Later this year we’re planning on launching 37signals University – a series of regularly scheduled one-day workshops on topics ranging from UI design to copywriting to Rails to product management to infrastructure to entrepreneurship to Getting Real, among others. We want to teach the things that really matter. Insights that make the difference. No theory, just practice.
We’re still working on the details, schedules, materials, costs, etc, but we want to start measuring interest. What sort of topics would you be interested in? What topics do you find under-represented when you attend industry conferences?
We’ll be posting updates here on SvN, but we’ll also be making official announcements on our mailing list. Join our mailing list and stay up to date on the 37signals University announcements as well as product updates, tips & tricks, case studies, and other 37signals-related news.
We hope to see you soon.
Royal
on 06 Apr 09A remote tele-seminar option would be tremendous.
Phil Dokas
on 06 Apr 09Where are these going to be located? Is it going to be online or based in Chicago or a traveling series?
JF
on 06 Apr 09Phil: They will be based in Chicago. We may or may not stream them over the web or record them for later viewing. We just don’t know at this time.
jlarson
on 06 Apr 09some topics:
[] UI Design. A few of these sessions would be good
[] How to make the case against BDUF (big designs up front) with management (internal or client)
[] How to price your web app
Christopher Hawkins
on 06 Apr 09Please, please, please stream them. Us Aussies need some love.
Jonas Cronfeld
on 06 Apr 09Copywriting.
Bryan Sebastian
on 06 Apr 09This sounds like it is going to be (more) regular occurence of something similar to the SEED conference… which (from what I can tell) was a huge hit.
On that note… I am wondering if there is going to be another SEED conference as well. I signed up for the mailing list on it but have not heard anything yet. I have not had the opportunity to attend a SEED conference, but if there is another I am definitely going to attend (if I can get in).
Christopher Hawkins
on 06 Apr 09Actually, record them. Since only streaming them may require me to be up in the middle of the night. Like now.
Scott
on 06 Apr 09This is excellent. I’m very interested in this. UI design & copy writing are two topics I’m most interested in. Learning how you approach a project and what thought process is involved would be incredibly useful.
Terry Sutton
on 06 Apr 09The ways and means with which one might, if one was interested, reduce the number or words one uses in a sentence, so as to effectively communicate with one’s potential audience.
ie: writing clearly.
GeeIWonder
on 06 Apr 09I think ‘37signals University’, while an excellent idea, is a terrible name.
Because ‘unaccredited’ will follow soon, and you’ll show up on lists like this in every state site, and that does you, and the students, and the project, a huge disservice.
No point trying to be something you’re not.
Matthew Wensing
on 06 Apr 09Pricing a product, revenue models, freemium.
Raphael Campardou
on 06 Apr 09Please, make them available online (it doesn’t mean free – I don’t have to tell you that).
Don’t be like those majors, making series and movies legally available only in the US (and them complaining about piracy).
Think globally.
Rex
on 06 Apr 09I would love to see some focus on solving UI problems. Demonstrating an actual UI design process in a teachable way – “here is a need, let’s go through the steps to develop a proper UI for the need”, ending with either sketches or prototype/mockup. Or at least explaining the principles and ideas that are applied in the UI development process.
Zac
on 06 Apr 09I’d love to attend a introduction workshop to RoR or to be able to watch such a workshop and follow along online.
Matt Lincoln Russell
on 06 Apr 09As an independent web developer, I can’t figure out how to get started with version control software to save my life. I’ve wasted a lot of time trying (and failing) to set it up on my servers.
I’d also be very interested in a session targeting PHP devs who want to move to RoR. raises hand
I’ll also parrot the “UI design & copy” interest.
I don’t know what your cost rationale will be, but I’ve only ever attended one An Event Apart because it broke my bank as a one-man shop. I’d love to set up a monthly pilgrimage from Detroit if I can afford it.
Stephen
on 06 Apr 09A lot of 37 Signals’ products started out rather basic and were grown intelligently over time. I would love to see a workshop focused on creating a well-defined yet flexible architecture on which to build in the future, both in terms of programming (databases, code structures, etc) and design (page layout, CSS, UI, etc).
I’d also like to vote for a web version of this talk (free or otherwise).
