You might be asking: what’s up with the blog title Amy?
Nottingham Tram: Shiny and Useful!
It’s a core philosophy thing for me – based on years of experience studying people, software, and success.
People want shiny tools. Shiny –> engaging –> more likely to use. The brain synapses fire quickly. Seeing something pretty allows you to imagine using it and getting value from it. It allows you to imagine yourself being more productive, making better decisions, solving tough problems. It is human nature. We like pretty.
This is a critical element in designing tools to be built, sold, implemented, and adopted. All else equal, shiny is better.
But it’s only half of the equation. It must be useful. And by this I mean, it must be achievable. Something someone would actually do. A mental model or process that exists or is within reach. Perhaps it isn’t a formal or even recognized process, but it exists. The questions are out there, the needs are acknowledged.
For example, it’s easy to imagine shiny possibilities with iPad. A “talent widget for executives,” for example. It’s easy to imagine it being compelling, that executives will be drawn into the iPad widget to solve problems and make decisions. About what?? It’s important to go deep on what the executive actually cares about. What are they really thinking about, what problems are they solving, what dots are they connecting? This stuff needs to be figured out regardless of the device. Just because it’s shiny doesn’t mean it’s useful. Imagining is not adopting, and with adopting comes success.
(note: I am particularly worried about the frightening number of shiny widgets that will be emerging on tablets. Let’s please figure out what would really be useful! If you have an idea that is truly useful, I will highlight it!)
On this blog, I will connect you with cutting-edge “shiny” technologies, ideas, and practices, but I will also provide practical advice on realizing value from these tools – in other words, is it a useful investment?
