Build a better mousetrap, and the world will beat a path to your door.
– Ralph Waldo Emerson
I don’t really love any of the apps I use. Some are ok, some are great, but none of them are perfect (my apps included). Maybe it’s because I’m a developer, or maybe I have high standards, or maybe it’s just because you really can’t please everyone. So it’s interesting to me when a new app comes out in an already crowded space. To do apps, unit converters, tip calculators, and note taking apps are all a dime a dozen on the app store. Yet, developers keep making new and better apps in these categories. Why?
Because no app is perfect. No category of app is a solved problem — there is always a better solution. Yes, always. That’s why year after year, Apple makes new iPhones, new computers, and new operating systems. There is never an end. As much as I love to see exciting, new innovations in brand new markets, I’m also happy to know people aren’t satisfied with the status quo. From cars to refrigerators to tooth brushes, we keep iterating, making them better little by little. I love the big leaps, but I’m just as happy to see the small improvements.
I wouldn’t necessarily set out to create an app for a crowded market, but if you’re unhappy with the existing options and have a better way, then don’t let it stop you. If you don’t like what’s out there, there is a good chance other people feel the same. And this doesn’t apply just to apps, but to every product, from iPhone docks to thermostats.
I had the thought last night that if Google sticks around for the next 50-100 years, and maintains Google Maps, then it could actually turn into a time machine. Load up maps, choose your place and your time, zoom around in street view. I can’t imagine how amazing it would be to check out what San Francisco in the late 1960’s. Plus, Google will have gathered much more information over the years. They will show photos and YouTube videos taken near that time and location. They might show relevant news stories or tweets they’ve cached.
Google’s stated mission is:
“Organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful.”
That’s a pretty ambitious statement, but so far it seems like they’re achieving that. If they can continue to do it for the long term, they might become the most valuable source of information we have about our recent history. That sounds extreme, but if you take a recent event like the pepper spraying at UC Davis, you can imagine students of the future watching dozens of first-hand accounts from multiple angles on YouTube instead of reading about it in a textbook.
Update: I just found out just after writing this that you can already display historic images on Google Earth, so they’re on their way (thanks @ahmattox)
These are a few of my favorite pieces of gear that I’ve acquired in 2011:
MacBook Air
I retired my aging 15” MacBook Pro this year, and bought a 13” MacBook Air. Definitely the best computer I’ve ever owned. Having something lightweight, powerful, and with a long battery life has changed how I use a laptop. It’s even surprisingly fast for its size, and I haven’t had any issues with performance.
Ristretto Bag
After I got the MacBook Air, I wanted to get a laptop bag that was small enough to take with me everywhere. The Ristretto by Tom Bihn is a little more expensive than I wanted to spend, but was exactly what I was looking for and had good reviews. It has a padded sleeve for the Air, and just enough room to fit the charger, my iPad, a notebook, and some pens. It’s the first laptop bag I’ve owned that is vertical, and I like the smaller footprint. My only minor complaint with this bag is that pens placed loosely in the front pocket could slide out if the bag is laid flat, but it’s a not a big issue. Also, it’s completely made in the USA, if that’s your thing.
Behance Dot Grid Journal
I’m quite particular about my notebooks. I’ve tried a bunch this year, and I think I’ve finally found the perfect one for my daily, take it with me everywhere sketchbook. This is dot grid, which is my preferred style for sketching, lays flat, and has a nice quality paper. Plus, it’s just the right size. Anything smaller is a pain to write in, and anything larger is too awkward to carry around.
Muji ballpoint pen
I hate most pens. I find one I like, buy a bunch of them, and use them exclusively. These are my current favorites. Comfortable to hold, and smooth to write with. I have both the 0.5mm and 0.38mm. At $1.50 a piece, not the cheapest pens, but won’t be the end of the world if (when) you lose one.
I love hearing feedback from my users. I would love to hear every detail about what they love, hate, or want in my apps. But that’s not always so easy to come by. The users that really care about the app, or are really opinionated, will find a way to express their opinion to you.
But there is a large number of users that would probably give you feedback if it was simple and immediate right when they’re experiencing an issue, or have a suggestion for improvement. You might assume that a user will dig through your site to find your contact form or email address, and take the time to write a thoughtful email, but you’d be wrong.
Here’s two examples of apps that do it right in my opinion. I’ve sent both of them feedback 2 or 3 times, where most sites I never do.
Gimmebar
Gimmebar is one of my favorite new apps. I’ve been using to save design inspiration for the last month or so. They use what is now a bit of a standard for getting feedback — a tab fixed to the left, right, or bottom of the window. What they do differently is using a custom form for feedback that only has a text box, that’s it.
I want the least resistance as possible, and Gimmebar nails it. You really can’t make it any simpler than that. The GetSatisfaction/UserVoice style feedback boxes feel like too much work to me. A bunch of fields and options, to get my feedback into a system to be rated and commented upon. For the most part, I’m not looking to participate in your product’s development, I just want to send feedback, what you do with it after is up to you.
Gaug.es
I’ve just recently started using Gaug.es, but so far it’s a really nice product. They have a fairly standard feedback box, simple and well designed.
Though I’d prefer they ditch the “I’m Feeling” drop down, as I’ve never been a fan of that idea. Feels more like a chore to sort out my emotional state on a minor display bug. If a user can’t find their emotion, they’re likely just to give up.
What they get right is that the feedback link is in their main navigation. That tells me it’s important to them, and not something they just threw in there at the last minute. They put thought into where it should go, and decided to put in front and center.
The most important thing
What they both get right is the most important thing. Both sites responded, and quickly, to everything I’ve submitted. It doesn’t matter how nice your feedback process is if it goes into a black hole.
It’s a little harder to get feedback in a desktop app, but I’m working on taking my own advice and finding an easier way to get feedback in my Mac apps.
There has been a lot written about this topic. So many people on both sides of the debate, arguing one is superior over the other. Brent Simmons nails exactly how I feel about it:
I think instead that we’ll see a more tangled future. Native apps will use HTML, CSS, and JavaScript more. Web apps will appear more often on smart phones as launchable apps. Native apps will support linking in and out more. Web apps will move more processing to the client — they’ll be written more like native apps.
I’ve done quite a bit of both web and native development, and I like them both. They each have their strengths and weaknesses. Over the next 10 years or so, they’ll keep growing more similar until they are the same, at which point it won’t matter. Just build the best possible app, in whatever technology makes the most sense to achieve the goals of that app right now. That’s it.
