ChaosScenario

What You Don't Know Can Kill You

On a recent project, I was reminded of "The Curse of Knowledge," the arch-villain of Chip and Dan Heath's Made to Stick. According to this concept, the more we know about something, the harder it is for us to remember not knowing it.

There's a corollary curse that goes with that:

The more we know about something, the more tempting it is to assume we know more than we do.

You might be surprised to learn how much medical doctors and/or other incredibly bright and useful people know about web architecture and design.

Aircraft engineers are pretty bright people. Lives depend on their competence. They have to know how objects will react to minor tweaks to the thrust, weight, drag, lift, etc, so that when they design an aircraft, none of the millions of things that could go wrong do go wrong, and if something were to go wrong, the plane can still safely land.

They know more about airplanes and flight than pilots.

But would you want an aircraft engineer to land a plane you're in?

If you said, "Only if he also has a pilot's license and is rated for the aircraft he's flying," go to the head of the class.

Likewise, because you know that your customers are 18-34 upper-middle class suburbanites doesn't mean you have even an adequate understanding of how they think or how they behave. Even if you're in the target audience.

In fact, if you are in the target audience you should be especially diligent about testing your assumptions. The Curse of Knowledge does not discriminate because you went to Stanford or MIT.

To borrow the structure of a well-known phrase in the advertising profession, it's safe to say we know only half as much as we think we do. Problem is we don't know which half. - Cam Beck

10 Advanced Features I Want from Apple Tablet

To hear some commentators tell it, Steve Jobs is going to single-handedly save the newspaper industry with Apple's new tablet, which is rumored to be announced next week (Read Newsweek's Article: Five Ways Apple's Tablet May Change the World).

 I wish him, the newspaper industry, and the world the best of luck.

But while we're pontificating about what the Tablet might do, here's hoping its rumored crowdsourcing need aggregation and fulfillment app (codename: iGenie) will pull in my wish list and make it a reality.

Besides the basics -- Music, Internet, eReader, etc., here are some things I'd like to see in the new Tablet. In the interest of time, I'll stick to the higher points.

1. A magic pixie dust dispenser (Credit Joe "YOU LIE" Wilson)
2. Unlimited battery life
3. If not indestructible (wouldn't be "green"), it would be at least highly durable.
4. A 20 Megapixel camera with 1600x optical zoom, nightvision, flash, and macro and panoramic views.
5. Free 4G connection running on a viable unloaded network.
6. Video conferencing that makes it look like you're looking at the person and not the camera.
7. Autotuning.
8. Wireless Enhanced Neurological Projection (I made that term up. Think of Neo's ability to learn Kung Fu in "The Matrix," but without the holes in our heads).
9. A Step-by-Step Guide to Kung Fu eBook (See previous wish).
10. Can be used as a flotation device and re-breather in the event of a water landing.

There's much more, but you get the point. What are some of the features you want to see? - Cam Beck

When can a comma cost you $2 million?

Little details matter. Ask Rogers Communications, Inc.

In 2006, this Canadian company witnessed firsthand how a single comma in a contract could cost them over $2 million.

What they thought they signed:
The agreement “shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.”

What they actually signed
The agreement “shall continue in force for a period of five years from the date it is made, and thereafter for successive five year terms, unless and until terminated by one year prior notice in writing by either party.”

The second comma changed the meaning completely. Whereas Rogers Communications thought only the subsequent extensions could be terminated on one year's notice, the clause created by the comma meant that the initial 5-year agreement could be canceled by either party. Consequently, the rates they were obligated to pay shot up immensely within the 5 year period they thought they'd have the prices locked in. (Read the story)

Details can make or break your website
Hopefully you have good lawyers who will, among other things, indemnify you in case someone maliciously uses your software or website to build weapons of mass destruction. Like Apple's lawyers did with iTunes. (Read iWMD: Why No One Reads License Agreements)

But even with that important detail taken care of, the little details matter in user interfaces, as well. And failing to pay attention to them can be the difference between success or failure.

• Should that call-to-action be a button or a link?
• Should those calls-to-action be together or separate?
• Should the calls-to-action be of equal weight, or should one be given greater priority?

How you answer those questions depend on what it is you're trying to accomplish and what people are expecting to find. But on a high-volume or high-stakes site, if minding the details can improve your conversion metrics by just 5-10%, it could be the difference between profitability and a money-leaking ego booster.

The Web is your petri dish
If at all possible, don't rely on experts to tell you that something has to be one way or the other. Test early and often. Don't be afraid to try new things.

Work diligently on the details. In bits.

• Is the headline effective?
• Is the language on the button inviting?
• Does the button look imminently clickable?

Let the data speak for themselves. You may want experts to design the page and the test, but you don't need an expert to know that a 15% conversion rate is better than a 10% conversion rate.

There are plenty of cost-effective experiments you can run to help you get the most bang for your buck, including A/B split testing and informal low-cost usability tests.

However, the characteristic you must first have is a willingness to fail. Because only through failure can you foster a willingness to search for the problem and design experiments to help you improve. - Cam Beck