The document discusses how Medium prioritized quality in its design and launch. It summarizes how Medium:
1) Designed the interface and user experience to invite high-quality content by making writing and publishing feel polished and professional.
2) Launched with established authors who set a high bar for content quality, and hired an editor to curate content.
3) Focused extensively on typographic details, layout, and promoting substantive comments to differentiate the experience from other publishing platforms and compete with print.
6. you can write and publish online articles
other people can comment on your articles
you can share articles
bookmark articles
Itâs 2012âŚ
âa publishing platformâŚâ
7. you can write and publish online articles
other people can comment on your articles
you can share articles
bookmark articles
Itâs 2012âŚ
âa publishing platformâŚâ
?
8. you can write and publish online articles
other people can comment on your articles
you can share articles
bookmark articles
Itâs 2012âŚ
âa publishing platformâŚâ
! no customization options
! no custom domains
! royalty-free access to all content
?
9. ?
you can write and publish online articles
other people can comment on your articles
you can share articles
bookmark articles
! no customization options
! no custom domains
! royalty-free access to all content
âa publishing platformâŚâ
Itâs 2012âŚâŚa new place on the Internet where people share ideas
and stories that are longer than 140 characters and not
just for friends. Itâs designed for little stories that make
your day better and manifestos that change the world.
Itâs used by everyone from professional journalists to
amateur cooks. Itâs simple, beautiful, collaborative,
and it helps you find the right audience for whatever
you have to say.â
â
10.
11. âEverything changed for me over the weekend when I took the time to
write a blog post on Medium.â
âAs someone who writes a lot of stuff and has used a lot of different
writing software, I'm telling you that I was blown away by the quality
of the product as a writing tool.â
âThe entire process is a breeze. And once published, the article looks
pretty good too in terms of typography and appearance.â
âIntuitive enough to seem psychic.â
âBecause it is such a pleasure to work with, Medium has become
something of a fetish object for writers.â
âIt does not take a user experience designer to publish a professional
story.â
âA joy to use!â
âItâs so damn beautiful. Medium has removed all the cruft that gets
between the reader and the messageâŚâ
âClean design, great concept, full of potential treasures to be read.â
âThe best writing tool on the web.â
12. But hereâs the thing: I feel as if the service looks so good
that it invites only the best content that Iâor anyoneâ
can write before actually hitting publish.
Letâs put it another way: If Iâm going to write
a post on Medium, I donât want to let Medium
down. (âItâs not you, itâs me.â)
âPart of the reason I havenât published to Medium is because
Iâm slightly intimidated. I know that is illogical and insane on
the surface, but I feel intimidated and almost as if I have to
rise to a higher standard on Medium.â
âChristina Warren, senior tech analyst at Mashable
13. But hereâs the thing: I feel as if the service looks so good
that it invites only the best content that Iâor anyoneâ
can write before actually hitting publish.
Letâs put it another way: If Iâm going to write
a post on Medium, I donât want to let Medium
down. (âItâs not you, itâs me.â)
âPart of the reason I havenât published to Medium is because
Iâm slightly intimidated. I know that is illogical and insane on
the surface, but I feel intimidated and almost as if I have to
rise to a higher standard on Medium.â
âChristina Warren, senior tech analyst at Mashable
21. ⢠you can write and publish online articles
⢠other people can comment on your articles
⢠you can share articles
⢠bookmark articles
The obvious âwhat to buildâ
features & functionality
22. ⢠Designed more like a magazine.
⢠Designed a social system to create a
built-in audience for new authors
⢠Launched with published authors
(which set really high bar for content)
⢠Hired former Wired.com editor Evan
Hansen as an editor for the site
⢠Bought he long-form journalism
startup Matter
⢠Created what is arguably the best
writing tool on the planet
⢠Promoted contextual comments
⢠Focused on typographic UI details
that compete w/ centuries of print
(vs other web platforms)
⢠Focused A LOT on quality content
⢠Offered pre-publishing feedback
⢠you can write and publish online articles
⢠other people can comment on your articles
⢠you can share articles
⢠bookmark articles
The obvious âwhat to buildâ
features & functionality
The not so obvious âhow to buildâ (& launch)
experience details
23. ⢠Designed more like a magazine.
