Why you need people to use you

May 24th, 2009

In this age where anyone can shape the web, we have a shortage of ‘normal people’. Here’s why it matters.

Have you ever seen the words "Subscribe to my RSS" in blogs and such?

You have?

do-not-feed-the-dog

What do you think, hun? Do you really want to subscribe to my RSS? Want to de-neutralize my car’s ABS? Want to hyperbolize the MMS and be my BFF too?

Talk to me, baby.

More often than not, when well informed robot savants who create websites go about, you know, creating websites, they talk like well informed robot savants who, well, create websites. And they want normal people to “get it”.

Sadly, normal people who use their websites don’t get it.

Happily, the best minds in the world see this as an opportunity.

Think: Why do people use one search engine over another? Or use one web application, social network, or email client over another?

Amongst different reasons, “Because it is easy to use” is one big one.

More people are realizing the need to make the web more usable by normal people. Not just in the interface, but in the choice of words. These best minds in the world will help brands communicate in the web, help presidents win elections by organizing the masses, and help any business get the edge in the age of the internet.

So why then are so many websites so difficult to use?

The worldwide shortage of normal people

Yes, my fiends, we have a shortage of normal people. It’s true!

Why? Because they turned into mutant people!

People tend to start off normal. Then, they decided to learn the language of the web, learn marketing, learn programming, and “learn” all this esoteric knowledge which converts them into mutant people.

They forget who they were: Normal people.

Or worse, normal people pay mutant people loads of money to do stuff they don’t understand. I see this all the time. Big brand pays ad agency who pays interactive agency who pays IT mutant graduate to ‘make a website’ and you end up with a 20MB Flash game which requires you to have a degree in aeronautics to meander. “WHOA THIS IS USER ENGAGEMENT HOLLA!” they holler.

Do we holla back, girl?

Don’t. Don’t feed the web with unusable junk. It’s cluttered as it is.

We expect marketers to know this, but they have not forcefully applied their consumer-centric thinking to web environments. This is still evident today, as new web applications, social networks, ‘websites’ and tools flood the market.

Will normal people return to save us from the de-humanization of web communication?

The ‘easy to use’ revolution

More interactive agencies, web designers, and programmers are getting on the human language, user experience design, and usability patterns bandwagon. Programmers, designers, and copywriters are getting in the loop. It’s been a hot trend for a few years now, I know, but it has not hit mainstream.

But it will.

Soon, companies will only want to hire these hybrid-mutant-normal-people, not super-mutants. Businesses which use hybrid-mutant-normal-workforce will get more customers consuming their stuff because it is ‘the most easy to use’.

What can normal people and mutants do about it?
  • Become a usability expert on top of your current profession. Whether you’re a marketer, copywriter, programmer, or designer, learn it, and shout about it for instant career-differentiation. It isn’t hard to learn, just go on Delicious or Diigo or Google and look for ‘usability’ and ‘ux’.
  • Use “Hallway Usability Testing”: Not just for websites, but ad campaigns too. Just get any random person from the hallway to use your web application, blog theme, Flash game, TVC etc and watch them fumble to grasp it. Experts say you avert 95% of usability problems with this alone.
  • Buy a copy of “Don’t Make Me Think” by Steve Krug for starters. The philosophies behind the book will change you back to normal again.
  • The next time you say ‘I need a website’: Remember, you want something normal people can use. And if you insist on being unique in how you want your audience to use your website, you might as well sell cars which forces people to use their hips to steer the wheel.

Being unique and new in your ideas and communication is powerful.

But forcing people to adopt new and unique ways of engaging with you costs normal people time and attention, which they might not have enough of.

Afterthoughts on RSS

Let’s wrap this up with a simple, practical example. The answer to my initial question which started it all. What is a more humanized way to get you to ‘Subscribe to my RSS’?

If you want to know what RSS is and what use it has, get this: RSS describes a way your blog posts (or any information) is output so other devices can read it. Like, say, when you want to know when someone’s new blog post is out, you can subscribe to their RSS with a RSS reader…OK Forget what I said. It’s mutant talk.

See this instead. (Can’t wait to get this in my upcoming re-design of my 3 year old blog) It’s one of the better examples of I’ve seen so far…

 

It’s taken from this original article from “Website magazine”.

So forget “Subscribe to my RSS”, just speak like a human! It’s a small step to getting more users to listen, and big step at humanizing the web, one experience at a time.

Cute “Don’t feed the dog” photo by jakobinac

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I’m hiring. Let’s make it happen.

May 3rd, 2009

Last year in early May, I gave up everything I knew to embark on a new adventure. The blog post I made about it kind of set the scene.

youth09

One year later…

  1. Youths and their communities across Malaysia helped our team make YouthSays a real vehicle of influence: 150,000+ members voicing out on thoughts, issues, and helping brands with market research.
  2. The same youths got together to make YOUTH’09 the largest youth festival in history with 3 day, 36,730 youths and 100+ activities.
  3. We’re now profitable, well funded, have the right business partnerships to invest in long-term growth.

