Comments for Better Experiences http://www.tawheedkader.com by Tawheed Kader Tue, 06 Jan 2009 13:51:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 Comment on How to improve the User Experience in your Enterprise GUI Application by Tawheed http://www.tawheedkader.com/2008/09/how-to-create-a-better-enterprise-gui-app-with-some-basic-design-principles/#comment-88986 Tawheed Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:38:30 +0000 http://www.tawheedkader.com/archives/58#comment-88986 Pete, wow, you've touched upon some interesting things, so let me respond to them one at a time. I'll go in the order of most-important-to-you to most-important-in-the-large-scale-of-things. <strong>"It's important to recognize the difference between enterprise software and what 37signals preach about"</strong> -- Absolutely agree. And, I think they do to. These days they are very careful to put a caveat on their very strong opinionated statements, something I think a lot of people should learn to do as well. They will be the first to say that the reason they can do most of the things they do is because they have removed as many constraints as possible. <strong>"designing software for yourself (37 signals style) is basically cheating"</strong> -- Designing software for yourself means you are only implementing your own use cases, instead of everyone's. I don't think this is cheating, I think this is the fundamental belief of every small business. It's the large corporations that tend to go after the whole pie, mainly because there is simply more $$$ involved. <strong>"Enterprise software will never be good.…AND it doesn’t matter if it is!"</strong> -- I disagree. The enterprise software market is going through a transition. With a major shift to "Software as a service," companies have to keep innovating to keep their customers (as opposed to the olden days where you were pretty much locked in after you bought the CD-ROM). Also, the consumers of enterprise software are also getting way more saavy. It used to be that they only used a computer at work, but with social media and a plethora of web 2.0 companies targeting consumers, they are starting to see how much more awesome the user experience can be. Because of this realization, they are starting to demand better experience, better UI and better software within the workplace as well. Thanks for your comments, and do hit me back if you want to talk about this more! Pete, wow, you’ve touched upon some interesting things, so let me respond to them one at a time. I’ll go in the order of most-important-to-you to most-important-in-the-large-scale-of-things.

“It’s important to recognize the difference between enterprise software and what 37signals preach about”
– Absolutely agree. And, I think they do to. These days they are very careful to put a caveat on their very strong opinionated statements, something I think a lot of people should learn to do as well. They will be the first to say that the reason they can do most of the things they do is because they have removed as many constraints as possible.

“designing software for yourself (37 signals style) is basically cheating”
– Designing software for yourself means you are only implementing your own use cases, instead of everyone’s. I don’t think this is cheating, I think this is the fundamental belief of every small business. It’s the large corporations that tend to go after the whole pie, mainly because there is simply more $$$ involved.

“Enterprise software will never be good.…AND it doesn’t matter if it is!”
– I disagree. The enterprise software market is going through a transition. With a major shift to “Software as a service,” companies have to keep innovating to keep their customers (as opposed to the olden days where you were pretty much locked in after you bought the CD-ROM). Also, the consumers of enterprise software are also getting way more saavy. It used to be that they only used a computer at work, but with social media and a plethora of web 2.0 companies targeting consumers, they are starting to see how much more awesome the user experience can be. Because of this realization, they are starting to demand better experience, better UI and better software within the workplace as well.

Thanks for your comments, and do hit me back if you want to talk about this more!

]]> Comment on How to improve the User Experience in your Enterprise GUI Application by Pete http://www.tawheedkader.com/2008/09/how-to-create-a-better-enterprise-gui-app-with-some-basic-design-principles/#comment-88985 Pete Mon, 01 Sep 2008 14:59:10 +0000 http://www.tawheedkader.com/archives/58#comment-88985 Great stuff Tawheed. It's important to recognize the difference between enterprise software and what 37signals preach about. However, I think Enterprise software will never be good...AND it doesn't matter if it is! Rarely do the BizDev deals that pay for Enterprise stuff involve how well it was designed or user experience (unfortunately). Compared to designing enterprise software, designing software for yourself (37 signals style) is basically cheating. And I intend to cheat forever. Great stuff Tawheed. It’s important to recognize the difference between enterprise software and what 37signals preach about. However, I think Enterprise software will never be good…AND it doesn’t matter if it is! Rarely do the BizDev deals that pay for Enterprise stuff involve how well it was designed or user experience (unfortunately).

Compared to designing enterprise software, designing software for yourself (37 signals style) is basically cheating. And I intend to cheat forever.

]]> Comment on How to improve the User Experience in your Enterprise GUI Application by Tawheed http://www.tawheedkader.com/2008/09/how-to-create-a-better-enterprise-gui-app-with-some-basic-design-principles/#comment-88984 Tawheed Mon, 01 Sep 2008 07:51:42 +0000 http://www.tawheedkader.com/archives/58#comment-88984 This is my first attempt at writing a HOWTO article on helping to improve design. I'd love your feedback, so please share your comments here. This is my first attempt at writing a HOWTO article on helping to improve design. I’d love your feedback, so please share your comments here.