⢠Designed a social system to create a
built-in audience for new authors
⢠Launched with published authors
(which set really high bar for content)
⢠Hired former Wired.com editor Evan
Hansen as an editor for the site
⢠Bought he long-form journalism
startup Matter
⢠Created what is arguably the best
writing tool on the planet
⢠Promoted contextual comments
⢠Focused on typographic UI details
that compete w/ centuries of print
(vs other web platforms)
⢠Focused A LOT on quality content
⢠Offered pre-publishing feedback
⢠you can write and publish online articles
⢠other people can comment on your articles
⢠you can share articles
⢠bookmark articles
The obvious âwhat to buildâ
features & functionality
The not so obvious âhow to buildâ (& launch)
experience details
Product
24. ⢠Designed more like a magazine.
⢠Designed a social system to create a
built-in audience for new authors
⢠Launched with published authors
(which set really high bar for content)
⢠Hired former Wired.com editor Evan
Hansen as an editor for the site
⢠Bought he long-form journalism
startup Matter
⢠Created what is arguably the best
writing tool on the planet
⢠Promoted contextual comments
⢠Focused on typographic UI details
that compete w/ centuries of print
(vs other web platforms)
⢠Focused A LOT on quality content
⢠Offered pre-publishing feedback
⢠you can write and publish online articles
⢠other people can comment on your articles
⢠you can share articles
⢠bookmark articles
The obvious âwhat to buildâ
features & functionality
The not so obvious âhow to buildâ (& launch)
experience details
Experiences
Product
25.
26.
27.
28.
29. Most businesses desire to create
(and most individuals enjoy) well-designed,
high-quality experiences
BUT THESE THINGS GET IN THE WAYâŚ
Individual Beliefs
Many team members donât really
understand the cost or value of quality
Processes
Product design and development
processes tend to scope out quality
Cultural Values
Day-to-day business decisions unintentionally
create a culture that doesnât prioritize quality
30. Most businesses desire to create
(and most individuals enjoy) well-designed,
high-quality experiences
BUT THESE THINGS GET IN THE WAYâŚ
Individual Beliefs
Many team members donât really
understand the cost or value of quality
Processes
Product design and development
processes tend to scope out quality
Cultural Values
Day-to-day business decisions unintentionally
create a culture that doesnât prioritize quality
31. Most businesses desire to create
(and most individuals enjoy) well-designed,
high-quality experiences
BUT THESE THINGS GET IN THE WAYâŚ
Individual Beliefs
Many team members donât really
understand the cost or value of quality
Processes
Product design and development
processes tend to scope out quality
Cultural Values
Day-to-day business decisions unintentionally
create a culture that doesnât prioritize quality
32. Most businesses desire to create
(and most individuals enjoy) well-designed,
high-quality experiences
BUT THESE THINGS GET IN THE WAYâŚ
Individual Beliefs
Many team members donât really
understand the cost or value of quality
Processes
Product design and development
processes tend to scope out quality
Cultural Values
Day-to-day business decisions unintentionally
create a culture that doesnât prioritize quality
33. Most businesses desire to create
(and most individuals enjoy) well-designed,
high-quality experiences
BUT THESE THINGS GET IN THE WAYâŚ
Individual Beliefs
Many team members donât really
understand the cost or value of quality
Processes
Product design and development
processes tend to scope out quality
Cultural Values
Day-to-day business decisions unintentionally
create a culture that doesnât prioritize quality
Why focus on Quality?
34. Most businesses desire to create
(and most individuals enjoy) well-designed,
high-quality experiences
BUT THESE THINGS GET IN THE WAYâŚ
Individual Beliefs
Many team members donât really
understand the cost or value of quality
Processes
Product design and development
processes tend to scope out quality
Cultural Values
Day-to-day business decisions unintentionally
create a culture that doesnât prioritize quality
Why focus on Quality?
Whatâs dangerous about our processes?
35. Most businesses desire to create
(and most individuals enjoy) well-designed,
high-quality experiences
BUT THESE THINGS GET IN THE WAYâŚ
Individual Beliefs
Many team members donât really
understand the cost or value of quality
Processes
Product design and development
processes tend to scope out quality
Cultural Values
Day-to-day business decisions unintentionally
create a culture that doesnât prioritize quality
Why focus on Quality?
Whatâs dangerous about our processes?
What does it mean to be design led?
36. Why focus on Quality?
Individual Beliefs
Many team members
donât really understand
the value of quality
37. Why focus on Quality?
PrideAnything worth doing,
is worth doing well.
Idealism
What kind of world do you
want to live in?
