to have at least some clue who your audience is and what engages them. That doesn't mean you lock the website into a singular topical focus, although anyone in marketing will tell you that it will work great. It does mean, you always need to return to focusing on producing the content you know your audience will eat up. That means knowing at least at some basic level who they are, and again, what they really want. Thanks for the comment Zoltan, it really helped me clarify my point! You’re absolutely right. Content is still king. What I was trying to express was that it’s not enough anymore to simply rest on killer content.

However, you can have killer content about cave men, for example, but if the audience your targeting doesn’t really care about cave men, you’ve still lost them. Worse, you’ve attracted a different audience that likely won’t stick around unless you continue to have more content that interests them.

That’s why it’s important to have at least some clue who your audience is and what engages them. That doesn’t mean you lock the website into a singular topical focus, although anyone in marketing will tell you that it will work great. It does mean, you always need to return to focusing on producing the content you know your audience will eat up. That means knowing at least at some basic level who they are, and again, what they really want.

Thanks for the comment Zoltan, it really helped me clarify my point!

]]> By: Respiro Media http://insites.ingenesis.net/2007/07/20/how-self-less-are-you/#comment-333 Respiro Media Fri, 03 Aug 2007 07:44:01 +0000 http://insites.ingenesis.net/2007/07/20/how-self-less-are-you/#comment-333 Jonathan, Thank you for this comprehensive article. I would like to make two observations: 1. The content is still king. I understand that Web 2.0 brought a new approach and that we are provoked by constant trend changes but the content is still in the spotlight and it will remain in this position. Perhaps the "Content is king" guideline could be changed to "Content and audience are kings"... 2. Knowing the needs of our audience is more than helpful but I am not convinced that questioning our clients would lead us to a relevant picture. I think that only scientific researches could answer our questions. Best regards, Zoltan Sebestyen RespiroMedia.com Jonathan,

Thank you for this comprehensive article. I would like to make two observations:

1. The content is still king. I understand that Web 2.0 brought a new approach and that we are provoked by constant trend changes but the content is still in the spotlight and it will remain in this position.

Perhaps the “Content is king” guideline could be changed to “Content and audience are kings”…

2. Knowing the needs of our audience is more than helpful but I am not convinced that questioning our clients would lead us to a relevant picture. I think that only scientific researches could answer our questions.

Best regards,
Zoltan Sebestyen
RespiroMedia.com

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