Fifty

Some thoughts, about 40 as opposed to 50. First sentence is what you think at 40 and second is at 50.

 

At 40 you are an old young person.

At 50 you are a young old person. So, I’m young again!

 

40: Look at all my daughter’s hair clogging the shower drain.

50: I guess it’s not my daughter’s hair after all

 

40: Honey, we don’t seem to be saving as much as we used to. I think our kids are beginning to cost money

50: Honey, the kids are bankrupting us!

 

40: “Six pack” abs are cool

50: You know, “2 liter bottle” abs are cool and more efficient

 

40: Yes, I just caught the train

50: Why are all these idiot’s running after the train. There will be another in 5 minutes

 

40: 

Fifty

Some thoughts, about 40 as opposed to 50. First sentence is what you think at 40 and second is at 50.

 

At 40 you are an old young person.

At 50 you are a young old person. So, I’m young again!

 

40: Look at all my daughter’s hair clogging the shower drain.

50: I guess it’s not my daughter’s hair after all

 

40: Honey, we don’t seem to be saving as much as we used to. I think our kids are beginning to cost money

50: Honey, the kids are bankrupting us!

 

40: “Six pack” abs are cool

50: You know, “2 liter bottle” abs are cool and more efficient

 

40: Yes, I just caught the train

50: Why are all these idiot’s running after the train. There will be another in 5 minutes

 

40: 

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Look at the video of my kids – Here

Financial Applications: Performance Experience

 

Everytime I buy a Metrocard or Path card in NYC, I’m amazed at the fantastic customer experience of this financial transaction. Think about it: It’s always crowded, I’m always in a rush and there’s always a big scary impatient New Yorker behind me, staring. Yet, I can complete the transaction in under 30 seconds. Think about the number of persona’s this interface had to be designed for (Great Aunt Bertha, Gus, “Bubba”, and so on) ! Everyone has to buy their pass from one of these machines and most people seem to get their transaction completed in under a minute. And there is no Flash tutorial either that I have to “skip intro”! (I actually looked). So, why do I enjoy these 30 seconds? Because I enjoy using a well designed system that followed the KIQAS principal: Keep It Quick and Simple.

This is also a secret of success with designing financial application experiences.

If you combine both parts (the Quick and the Simple), you see that for the user it’s also about “performance experience”. How quickly they can accomplish what they need to, and then either explore other things or leave the application? When designing a  user experience for financial services applications, we must keep this principal in mind. Think of the goals of why someone is using your application in first place. Then make those goals quick and easy to accomplish (and reliable). Being trained in Financial Services Application delivery over the years (trained means both rewarded and punished) has taught me over and over to keep those principals in mind. If you achieve those goals you dramatically improve the user experience and the usefulness of your application.

One of the most important online applications you use is your banking or brokerage application. This is the entity you trust with your money and to help you plan your financial goals. Do their applications follow these principals?

A better question is: If you personally could design the experience you want what would you ask for? Hey, you’re the customer, ask.

Let us know. In my follow up posts, I will present examples of applications that follow these principals and provide a great user experience.

New conduits for spreading political news. Web 2.0 pattern at work…

Another article (NY Times 3/27) on how “young” people are no longer just reading news on political topics, but spreading links to interesting blogs, posts, videos and other information. This includes copies of speeches, opinions and other sources of information. So, that’s not the news. What is news is that the share of Democratic voters under 30 has increased to 16% this year from < 10% in 2004. The increase is less dramatic for the Republican party, but is an increase nonetheless. So, in my opinion, another demonstration of the effect of the Internet and more importantly, how it is now being used in new ways by the Gen-Y’s. This is the point of web 2.0 – not the cool tools, but the way the internet is being used by Gen-Y’s and the change in usage patterns.

iTopia

itopia.

Intel is implementing E2.0 as a way to enhance customer support. Read the NYTimes Article from 3/28. While the article praises web 2.0 for collaboration, a key point mentioned in article is “interactive nature of the relationship we are trying to build” and “listening to what they have to say”. They are focusing on not just an FAQ or better (same old) help desk, but letting the customers provide the information (“prosume”) for other customers. This is a great (and simple) example of implementing tools to improve the experience of the customer not just by marketing, but by engaging and learning from them.