Here’s an example from today’s emailer:

While every other company is trying to spam me, sell my email address, and cross-sell the hell out of me, they politely ask if I even want to keep receiving their emails. While everyone else buries an “unsubscribe” link in 6pt type in the footer, they flat-out ask me. Remember this isn’t a catalog that costs $2.50 to print and mail- it’s an email that is essentially free to send. It’s not about benefitting them. They’re asking because they would like to be asked if our roles were switched. Brand equity attained.

“When an AT&T representative suggested to one of Jobs’ deputies that the Apple CEO wear a suit to meet with AT&T’s board of directors, he was told, “We’re Apple. We don’t wear suits. We don’t even own suits.”

I don’t really believe that happened, -but I would love to think it did. via df

“We had about three weeks to prepare,” Evangelist says. He and another employee went to work creating beautiful mock-ups depicting the perfect interface for the new program. On the appointed day, Evangelist and the rest of the team gathered in the boardroom. They’d brought page after page of prototype screen shots showing the new program’s various windows and menu options, along with paragraphs of documentation describing how the app would work.

“Then Steve comes in,” Evangelist recalls. “He doesn’t look at any of our work. He picks up a marker and goes over to the whiteboard. He draws a rectangle. ‘Here’s the new application,’ he says. ‘It’s got one window. You drag your video into the window. Then you click the button that says burn. That’s it. That’s what we’re going to make.’ “

The whole article is worth a read http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/147/apple-nation.html

“And that, for me, is the key. Anyone can make something. But to make something great, you have to find the courage to ditch the things dribbling along at half-past average. I’ve spent the last few years juggling projects and hobbies, abandoning a few to let others shine. It hurts to give up, but I know that my small successes wouldn’t have happened otherwise. Sometimes, the right thing to do is to move on and not hang on.
Abandon your crap. You’ll be amazed at what thrives in its place.”

- http://modernerd.com/post/328572255/the-importance-of-abandoning-crap

I wrote a bit about the same thing here a while back.

“Your customer doesn’t care about any of the other crap that you want to throw onto the product page. Get rid of it; put it elsewhere. “

http://mattgemmell.com/2010/06/20/your-apps-website-sucks

Great article. And a really nice addition to the Fusion Network where we advertise often.

This dialog is about the iPad vs. the PC. But this conversation could not be relevant without the internet connected application.

“I was asked for a comparison via email, and rather than pretend like a competitor doesn’t exist and keep silent about it on my blog, I’m comfortable addressing it (oh no! giving traffic and attention to a competitor!) and clarifying the differences.”

Bravery like this combined with clear-headedness is tough to come by. Read more

The shop I want.
This article cuts to the heart of ecommerce better than all the old “long tail” articles ever did. The real problem of online retail is how to take a commodity and make it precious. When everything is mass produced, and can be shipped anywhere cheaply you have only two options. Carry exclusive products, or curate your product selection so that people rely on your opinion. No more coasting. Having the product is not enough anymore.

A new bank.
There is a lot of money to be made in simplifying people’s lives. Apple knows it. Netflix knows it. Zappos knows it. One day the entrenched institutions of this world will feel the pressure consumers can exert. Telephone companies, cable companies, TV stations, book publishers, and newspapers are all starting to feel the pinch. Consumers are no longer powerless, and any industry that is baking in a long stewed soup of apathy to consumer needs is in for a wakeup. Banks- you are on the list.

Is less more complicated?
Even though the Humane Interface made me want to take a nap really bad, I loved it. Aza has his dad’s gift for cutting through garbage, and seeing the way interaction really works. This article is superficially about the standard one button garage door opener. But it’s about a whole lot more… (I think the ideal solution is a slider like on the iPhone home screen.)