What Web Developers Often Don’t See

Come Out of the Cave

The best web developers are like great mathemticians write in symbols and code. It’s a sort of poetry. The concentration it requires to produce accurate, elegant results often leads them to go off to a “cave” to work. Developers can be highly individual people.

They’re immersed in their own thinking.

In the past month, I’ve been asked to evaluate three major products. All three were beautiful, easy to navigate, and did what they promised most accurately.

All three were more accurate and have more benefits than what’s out there.

All three were boring.

Boring is anything but sticky.

What Web Developers Often Don’t See

Web developers see the beauty of well-executed code that delivers a sleek, accurate result. What they often don’t see is the people who will be using what they have built.

When I asked the three teams, who would use what they made, two answers came — everyone or people like me. Both answers really mean I haven’t thought about it.

That’s why the products were boring.

By the very nature of building a product, you no longer represent people who might use it.

Customers expect accurate, but want fun.
Customers expect function, but want design.
Customers care less about innovation, but want something that makes their life easier.

A developer’s satisfaction is good, but it won’t pay the bills.
Customer satisfaction is sticky.

Liz Strauss