The document discusses how websites are often designed by focusing on features rather than user goals and needs. It suggests that features do not determine how well a site meets its objectives or users' goals. Instead, designers should determine who the target audience is, what goals they have, and what the site wants users to do. The design should be treated like an ongoing experiment with clear, testable hypotheses and evaluation to ensure it is meeting real people's needs rather than the designers' preconceptions. The overall message is to design an experience for users rather than just stitching together features.

1. Defying the itch to stitch
Stephanie Troeth
@ BAM Strategy
July 14 2009

2. Quite often, when we talk about
building a site ...

3. We speak in terms of features.

4. + + +
Content article Commenting Shopping cart
+ = ?
Tags Voting

5. Building a site = stitching
features together?

6. It’s natural to think in terms of
what you should be able to do.

7. We study our competitor’s
sites ... and think:
we gotta do one up on them.

8. Features determine:
• How complex a project/product is
• What technologies we use
• How much it would cost to build
• Who would work on it
• How long it would take to build

9. The real question is: how do we
determine this all fits?

10. What makes sense for our users,
and what doesn’t?

11. Many ways to slice the pie:
• who’s our target audience?
• what goals would they have?
• what do we want them to do?
• what determines when we’ve met
their needs?

12. The meta-hard questions:
• when do we need to revisit our
concept?
• what do we need to evaluate?
• how do we know when to stop?

13. Features don’t tell us how to
answer these questions.

14. Some design polarities
?
your users’
goals goals
?
design for design to
efficiency delight

15. Some design polarities
?
browse search
?
active passive
(comment, vote) (read)

16. Quality challenges:
• carrying a vision throughout the life
of the project
• everyone on the team has to “get it”

17. Treat your design like an
ongoing experiment.

18. Create clear, testable
hypotheses for design goals ...

19. ... and ensure your team
shares them.

20. Test, measure &
evaluate ...

21. ... but be wary of built-
in biases.

22. Design for real people.

23. Design an experience,
defy the itch to stitch.

24. Thank you!
http://stephanietroeth.com/
hello@stephanietroeth.com
http://bookoven.com/