Is content King, if functionality is a Serf?

"Designing for a best case persona versus the 'even your grandma can do it model supports goal-directed versus task-directed design”
Paul Hine, ZocDoc

NYC Web Design met for a presentation, panel and tech author update at AOL Venture’s at 770 Broadway Monday nite. ZocDoc's Paul Hine calibrated user design by advising completing full personas to satisfy. Consider what they do, how they react personally, professionally and to brands. Have multiple personas but know who loves the site and could be an evangelist, design for them without offending the others.

To create a tangible example, Paul showed a photo of imaginary “Joanna” the financial exec, who spins, eats Chinese at her desk and tagline quote would be “I don’t have time for that”. Though Joanna may never tweet for you or become an evangelist, its important not to piss her off. You strive to design so as not to offend your multiple personas, she’s still a user and could like the site.

Whether you are an “ultra-lite start-up in your girlfriend’s kitchen” or a large complex organization all sites need to test. You weigh results and filter accordingly. This includes tapping all user touch points. When you get positive comments, engage and survey. It all builds persona profiles.

An audience member said what he loved about using ZocDoc was the ability to decide by his own schedule. This Paul re-inforced, is “goal-directed” design argued for in Alan Cooper's Inmates are Running the Asylum. Instead of just providing a place to input a doctor's name and address, the user selects from scheduled openings and satisfies a goal. Similarly, eliminating just one step in password protection could be a huge improvement for the user.

When the panel came to review Noo‘s event site, the audience had been primed to ask, "what am doing here and how do I do it? Panel tips included visually setting off content to prioritize information and letting go of elements no longer supporting the new direction. A couple of advance copies of Larry Aronson’s update of HTML Manuel of Style topped a well-received evening of art and copy tango, webstyle.