For the diehard fans of Web analytics

"You can use all the quantitative data you can get, but you still have to distrust it and use your own intelligence and judgment"
Alvin Toffler

To all the web folks who swear only by analytics, This quote could not have been better.

Learning

"The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn."
Alvin Toffler

Leadership and Following

"Learning to follow is perhaps the most important part of leadership"

Surveys: What “not” to do : part 1. keep it Brief

More and more people are realizing the need for “measuring” customer satisfaction, or the “User experience” of their websites. It is a good trend nevertheless I have seen many worrying and erroneous usage of this technique. Now, this post is not a tutorial for correctly designing surveys, I am sure there are many books and articles out there.

What I plan to do is to have to series of post which will each point a major flaw in survey design, with a slight dash of sarcasm. I will not give screenshots, and even if I do, I will obfuscate the screenshots.

Why is this a series and not a single post? Many reasons. No, this is not a secret conspiracy to take over the world, or any means for world domination.

• One post will be too way too long. Blogger’s like it short and sweet (see, size does matter)
• It is but a nice way to cure my blogging block (writer’s block) and one point at a time means I have a lot of fodder for many posts. (Look ma, I do think)
• Also, it gives me a chance to ingest a bit of humor in my writings. Jammy, Rahul, you are supposed to laugh at the posts. Not me!)
  
  Size does matter:
  
  1) Keep the survey brief: Why?
  
  I am your customer. I am looking for some information/ product/completing my task on your site and you expect me to leave my tasks to spend my valuable time on your survey so that this information can help you?
  
  Get the point. No?
  Now go on, go on, and finish the 54Th question for your next survey.
  
  8-10 questions are a decent number. Anything more than that will cause surveytigue (survey fatigue) and your customer will lose interest. And remember, you read about the word surveytigue here at masoodnasser.blogspot.com

Better Content Management through Information Architecture: my article published on Boxes and arrows

My article "Better Content Management through Information Architecture" was published last week on Boxes and Arrows.

Content Management Systems promise so much: content is easier to publish, easier to update, and easier to find and use. Lots of promises, but do CMSs really deliver? I examine why Content Management Systems often fail and shows how Information Architecture can come to the rescue. This is the first part of the paper that contains the 4 crucial elements to consider in a CMS implement/Design.

Innovation Frameworks Presentation

Have finally uploaded the presentation

Innovation Frameworks; Remote Usability: User Experience professionals meet-up in Hyderabad

Satyam organized a meet up for the HCI Hyderabad group on the 30Th of October at our Cyberspace office, Hyderabad. It was a very lively event with a lot of participation from the audience. Deepak Namboodri from CA gave a presentation on remote usability testing with a case study. Ashish Tiwari from Cordys had an interesting point on the challenges in "variables" to be considered in remote usability testing. Raman Saxena from CA had an interesting take on different usability methods and combining these techniques for optimal results. Kaladhar Bapu of the Microsoft User Experience group joined in with interesting queries.

I gave a presentation on Innovation Frameworks. The topic was about how teams/organizations can envisage, motivate and sustain innovation. Innovation is not a fiefdom of a few and most of all not only a "eureka" moment. Innovation can be planned and "frameworked". User Experience/Usability professionals can and must innovate for our professionals to move up the value chain. Ashish Tiwari had interesting views on organization culture and its effect on innovation. Kaladhar Bapu made some interesting points on the democratization of innovation. Raman Saxena made an emphatic statement on taking control at the appropriate time in discussions. I completely agree on this point as I have also sat in innumerable meetings where due to a large audience and the inherent need of people to voice their opinion, a lot of time has been wasted. Will upload the presentation soon.

All in all the presentation was interesting and I did not get beaten up/stoned or jeered :). I think this was mostly because I reminded the folks that it was my campus they were in. Another faux pas has to be mentioned. Sorry Diya Sur! Called up Subhashish Karmarkar of Convergys just before the meeting and he was shocked. Apparently Diya told him that the meet was cancelled and he and the Convergys team were heading home! Well, methinks the motive was to take the left-over food home. But I beat her to that!

There was a mushaira (poetry recitation) after the presentations and it ruined my reputation as a poet. Kaladhar Bapu refused to take heed of Diya Sur’s suggestion to give me a platform for my shairi (poetry) at the world usability day 2006 to be held at the ISB (Indian school of Business, Hyderabad). Kaladhar Bapu and his colleagues would appreciate all the help that they can get for this. Get involved!

Will upload the Innovation Frameworks presentation soon. Keep watching this space.

Brand "u"

A brand in today's world has extended from being a mere recognizing factor of a product or service, it is an extension of the persona itself. Here I am talking about a brand in a very holistic way. As a professional, every touch point with my team/client/work is an extension of the brand that is me. What is it that your brand conveys?

You cannot ever fake or put a spin on your personal brand. What you are and where you want to be is reflected in every action of yours. A mask does not work well, it will slip anytime. Your true self will show up. You are a leader by your actions, not by your "title". Your team will respect you, follow you for what values you stand for, and not anything else. Your clients will respect you not for your sweet talking or ego flattering behavior, or how well you "like their way of working", it is for the legacy that you bring.

That legacy is the value that you give them, the integrity in which they trust, knowing that you measure your successes by their success.

Brand "u" is not a "spin". It is a natural extension of your personality.

Cheers!

The "wow" factor in Customer Experience

As a follow up to the previous post about customer experience and wow!

• Wow, Finally I have a life: no more calling the IT folks
• Wow, that was fast!
• Wow, that did not take much doing!
• Wow, that was a fast response!
• Wow, this is too cool
• Wow, this really makes sense!
• Wow, now even grandma can use this

The "Experience Economy"

Am quoting Robin Sharma verbatim from his book " The Greatness Guide"

In this " experience economy" we now live in , the customers
must be taken from a journey from start to finish that makes them
go "wow"

Robin has beautifully articulated what every User Experience or Customer Experience professional should strive for. The wow factor. Will write more about it in my next post. And soon. Promise! Scout's honor!