Trustin expertise of your team
38. Why focus on Quality?
PrideAnything worth doing,
is worth doing well.
Idealism
What kind of world do you
want to live in?
Trustin expertise of your team
These arenât very convincing to
most business stakeholders.
39. Why focus on Quality?
User Trustand perceived reliability
Conversion
What do people actually do?
Usability
and lower support costs
Affect
How does someone feel
about using your product?
40. Why focus on Quality?
User Trustand perceived reliability
Conversion
What do people actually do?
Usability
and lower support costs
These are all about perceptions.
Affect
How does someone feel
about using your product?
59. http://www.neubible.co/
A Bible reading experience that exceeds any
other that Iâve tried. Attention to typography and
usability greatly outweigh the limited number of
translations available at launch. Absolutely
worth the price to have Godâs word presented in
such a thoughtful manner.â
â
61. What is the effect of
typefaces on legal briefs?
http://www.ca7.uscourts.gov/Rules/Painting_with_Print.pdf , http://www.typographyforlawyers.com/ and http://www.amsciepub.com/doi/abs/10.2466/pms.106.1.35-42
72. Quality
Time
âgood enoughâ
ânot a priorityâ
ânice to haveâ
âNOT ACCEPTABLEâ
âMUST HAVEâ
NoOO!!
What is the maturity of the space weâre competing in?
76. 2014 wasnât a good year to be average. Since 2007, the
average customer experience in the industries that
Forrester tracks has gone up across the board, and the
number of truly awful experiences has dropped like a
rock.
In 2015, the race from good to great CX will speed up.â
âHarley Manning, Forrester âThe Race from Good to
Great Customer Experience IntensiďŹesâ
â
77. Meaningful
Pleasurable
Convenient
Usable
Reliable
Functional (Useful)
Focused on
Experiences
(People, Activities, Context)
Focused on
Tasks
(Products, Features)
Š 2006 Stephen P. Anderson | poetp
SUBJECTIVE / QUALITATIVE
OBJECTIVE / QUANTIFIABLE
Has personal signiďŹcance
Memorable experience worth sharing
Super easy to use, works like I think
Can be used without diďŹculty
Is available and accurate
Works as programmed
Prioritize Aesthetics (no, not Graphic Design)
(visual, behaviors, sounds, psychology)
Design for FLOW (boredom vs anxiety)
Leverage Game Mechanics/Learning Theory
(completeness)
Have a Personality
Create conversational and context aware
interactions
(âAdaptive Interfacesâ; narrative IA structures)
Elicit Desire
(Limited availability, limited access, curious and
seductive experiences)Simplify, organize, and clarify
Display information visually
Reduce features and complexity
Use language for more natural
Add features that support desired
ine browsing)
Have a believable story
Co-create value with customers
Connect people in community
Are part of a bigger system
Appeal to emotional, spiritual, and
Create a tolerance for faults at
Are tied to a personâs self-image,
highly personal
Creating Pleasurable Interfaces:
Getting fom Tasks to Experiences
presented by Stephen P. Anderson | Nov 8, 2006
âIt is not enough that we b
products that function, tha
understandable and usable
we also need to build produ
that bring joy and excitem
pleasure and fun, and yes
beauty, to peopleâs lives.â
THIS IS THEâCHASMâTHAT IS REALLY, REALLY
HARD FOR ORGANIZATIONS TO CROSS
81. Why focus on Quality?
Context(and tolerance for friction)
82. HIGH
TOLERANCE
FOR FRICTION
NOTOLERANCE
FOR FRICTION
Enterprise
Productivity App
used to solve a work-related functional needs;
little to no choice; training often required
Consumer
Recreational App
Consumer
Productivity App
used for enjoyment when one is not working;
requires change in habits
Plus Tools for Remote Collaboration
used to solve a functional need;
high degree of choice
83. Why focus on Quality?
To Create
Awesome
Users*
* just read or watch everything you
can ďŹnd from Kathy Sierra!
84. https://medium.com/@johntmeyer/medium-is-for-nobodies-like-me-f7dfa4c0625a
When I write in Medium I seem to transform into
Mark Twain or Ernest Hemingway. I feel like the
tap of each keystroke is like the swoosh of a quill pen.
I donât think about the interface or user-experience.