And most of all, we are equipped to focus on what we do best…
Build youth communities.

Now, what’s next?

  1. We’re rebranding our company to Youth Asia to better reflect our business direction.
  2. We start work on Monday a new office space to cope with upcoming growth, and work closer with strategic partners.
  3. Immediately, we’re investing in building and enhancing 3 more youth communities in Malaysia.

As you can guess I want to get moving NOW. And I’m not going to wait for the new corporate identity, website, or blabla to come up, all we know is we need to get the right people on board, and make it happen together, so I’m just gonna type some stuff out right here while the world turns:

(If you’re curious about the roles, for yourself or friends, read on and spread the word. Leave a comment on this blog post if you want updates on upcoming job opportunities, or just to keep updated.)

Community Managers

Your primary role is to grow membership, activity, and happiness of online communities, being the face of these communities, bring them on-ground, then online, hearing them out, being with them, and working with them. If you’re passionate about a particular youth community, now get paid to do what you love, and become damn good at it.

We need a few different people for

  • YouthSays: Malay-speaking female preferred
  • A Young Women’s community: A female who feels for issues facing young women
  • A High-School focused community: SPM leavers, If you think you don’t need to go college to get full-time pay, here’s the 1 year internship of your dreams
  • A College/ University focused community: Fresh grads who were active in extra-curricular activities preferred
  • If you already have visions of building and growing a specific community in Malaysia, talk to us as well!

You must have experience in moderating online forums, blogs, managing social networks, online groups, mailing lists, or online customers. And you LOVE it!

Even better if you currently own/ run online communities of your own, or have organized communities for different project online / on-ground.

Market Research – Analyst
  • Your primary role involves servicing existing brands on their market research needs, carrying out research projects and delivering powerful insights and reports.
  • You must have at least 1-2 years of research experience with any of the big research companies.
  • Even better if you particularly enjoy youth research, analysis, and becoming an EXPERT in youth research.
Market Research – Client Services Manager
  • Your primary role involves spearheading our entire online research business. You’ll be given an active, proven youth online panel of over 150,000+ youths, and community managers to support any youth-related research project you can bring in. Take it as spearheading your own youth research arm, powered by a support team and panel of your dreams.
  • You must have proven track record in selling research projects for any of the big research companies
  • Even better if you see the potential to carve a space for us in the research industry, and take it regionally.
Web Designer – XHTML/CSS
  • Your primary role is making us look good. You ensure all our online communities, client project, youth projects and brand properties look great, feels great, is a pleasure to use, and validates with clean and tight XHTML/CSS.
  • You must have a portfolio of work which demonstrates an eye for design and table-less XHTML/CSS work.
  • Even better if you work well with Drupal or Wordpress
Ruby on Rails Programmer
  • You primary role is building and expanding on YouthSays and other community platforms. Ensuring our entire business rests on code which works, scales, and makes you proud.
  • You must have an advanced handle on Ruby on Rails
  • Even better if you have additional web developer superpowers, and experience in managing development teams.
Interns / Community assistants
    • You primary role is assisting any of the roles above.
    • You must have a ‘work-horse’, ‘get-things-done’, work ethic, and 3 months of free time.
    • Even better if you have some superpowers or exceptional skills to boot.
Frequently Asked Questions

Where do I need to travel to?

Kelana Square, in Kelana Jaya. Google it for directions.

How much will I be paid?

For questions on salary, work arrangement and details details details, let’s just say, for the right candidate, we’re open minded to find the work arrangement which WORKS.

Who is behind Youth Asia? What’s the company background?

I’ve uploaded the not-yet-updated company background here. But it’ll show you who are the founders, what the projects are etc. Download it now and know more. Will release the Youth Asia one soon.

I have more questions for you!

I’ve experienced being attacked by hundreds of resumes and hiring related emails, and believe me, things get difficult.

If you want have more questions, include them with

  1. Your professional CV
  2. Links to your blog, twitter, social network profile if any
  3. In your cover letter, tell us why you how and why you fit the primary role, and what else rocks about you which may be relevant to us.

Email them to careers@youthsays.com only ;p

Only eligible candidates will receive a reply.

How to apply?

You guessed it! Give careers@youthsays.com the following:

  1. Your professional CV
  2. Links to your blog, twitter, social network profile if any
  3. In your cover letter, tell us why you how and why you fit the primary role, and what else rocks about you which may be relevant to us.

Only eligible candidates will receive a reply.

If you feel some of these positions suit a friend, email this to them as well.

Or want to work with us but not sure how? Leave a comment on this blog post if you want updates on upcoming job opportunities, or just to keep updated.

I’ll be writing more soon. Keep in touch yea.

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Hi! I'm Khailee.

I'm a wild animal on a mission to realize powerful ideas, connect the dots, and have loads of fun. My weapons include my group of businesses in Youth Asia, my imagination, and occasionally, my pectorals. Explore Youth Asia, or read the About Me page.