The emotional devastation of bad wording

Recently went to Morroco for a couple of weeks. Beautiful hotels, amazing scenery. And a friends wedding that was truly incredible, the groom came in on a horse carrying a gun, the bride had 5 costume changes.

The photos were really wonderful.

That was until the wife recorded a video, then wanted to delete it to make a bit more space, at which point she was faced with this choice.

The use of the word 'frames' rather than 'Photos' or 'Photos & Videos' started the confusion.
I mean who describes their photos as 'frames', you either frame a photo, or deal with frames of a film. Which, as she'd just recorded a small video, compounded the confusion.

Anyway, one irreversible slip later and 700+ photos of the holiday suddenly disappeared.

Katie felt awful, and was very nearly in tears, full of apologies.

Tears should NOT be caused by poorly worded interfaces not making a very major action extremely clear, that's just crap design. The choice is right, the wording of the choice is totally wrong.

waitrose.com is live

Like watching a baby take it's first tentative steps www.waitrose.com is gently staggering to it's feet.
It needs a sound going over with a usability broom, but I think it's rather beautiful.
The sitemap at the bottom of the page seems to polarise people. Any views?

Zag - IA Book Club - July 3rd @ LBi

July 3rd @ LBi
Directions

Book is Zag: The Number One Strategy of High -Performance Brands

get settled in 7:00-7:15, kick off at 7:30

It looks like a good book, and even though it's next tuesday(!) the book only takes a couple of hours to read so as long as you get it before the weekend you'll be laughing.

david.carruthers @ twentysixlondon.com if you fancy coming along.

I love loving clients

I've been really lucky recently with some fantastic clients recently.

It's brilliant when you love your clients. Not only the people you're working with, but what the actual company does/stands for/sells. You do better work and enjoy it more.

Of all the companies that i think get it right in everyway - both for their customers, and also for their employees, I think Waitrose are it. My wife gets bored of me going on about what a brilliant company they are. And John Lewis overall. They sell great stuff, they're totally fair with you as a consumer, they are ethical in their trading, the employees are all partners who own the company. I haven't met a single person who works for waitrose who isn't absolutely lovely. They have an orchestra, a choir, boats for the partners to use, their own organic farm, holiday places for the partners to use, clubs for every possible interest. Basically, if you want to work in retail, go and work for Waitrose/John Lewis.
I think it's remarkable, and brilliant, that the new Chief Exec of Waitrose started 25 years ago as a management trainee.

It's easy finding something to love about a client when they're that good.

There should be something you can find to love about every client. How are you going to convince others with your messaging if you don't buy it yourself?

Collaboration / Committees

Normally the latter is confused with the former.

Collaboration to me is getting everyone involved and working together, having ownership and input into a solution. This requires a commitment from the client to give their time, and from the agency to listen to the client without thinking they know-it-all.

Committees are ways of making sure that everyone can feel like they've had a say into a project but don't have to put much effort or thought into it. Generally involves far more people than necessary being in a room, all desperately trying to think of something to say that will show they're useful, knowing they don't have to worry about the consequences.
I've been there. Both running the meeting, and as the worrier.

My recent projects have (fortunately) been much more towards collaboration than committee.

please. stop. constantly. referencing. myspace.

Turning the tables

It's sometimes great working for an agency, you can drift in to a redesign project and roll your eyes at the craziness of the previous design, tut and sigh and the lack of thought and innovation, then perch atop your high horse for a while.

Designing internal sites is a totally different ball game. It is the poisoned chalice. Because it represents 'the agency' everyone demands that it's the best ever, but gives you resources for the smallest ever.
You need a thick hide to deal with all the people who know better and would've done a far better job. Who preach without any idea of the politics, pain, time constraints, normal workload, cooks/oars, etc.

We're redesigning our current site at the moment, which i confess to having a hand in - and admit could be MUCH better. But it's still annoying having to listen to 13 people in a meeting room roundly slag it off.
Constantly.
For 4 hours.

I'm off to lick my wounds.