Ryan Shaw
on 06 Apr 09I’d Like to second (or third, or whatever) the plea to record/stream them online. It seems like flying from around the country (or I guess the world for that matter) to go to Chicago for a one day workshop seems to go against the principles of getting real. After all, that is something that I so grateful to you guys for. you have taught me that I don’t need to go to Harvard to get an MBA to run a web startup, and I don’t need to commute 1 hour (or across the country) every day to sit in an office and work regular hours in the same room as every one else I work with (I can do just fine working from Caldwell ID working with people from Denmark for a company in Chicago)
nickd
on 06 Apr 09I think (as clearly evidenced from your recent GS posts) that you guys have a great sense for closely reading interfaces to figure out what specific elements really mean. This counts for the semantics of words in copy writing as well as layout, context… it’s sort of vague, but some sort of seminar geared about how to read the meaning and intent of interfaces, what they are telling end users, would be pretty tremendous.
Mariano
on 06 Apr 09Please, consider costs for “not so rich” countries. In Argentina, 1 U$s = $3.73 (Argentinian pesos), and a “low” price for “you” may kill me :)
Brad Wrage
on 06 Apr 09Very excited for this! I would be interested in both rails app creation and web UI design. The ability to create a simple, yet elegant web app. Can’t wait to hear more.
Appwerks.
on 06 Apr 09Topics of interest to us would primarily be RoR and approaches to pricing of Web applications.
One option (instead of or in addition to streaming), given the logistics involved, may be to record the sessions and post them on iTunes as shorts or pre-sell season passes for the whole thing or based on the topic (RoR, Getting Real, etc.). You may also host it under iTunes U provided such an arrangement makes business sense.
Regardless, looking forward to the announcement. Good luck.
Adam
on 06 Apr 09Copywriting!
Screencasts too?
Chas
on 06 Apr 09UI design.
I would love to see an interactive demo on how one of your designers would take a concept for a product and how that would progress through the UI design process.
Also a look into how you create a cohesive user experience while incorporating AJAX and other JS improvements into your products. How you would document that as a UI designer to convey those things to a developer.
Marko
on 06 Apr 09Why not call it 37signalSchool then?
Arpan
on 06 Apr 09I really hope that you allow us to view them over the net. I’d be happy to pay for them.
I’m in India, and I can’t find any good training courses in UI design, usability etc here. Something like this would be extremely useful.
Phil
on 06 Apr 09I remember Ryan did a one day workshop in London recently about design / Rails integration. I remember thinking I would have gone to that workshop if it were in Chicago…
So anything related to design and how 37signals moves from paper -> photoshop -> rails templates would be helpful.
And yes, if this were available online, I would pay for it.
qwerty
on 06 Apr 09On a not completely serious note: No theory, just practice. is an insult to any university. Universities are concerned with research and this includes developing theoretical models that have explanatory and predictive power. Of course, I fully understand the pull of student life at a university.
Kris Gosser
on 06 Apr 09If you are going to be pretty open to suggestions since people will be paying for this, I would love to see more explanations around your start-to-finish of a new feature, or the tune up of an existing feature.
It would be really interesting to see your pace, what kind of processes you take, how you debate them, how you refine them, and how granular it can get.
Don Schenck
on 06 Apr 09Cover all of the items mentioned, and more.
Hold 37 different classes, some overlap but each offering something unique.
Call it “37Classes”.
Just a fun suggestion.
mike
on 06 Apr 09I might pay a $1.99 to see one class online
Dustin DeYoung
on 06 Apr 09UI Design and scalable Rails in the form of screen casts, webinars and/or live video chat much like the chat session not that long ago.
test
on 06 Apr 09test
David
on 06 Apr 09NO THEORY. JUST PRACTICE.
Roman Bercot
on 06 Apr 09Lots of UI books and classes focus on cutting copy down to fighting weight. But lately I’ve been having trouble getting any copy at all. People close to the product seem to have a hard time articulating benefits. And good luck getting more than the caveman utterances of Powerpoint bullets…
I’d love some training on how to write good copy, not jsut how to copy edit.
George Tziralis
on 06 Apr 09I consider the term “university” as rather an overselling of the content and context, and I’m sure you don’t need to do so :)
Jason
on 06 Apr 09how much are you going to pay me to attend?
Chris
on 06 Apr 09I’d like to find out more about the process of rolling out new features, for example how to determine when to build a feature, who in the team is best placed to build it, training others within 37s how to use it, then when it goes live, what you do to help support and raise user awareness about it, along with the customer support feedback.
+1 for online videos
Ryan Wilson
on 06 Apr 09It would be great if your training was actually software that taught you, with integrated exercises. So a web-training-application that guides a user from nuby to amazing. tall order I know…but. it would be really neat to supplement your in-person training.
Juan Alvarez
on 06 Apr 09It would be great if you make them available online. I would gladly pay to have access to the videos.
Stephan
on 06 Apr 09Another +1 for online videos.
Surely the value of making a publicly available video archive of these topics (think of the back-links!) far outweighs keeping them private and charging attendees mega $$$.
