Book: "Testify! How Remarkable Organizations are Creating Customer Evangelists"
“We asked organizations to tell us how they’re creating evangelists for their cause, product or service. From the submissions we received, we selected examples from companies that represent software, sports, education, non-profits, training, and free agents.”
Don’t outsource your user support
“On the contrary, put your best people on it. People love getting a personal response from somebody that knows what they’re talking about. You’ll reap the benefits in trust, patience and tremendous value in terms of feedback to the process of continually improving the user experience.”
The evolution of MSNBC.com's redesign
“It helps to have design buddies. In this case, we called on Cameron Moll, Greg Storey and JD Hooge to clean up our latest sketch. Solve this problem. Keep that. Make this work. Explore. Each influenced our final design.” Cameron chimes in on his involvement.
Profile of “The 4-Hour Workweek” author
“just pull the plug. Crawl out from beneath the reams of data. Stand firm against the torrent of information. HIS methods include practicing “selective ignorance” — tuning out pointless communiqués, random Twitters, and even world affairs (Mr. Ferriss says he gets most of his news by asking waiters). Work crisis? Pay someone else to worry about it — ideally in Bangalore. On a bet, [Timothy] Ferriss even hired low-paid, high-skilled workers abroad to find him dates online. (It worked.)”
The power in revealing unpleasant truths
“My fish monger in Grand Central has started placing signs in front of each fish. They describe exactly where the fish came from, whether it’s healthy and how endangered it is. You’ll never see fine print saying ‘previously frozen.’ They don’t have any fine print. The first few times you visit the stand, it’s actually off putting. It takes the romance and pleasure out of buying the fish, because you realize that there’s a cost to it. The meat guy across the way doesn’t have pictures of cows being slaughtered, does he? But after a while, because the information is out there, because smart fish buyers already know some fish is endangered, the signs give you power. They allow you to make smart choices. They send a message to the customer about the honesty and intent of the seller. They build trust.”
“Browsing for new internet experiences” (Financial Times article that mentions 37signals)
“Some argue these developments are moving faster than users really want. Mr Fried at 37signals says they are a product of the competitive race among technology companies, not a response to customers’ needs. ‘I think that to say you should work everywhere is a sad notion,’ he says. ‘You should work at the office, or at home.’ Eventually, internet access will extend everywhere, turning all applications into ‘live’ services – but for now, he says, enjoy the freedom while you still can.”
Get your batteries to live longer
“Modern Li-ion batteries love to be charged often. They don’t like being fully discharged. This is completely opposite from older style batteries.”
Synchronised shaking connects gadgets securely
“Establishing a secure wireless link between two gadgets could soon be purely a matter of holding them together and applying a vigorous shake. UK researchers have developed prototype software that allows cellphones that connect this way. They claim it is both easier and more secure than selecting a device name from a list or entering a security code, as users must currently do.”
Bento is the new personal database from FileMaker
“As easy to use as a Mac. Bento organizes all your important information in one place. So you can manage your contacts, coordinate events, track projects, prioritize tasks, and more — faster and easier than ever before.”
VectorMagic
“This site converts bitmap images to vector art – it’s an online auto-tracer. Just upload your image and we will vectorize it for you. Vector art is useful because it allows you to scale an image without making it blurry or pixelated.” [via Photojojo]
Great video short on Paul Rand [via Panopticist]