Iâm not overwhelmed by features or tools. Medium is
just a blank canvas and my ideas.â
Example of User Awesome:
â
85. Example of User Awesome:
I ďŹnd the clean organization of Ulysses gets out of
my way, and when Iâm writingâitâs as smooth as
silk. In a subtle way, I feel inspired by Ulysses and
consequentially, I end up spending more time with
my butt in the chair, actually writing because Iâm
enjoying myself.â
âMicah Moss, Screenwriter and Novelist
â
87. The MINEFIELD of
dangerous ideas:
The MINEFIELD of
dangerous ideas:
Not necessarily bad, just highly volatile and easily misunderstood!
88. The MINEFIELD of
dangerous ideas:
The MINEFIELD of
dangerous ideas:
MVP(Minimum Viable Product)
LONG SENTENCE
Scope creep
Perfection
P0, P1, P2, P3...
Functional
Business Units
Process& Documentation
(reductionist)
Scoping +
Estimation
Not necessarily bad, just highly volatile and easily misunderstood!
LONG SENTENCE
LONG SENTENCE
96. Me: âgood is the enemy of greatâ
Him: âperfect is the enemy of goodâ
Him: âtouchĂŠâ
97. Me: âgood is the enemy of greatâ
Him: âperfect is the enemy of goodâ
Thereâs a difference between
perfection and excellence.
Him: âtouchĂŠâ
116. Delivery VS Quality
release early and often. you canât release half a product
You never want to dig a deep hole in the wrong spot. You only get one chance to make a ďŹrst impression.
âgood enoughâ âgood is the enemy of greatâ
âexperimentation & learningâ âthoughtful planningâ
Alwaysbeshipping Wecanâtshipthiscrap!
âdoneâ âdone rightâ
ânice to haveâ âmust haveâ
everything is a test
You canât predict what customers will want, you have to test and experiment, release early and often.
âsome things you just knowâ
(common sense, intuition, abductive reasoning, experience)
Is this a P0, P1 P2âŚ? âQuality is a bar, not a feature that can be scoped outâ
(Both perspectives are true, at different times, under various circumstances)
117. (Both perspectives are true, at different times, under various circumstances)
Delivery VS Quality
release early and often. you canât release half a product
You never want to dig a deep hole in the wrong spot. You only get one chance to make a ďŹrst impression.
âgood enoughâ âgood is the enemy of greatâ
âexperimentation & learningâ âthoughtful planningâ
Alwaysbeshipping Wecanâtshipthiscrap!
âdoneâ âdone rightâ
ânice to haveâ âmust haveâ
everything is a test
You canât predict what customers will want, you have to test and experiment, release early and often.
âsome things you just knowâ
(common sense, intuition, abductive reasoning, experience)
Is this a P0, P1 P2âŚ? âQuality is a bar, not a feature that can be scoped outâ
At our core, we are a company
that values _______________,
though we make exceptions for
____________ when it seems right.â
â
Delivery or Quality?
118. (Both perspectives are true, at different times, under various circumstances)
Delivery VS Quality
release early and often. you canât release half a product
You never want to dig a deep hole in the wrong spot. You only get one chance to make a ďŹrst impression.
âgood enoughâ âgood is the enemy of greatâ
âexperimentation & learningâ âthoughtful planningâ
Alwaysbeshipping Wecanâtshipthiscrap!
âdoneâ âdone rightâ
ânice to haveâ âmust haveâ
everything is a test
You canât predict what customers will want, you have to test and experiment, release early and often.
âsome things you just knowâ
(common sense, intuition, abductive reasoning, experience)
Is this a P0, P1 P2âŚ? âQuality is a bar, not a feature that can be scoped outâ
At our core, we are a company
that values _______________,
though we make exceptions for
____________ when it seems right.â
â
Delivery or Quality?
DELIVERY?
QUALITY?
119. What does it mean to be a
design-led company?
Cultural Values
Day-to-day business
decisions unintentionally
create a culture that
doesnât value quality
129. âŚand if something isnât
quite right, you donât ship it.