Christopher Hastings
on 06 Apr 091 vote for UI and for recordings to be made available later, though it would diminish interactive components of the classes.
9 votes for entrepreneurship. I’m working to include the GettingReal mindset into the entrepreneurship process for micro-entrepreneurs and would love to hear you’re thoughts.
Christopher
Bill P
on 06 Apr 09My vote would be for an updated version of the ‘Getting Real’ Workshop you presented in January of 2006. Loved it.
Also +1 for UI Design. Ryan is a terrific presenter.
And yes, I would pay $ for rebroadcasts/DVDs/iTunes of the seminars. Even with living in the Twin Cities it can be hard to jaunt off to Chicago. But I’ll sure try!
nico
on 06 Apr 09UI !!! Please make them remotly available – unless you come to Argentina… ; ) -
thanks!
nico!
Michael James
on 06 Apr 09My vote is for recording them for later viewing and downloading. This way, no one has to miss anything.
A lot of the people you’re trying to reach (myself included) cannot travel on a moment’s notice if you require us to physically attend. I think this is why Getting Real worked so well, anyone can read a book anywhere regardless of their work schedules.
That being said, I’d love to see workshops on design using Photoshop and Illustrator. Just like the kind Jason said he’d like to see in his FOWA 2009 Miami talk. A video of a designer using Photoshop and Illustrator while discussing the hows and whys of what their doing.
Dennis Knappe
on 06 Apr 09Brilliant idea, go go go..
I’m very interested in getting real, product management, entrepreneurship, and online marketing.
Sigfrid Dusci
on 06 Apr 09This is a great idea guys. I’m reading your book right now and I think it is very useful.
+1 for online videos.
Erik
on 06 Apr 09I really hope you consider using video conferencing, even pioneering perhaps with state-of-the-art technology for the sake of the environment.
I’m sure you guys can take remote conferencing to the next level, just like you did with most other stuff you touched.
Perhaps you can setup satellite auditoriums in (for example) several European cities where ‘local’ participants can go to.
These rooms can be fitted with a super fat bandwidth connection to the conference center in Chicago.
The participants are saving airfare and hotel costs, so you can charge each person at least $1500 bucks for bandwidth alone, on top of the conferences fees.
Let’s start revolutionizing conferences!
Scott
on 06 Apr 09Topic ideas:
Concrete actions to take to get people to your site.
Concrete actions to take to convert lookers into buyers.
Bogdan Kanivets
on 06 Apr 09I agree with GeeIWonder, the use of word “university” is not appropriate.
Mitsuko
on 06 Apr 09Please stream…or post the video later. It does not have to be free. Will be happy to translate the video too.
Elliott
on 06 Apr 09At what point did Jason ask how much you wanted to pay! I want to pay $0.02, just for reference.
To ensure there isn’t a disconnect between the views of those who cough up the cash and those who don’t you could allow for the submission of ‘topics I want discussed’ when paying. Your following is enough to warrant that sort of trust without a fixed schedule.
Nate Berkopec
on 06 Apr 09I’d pay $40 to see it live in Chicago (a day), and I might pay a small amount ($1-5) to see it streamed or even just recorded online.
Nik
on 06 Apr 09Topic: How to manage the business side
Paul Pedrazzi
on 06 Apr 09Managing Scope – Determining what is in, what is out. Balancing stakeholder input, saying no to customers, etc. How do you know when you have the minimal feature set.
Business Models – What pricing worked for you. What changes to site design made impact in real dollars. What didn’t work and had to be reverted.
Startups – What is essential in the beginning and what can wait.
Mark
on 06 Apr 09Definitely topics along the lines of your previous “Building Basecamp” /contingency design seminars.
Beyond selling the initial live in-person seminar, you might want to incorporate the two-camera taping technique you use for the HR/BC client videos, then create a polished on-demand version that you can later sell, such as I’ve customized here: (Example 1) and here: (Example 2).
Chris
on 06 Apr 09I thought it would be a free online thing. You know, idea-spreader. With limits of course.
Well, you decide guys. Maybe give some for free, etc.
Travis
on 07 Apr 09Please make this stuff available online in some way.
Karim
on 07 Apr 09I would definitely be interesting in enrolling myself or enrolling some of our employees if the classes were online.
Jack Watson-Hamblin
on 07 Apr 09I reckon there should be some that can be put up online and read. Like and you pay a small fee to download them in say PDF format.
Just for the ones that you don’t need to actually be there to do them.
Or a video of the workshop and then downloads of that can be sold, with a PDF even.
Roman Vorushin
on 07 Apr 09Excellend idea!
