Will Marlow

A lot of times we get really fancy when we need to do things like "usability testing."

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Examples of this include:

• People who think oil and coal cause pollution, and who ignore the fact that there are widespread human behaviors that are wasteful regardless of how clean the technology is;
• Doctors who prescribe medication to treat patients who might benefit more from simple exercise (this one is more the fault of the patients, in my opinion); 
• Amateur photographers who buy the latest full-frame, 21-megapixel pro-model camera from Canon, but who wouldn't even read the guidebook for a Nikon D40;
• Companies that focus on adding new features or “enhancements” to their software, rather than addressing the core reasons why people aren’t buying or using their software in the first place.

We’re on the verge of the 7th decade since the invention of the computer, and I know it’s heresy for a technologist to point people away from technology.  But to solve a problem, you need to know its cause.  And if you are honest with yourself about which of your problems can be solved by the latest innovations, then your quality of life will go up.

Will Marlow is the co-creator of AlumniFidelity, which helps schools and nonprofits improve their online fundraising results.  Email him at will@alumnifidelity.com.  

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The beta tag is one of Google’s brilliant hallmarks.

The beta phase (it can actually last forever) solves one of the key challenges in software product development.  The first challenge (unsolved by the beta phase) is to build software that solves a serious consumer or business problem, which is no small task.  But the second challenge (once your software solve a serious customer problem) is that you can never figure out how human beings will actually use your software once they get their hands on it. That is, unless you have a strong beta program and you watch a large number of your users in action, and you learn from them. 

Google is the master of using emergent data.  Don’t design Gmail.  Let your beta testers play with your new email system until the right patterns emerge, and let them design Gmail for you.  Same with Twitter.  Let the right features emerge, don't airdrop them in from corporate HQ. 

Having a strong beta culture is all about knowing when to stop inserting your own preferences and opinions into things, and letting the end users tell you how the product should be designed.  That’s when the software gets designed right.

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