Experiences
Product
130. http://www.inc.com/mark-kawano/lessons-from-my-time-at-apple-ship-something-you-re-proud-of.html
Not only does the company set internal deadlines, it also
creates deadlines for deadlines that have their own
deadlines. Every aspect of the company's production
cycle, from conception to ship date, is calculated. Butâ
and this is a big "but"âwhat makes Apple different is
that it is a company that is willing to move those
deadlines. If a product in development isn't ready to be
released, the deadline is pushed back. If an idea isn't
perfect, or isn't considered truly magical and delightful
internally, it's held back, revised, and the product given
an entirely new launch date.â
â
The Biggest Lesson I Learned as an Apple Designer
131. http://www.inc.com/mark-kawano/lessons-from-my-time-at-apple-ship-something-you-re-proud-of.html
Not only does the company set internal deadlines, it also
creates deadlines for deadlines that have their own
deadlines. Every aspect of the company's production
cycle, from conception to ship date, is calculated. Butâ
and this is a big "but"âwhat makes Apple different is
that it is a company that is willing to move those
deadlines. If a product in development isn't ready to be
released, the deadline is pushed back. If an idea isn't
perfect, or isn't considered truly magical and delightful
internally, it's held back, revised, and the product given
an entirely new launch date.â
The Biggest Lesson I Learned as an Apple Designer
â
132. http://www.inc.com/mark-kawano/lessons-from-my-time-at-apple-ship-something-you-re-proud-of.html
Not only does the company set internal deadlines, it also
creates deadlines for deadlines that have their own
deadlines. Every aspect of the company's production
cycle, from conception to ship date, is calculated. Butâ
and this is a big "but"âwhat makes Apple different is
that it is a company that is willing to move those
deadlines. If a product in development isn't ready to be
released, the deadline is pushed back. If an idea isn't
perfect, or isn't considered truly magical and delightful
internally, it's held back, revised, and the product given
an entirely new launch date.â
â
The Biggest Lesson I Learned as an Apple Designer
133. At our core, we are a company
that values _______________,
though we make exceptions for
____________ when it seems right.â
â
DELIVERY
QUALITY
134. At our core, we are a company
that values _______________,
though we make exceptions for
____________ when it seems right.â
â
How would your organization
complete this statement?
135. At our core, we are a company
that values _______________ .
At our core, we are a company
that values _______________
though we make exceptions for
____________ when it seems right.â
â
139. Individual Beliefs
Processes
Cultural Values
Individual Beliefs
Processes
Cultural Values
Individual Beliefs
Processes
Cultural Values
Most âQualityâ happens
because of individuals
who care deeply and
have the necessary skills
to make a difference
âDesign-LedâNot âDesign-Ledâ
(Aligned around
some other value)
140. Individual Beliefs
Processes
Cultural Values
Individual Beliefs
Processes
Individual Beliefs
Processes
Cultural Values
Individual Beliefs
Processes
Cultural Values
Most âQualityâ happens
because of individuals
who care deeply and
have the necessary skills
to make a difference
âMe too!â
companies
âWe want to be
design-ledâ
âDesign-LedâNot âDesign-Ledâ
(Aligned around
some other value)
Cultural Values
141. Individual Beliefs
Processes
Cultural Values
Individual Beliefs
Processes
Individual Beliefs
Processes
Cultural Values
Individual Beliefs
Processes
Cultural Values
Most âQualityâ happens
because of individuals
who care deeply and
have the necessary skills
to make a difference
âMe too!â
companies
âWe want to be
design-ledâ
âDesign-LedâNot âDesign-Ledâ
(Aligned around
some other value)
Cultural Values
What does your company value?
143. Celebrate doing the right thing,
not shipping something everyone
on the team isnât proud of.
Set objective standards
that create means for any
team member to stop the
assembly line.
âWhat do you reward?â
144. Celebrate doing the right thing,
not shipping something everyone
on the team isnât proud of.
Set objective standards
that create means for any
team member to stop the
assembly line.
âWhat do you reward?â
Not sure what your
organization values?
Look at what you
informally celebrate
and formally reward.
145. Most businesses desire to create
(and most individuals enjoy) well-designed,
high-quality experiences
BUT THESE THINGS GET IN THE WAYâŚ
Individual Beliefs
Many team members donât really
understand the cost or value of quality
Processes
Product design and development
processes tend to scope out quality
Cultural Values
Day-to-day business decisions unintentionally
create a culture that doesnât prioritize quality
146. Most businesses desire to create
(and most individuals enjoy) well-designed,
high-quality experiences
BUT THESE THINGS GET IN THE WAYâŚ
Individual Beliefs
Many team members donât really
understand the cost or value of quality
Processes
Product design and development
processes tend to scope out quality
Cultural Values
Day-to-day business decisions unintentionally
create a culture that doesnât prioritize quality
Why I created this talk:
better conversations
(partly) the responsibility of CXO
I want to work in a place that values
great, well-designed experiences
Iâd like to see more businesses
understand and value great design!