]]> Comment on Blogging using Textmate by Better Experiences | Textmate Blogging http://www.tawheedkader.com/2007/07/blogging-using-textmate/#comment-88818 Better Experiences | Textmate Blogging Fri, 22 Aug 2008 04:46:41 +0000 http://www.tawheedkader.com/archives/21#comment-88818 [...] in late July, I discovered the wonders of writing and publishing blog posts through Textmate. I was convinced that the lack of blog entries in this blog (as opposed to my previous blog) was [...] [...] in late July, I discovered the wonders of writing and publishing blog posts through Textmate. I was convinced that the lack of blog entries in this blog (as opposed to my previous blog) was [...]

]]> Comment on To my 5 and a half subscribers… by Mahrin http://www.tawheedkader.com/2007/08/to-my-5-and-a-half-subscribers/#comment-12857 Mahrin Tue, 14 Aug 2007 01:36:42 +0000 http://www.tawheedkader.com/archives/33#comment-12857 I have decided to subscribe, so you better make it worth my time buddy! I have decided to subscribe, so you better make it worth my time buddy!

]]> Comment on To my 5 and a half subscribers… by Tawheed http://www.tawheedkader.com/2007/08/to-my-5-and-a-half-subscribers/#comment-12811 Tawheed Mon, 13 Aug 2007 19:28:05 +0000 http://www.tawheedkader.com/archives/33#comment-12811 Yep, I have no control over removing it from Google Reader =) Yep, I have no control over removing it from Google Reader =)

]]> Comment on To my 5 and a half subscribers… by Shawn http://www.tawheedkader.com/2007/08/to-my-5-and-a-half-subscribers/#comment-12788 Shawn Mon, 13 Aug 2007 16:55:49 +0000 http://www.tawheedkader.com/archives/33#comment-12788 It's still in my Google Reader, should it be? It’s still in my Google Reader, should it be?

]]> Comment on Summer Plans: My very own Facebook App by Melvin Ram http://www.tawheedkader.com/2007/08/summer-plans-my-very-own-facebook-app/#comment-12097 Melvin Ram Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:38:14 +0000 http://www.tawheedkader.com/archives/31#comment-12097 Not bad for six hours. I have some ideas for a FaceBook app myself but I haven't taken the time to create it yet. Not exactly high on my priority list yet but one of these days when I'm bored. ~ mel Not bad for six hours. I have some ideas for a FaceBook app myself but I haven’t taken the time to create it yet. Not exactly high on my priority list yet but one of these days when I’m bored.

~ mel

]]> Comment on Am I an adrenaline junkie? by Summer Plans: My very own Facebook App : Tawheed Kader http://www.tawheedkader.com/2007/07/am-i-an-adrenaline-junkie/#comment-11948 Summer Plans: My very own Facebook App : Tawheed Kader Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:28:56 +0000 http://www.tawheedkader.com/archives/22#comment-11948 [...] At the same time, I was also starting to plan out my crazy summer activities, and was dying for some way to show it off to my friends. [...] [...] At the same time, I was also starting to plan out my crazy summer activities, and was dying for some way to show it off to my friends. [...]

]]> Comment on Walk Score by Floor Planner : Tawheed Kader http://www.tawheedkader.com/2007/07/walk-score/#comment-11946 Floor Planner : Tawheed Kader Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:18:47 +0000 http://www.tawheedkader.com/archives/25#comment-11946 [...] I’m planning on moving to a new city soon. The number of Web 2.0 Apps that have been helping me with this move has been amazing. First, there was WalkScore, it helped me figure out whether my new place is as downtown-ish as I am hoping for. Then, there was Basecamp that helped me plan out all the little to-do items I have associated with a crazy cross country move. And today, thanks to Life Hacker, I found the sweetest app that is helping me deck out my new bachelor pad. Floor Planner helped me take a simple floor plan of my new apartment (provided by the management company), figure out the scale of the floorplan, and then lay out the furniture in my apartment according to scale. [...] [...] I’m planning on moving to a new city soon. The number of Web 2.0 Apps that have been helping me with this move has been amazing. First, there was WalkScore, it helped me figure out whether my new place is as downtown-ish as I am hoping for. Then, there was Basecamp that helped me plan out all the little to-do items I have associated with a crazy cross country move. And today, thanks to Life Hacker, I found the sweetest app that is helping me deck out my new bachelor pad. Floor Planner helped me take a simple floor plan of my new apartment (provided by the management company), figure out the scale of the floorplan, and then lay out the furniture in my apartment according to scale. [...]

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