| I've been doing this for over 15 years with an invoicing app I have and I've got to know a lot users pretty well over that time. My app is simple and easy to use, and I've made "Training Videos" for just about everything you can do with, and I've had years to work out any bugs that have popped up, so I don't get a lot of calls anymore. But every call is a chance to learn something and improve the app and I pay very close attention to those who call. My approach is that it's never the user's fault, and I tell them that. I work click by click with them to show them how to do something and I tell them if something doesn't work it's my fault and I will fix it. And I also ask them how they think it should work. Before I made my first app back in the `90s I read a book Apple put out called something like "Apple Human Interface Guidelines". At first glance I thought it was a waste of money, but since I'd spent it I decided to read it all. It explained some of the history of the Apple GUI and how and why things were designed the way they were, which was basically on things people were familiar with, like "Radio Buttons" and "Checkboxes", etc. By the time I was done I realized the genius in the approach. I'm still impressed with it. My goal has been to make web apps that the user doesn't have to learn anything to use. That it all works like they expect it should. After 15+ years I've got pretty close now. I rarely get any calls or emails. Kind of feel like the "Maytag Man" now. |
I'm sure there are a set of users who wish your app worked in one way, while another set of users feel strongly that it works in an opposing way. How do you reconcile that?