Netflix goes for phone over email support
“Netflix set up shop [for its call center in Oregon] a year ago, shunning other lower-cost places in the United States and overseas, because it thought that Oregonians would present a friendlier voice to its customers. Then in July, Netflix took an unusual step for a Web-based company: it eliminated e-mail-based customer service inquiries. Now all questions, complaints and suggestions go to the Hillsboro call center, which is open 24 hours a day. The company’s toll-free number, previously buried on the Web site, is now prominently displayed.”
Prototype JavaScript framework: Prototype 1.6.0 release candidate
“The first release candidate of Prototype 1.6.0 has arrived! The core team is continuing its tradition of bringing thoughtful incremental upgrades to the core APIs in addition to performance improvements and bug fixes. Keep reading for some of the highlights of this major release, or download it now for instant gratification.”
Why you should keep your landing pages simple
“In every case, landing page effectiveness and measured conversion increased significantly when choices and unnecessary distractions were eliminated — and the overall design and orientation of the page emphasized the call to action.”
Indian retailer succeeds with designed clutter
“So Mr. Biyani redesigned his stores to make them messier, noisier and more cramped. ‘The shouting, the untidiness, the chaos is part of the design,’ he says, as he surveys his Mumbai store where he just spent around $50,000 to replace long, wide aisles with narrow, crooked ones: ‘Making it chaotic is not easy.’ Even the dirty, black-spotted onions serve a function. For the average Indian, dusty and dirty produce means fresh from the farm, he says. Indian shoppers also love to bargain. Mr. Biyani doesn’t allow haggling, but having damaged as well as good quality produce in the same box gives customers a chance to choose and think they are getting a better deal. ‘They should get a sense of victory,’ he says.”
Tips on working from the most popular productivity bloggers
“Here are a handful of tips on working from the most popular productivity bloggers on the internet, along with bloggers on organization, the environment and more. Instead of blathering, we will summarize and then allow you to read more if indeed you think a point is up your alley.”
Collaboration with development is a handshake, not a handoff
“As designers, we have the opportunity to provide an immense amount of value as the design moves through the development process. This process is best when it’s less of a handoff and more of a handshake; it’s a commitment between the designers and developers. Trust is a key component of this relationship, and once developers learned to trust our design decisions—and realized that we were really listening to their feedback about technical feasibility—it allowed them to focus on writing code and not second-guessing our design choices.”
iMovie ‘08 moves backwards
“I can’t remember any software company pulling a stunt like this before: throwing away a fully developed, mature, popular program and substituting a bare-bones, differently focused program under the same name…It’s unusable, in fact, for anyone doing professional work that requires any degree of precision.”
Biz videos w/ Kawasaki, Jobs, etc.
“Stories are what change people’s lives, and video is a great way to deliver stories. The web is now exploding with free videos (you knew that) and many of them are powerful enough to make a difference…Here are a few to get you started.”
Wozniak's new goal is efficient housing
“It’s like the way I used to make computers”—how so? Woz: Simple design. Think about the right way to build something and take a lot of time to get it the best that can be done with the fewest resources used. No waste. Build it right and with few parts it does a lot. Don’t cover things with more and more and more technology for features. Design them in from the start. It starts with the architect, of a home or a computer, working from a knowledge of the building materials and a desire to choose wisely.’” [via Slashdot]
Photos from Virgin America inaugural flight
“Today I had the pleasure of going on Virgin America’s inaugural ‘California Dreaming’ flight number VX0846 from LAX to SFO. It was a pretty fantastic experience altogether, starting with taking off from the Imperial Terminals Flight Path Museum at LAX and ending with a reception by Mayor Newsom.”
Remedies for the small blogger blues
“Redefine success for yourself. List all things your blog does for you (fosters gratitude in your life, helps you hone your craft, organizes your thoughts…).” [via MM]