Please, stream & record them – it will be very helpful for people from Russia (37signals is well-known here, but visa + flight to Chicago is very expensive).
Tarek
on 07 Apr 09Definitely a lot of UI.
And yeah, unless you meant the workshops were going to be virtual, I also second the whole video idea (unless you boys are including the Middle East in your travel plans!)
Ólafur Nielsen
on 07 Apr 09I agree with emphasizing on UI, but with focus for two different groups:
1) Interface design for programmers 2) Interface “programming” for designers
Wolf
on 07 Apr 09I would love to have remote / recorded workshops since Chicago a bit far from Germany :(
Nick Poulden
on 07 Apr 09Another vote for making the content available online. Making it free would be a bonus!
spingirl
on 07 Apr 09Yet another plea to make content available online (willing to pay – I kno you guys will be reasonable). Can you also cover entrepreneurship/ Business models/UI/ Customer Service with a small staff and other nuts and bolts type stuff.
Sudhir
on 07 Apr 09One more vote for recorded content. Please please make this available on-line.
Wish you all the best.
Dan Bowling
on 07 Apr 09Project management is my top vote. Also, creating accessible webapps that are also robust.
I wouldn’t be interested in physical workshops that are only a day long, but I’d be keenly interested in over-the-web workshops.
Darren
on 07 Apr 09I would attend a workshop on audience building: copywriting to save you from your day job. This is easily one of the biggest reasons why 37s is famous, and the method
I would also love one on building your own tools for success – covering the neato tools you’ve built that aren’t public, but help you stay efficient (blog control, billing, 37s live, etc.) planning and execution.
Ben Lilley
on 07 Apr 09UI Design and copywriting — and for the love of god please make these available online so New Zealand can get some love.
Mike
on 08 Apr 09Actually running a business…chosing vendors, employee relations, taxes, salaries, insurance…
David
on 09 Apr 09I would like to see a seminar on how 37 Signals conned so many suckers into buying into their spiel. It seems to me that 37 Signals is much like the guys on infomercials who got rich by conning other suckers into buying his course on how to get rich. I’d guess you make more money with all your appearances, books and now “university” than you do with anything you’ve actually done. Let’ see, you regularly brag about having what, 7 employees or whatever it is? And now you;re going to start a “university” teaching others? call me back when you have 100 employees – oh, I forgot, “smaller is better”. And I’ve got some farmland in Florida.
And I’d like the troll hat please?
@David
on 09 Apr 09Nice post… uh… NOT!!!
Happy
on 09 Apr 09@David: you see, the great thing is that if you find no value in 37signals’ blog, books, appearances or workshops you can simply ignore them. No one’s requiring you to read here nor to take your time to actively participate by comment. If you think it’s all a big pyramid scheme, then simply don’t participate. They’re not hurting you. You (and everyone) should be using every moment of your time only on things you want to do, only on things in which you find value. If 37signals and svn is not among those things for you, then you are only hurting yourself by spending precious and limited time and effort here.
Bill P
on 09 Apr 09I paid good money to hear that Shpiel. Well worth it – and I don’t build websites…
David, I suppose if you don’t like it, don’t read it. But interestingly enough, (without trying to be rude) you and I are still reading it.
SVN does have quite a “draw,” doesn’t it…
David
on 09 Apr 09“Nice post… uh… NOT !!!”
It was not meant to be nice, the question is, is it true?
Happy
”...if you find no value in 37signals’ blog, books, appearances or workshops you can simply ignore them. No one’s requiring you to read here nor to take your time to actively participate by comment. If you think it’s all a big pyramid scheme, then simply don’t participate.”
Or I can offer my opinion, no? Or are comments only supposed to be positive?
BillP,
Of the 3 comments after mine, yours hits home. If you found it to be well worth it, than that is what matters. And I agree they have a lot of good ideas, and that IS why I am still reading it. But I also think my comments had/have merit.
Happy
on 10 Apr 09David, Thanks for clarifying that you do get value from 37signals ideas. It didn’t seem you thought so when saying things like “suckers into buying into their spiel”. Now it does make sense that you’d be here. And, no, certainly all comments need not be positive. I’ve left my share of contrarian comments.
I apologize for reading too much into your comment and assuming where you were coming from. Thanks for clarifying, please carry on, and I’ll try to stop some of my rambling.
David
on 10 Apr 09Happy,
No apology necessary, my comments were unnecessarily nasty and could have been expressed more politely.
Will
on 10 Apr 09Sounds great! I’d really like to see a topic on usability testing/feedback processes, prototyping, and the early stages of the design process that you all go through when developing a new feature.
This discussion is closed.