Developing Priorities
We talk to a wide range of clubs and groups, and the one thing that we keep getting reminded of is the very wide range of requirements. Every club is different and it’s easy to get stretched in different directions and start to spend resources in all sorts of directions.
We often look back to our design principles with respect to the requests we hear. Design rules absolutely, particularly in web and particularly in our space, when it is usually the non-IT sorts who are using our application. If they don’t get it, we aren’t doing it right!
Here is our list.
- Start with needs . We built this (and still do) to solve our own first hand problems. The advantage of all members of our team being a part of a club is we deal with these frustrations regularly.
- Do less . Give less options and less opportunities to confuse what should be a simple process. Yes it would be great if we could have a complete accounting package built in, but that’s not us, and there are many others who do a great job already.
- Does Mum get it? We love our mum, and we think she is perfect to test our application. If Mum doesn’t think it’s easy, and straight-forward we start again.
- Roll out the improvements…regularly. We are always rolling out new fixes and improvements, it’s constantly changing and evolving because we’re constantly listening.
- Contextual inclusion. Where are our users, who are they and when will they be using TidyClub? It’s part of the reason we’re about to launch our mobile app!
- Provide a solution, not a product. Products get shoehorned into the wrong places, they are usually temporary bandaids. We want a lifetime solution for our clubs. It’s a big call we know.
- Be honest and transparent. If we can’t or won’t or if it needs to wait we will tell you. Yes, we’re blunt. But bluntness and transparency breeds a great relationship.
We love talking to these communities, they have some seriously amazing people running and volunteering for them, and it’s great to further facilitate things for them.