Let's see if this works....

My professional career has been a series of ill-timed changes that have often caused me to look back and say something similar to, "Well, that really wasn't the right change at the right time now was it?" Ha

I stayed on at a big dot-com too long, then the crash hit. I left a good agency to go to a start-up just as the recession hit in 2008. Bad move. I got into sales and let me tech skills wane. But now.......

I've decided that the 5-year departure from web development, to get into sales, needs to come back full-circle. I'm making the move from sales back into my first love.....web development.

Sales was great. Who wouldn't like being in control of how much they make? Who wouldn't like little accountability and all the flex-time they can handle? Lots of travel. Lots of exciting meetings and trips and dinners and networking events with big names. But....sales is lot of pressure. Lots of pressure. It's not about "Great job Burkey on closing that sale!" It's more about "What are you going to close next?" and "How soon will you be getting ink on that deal???" : )

I'm going to do some contract work for awhile to get my skills back "somewhat current" and then slide into a permanent position again with a target company. I'm doing some work now and will continue to refine my HTML 5, CSS3, JavaScript, JQuery, AJAX, .NET, SQL and other skills while I wait to take just the right permanent opportunity. I'm totally swamped with opportunities and it appears to be a good time to be moving back into delivery and out of "walking the street".

Let's see if this works.....

** UPDATE ** Nov 4, 2011
Just accepted a position back with CNN in their technology group. So that worked..... : )

Why Your Web Developer Can't Define The User Experience

As a web developer for many years before moving into consulting I have a lot of experience with the concept of having web developers (or IT people, or business people for that matter) be the ones responsible for making sure the user will adopt a system or website experience. For many years I was called on by both internal and external clients to "build it in a way that the customer will love it". I worked with the designers on the interface. I architected out the navigation and sections of the site. I worked with the IT staff on the backend that would be required to deliver the application. All of us, together, were the proverbial blind-leading-the-blind when it came to what the end-user was going to both enjoy using and adopt.

One of the things that happens is a technology person will try to get a committee of (normally) internal stakeholders together to ask them what they want to site to look and act like. If things don't slow to a stand-still soon thereafter it's at least almost always the case that the requirements are so scattered, in an attempt to please everyone, that everything being asked for can't all fit into the design and feature-set. Happens all the time....

What's wrong with this? Developers are not only NOT the user of the system in most instances but they also don't have the breadth of experience or the bandwidth to perform the research, architecture, design and taxonomy that will be required to have an engaging, enjoyable, positive experience. "That guy that does the website work" isn't the answer to creating/crafting the optimal experience that the users will either get from you or from your competition.

Why does this happen? It happens a lot when brands count on their limited technology department to look out for the company's interests. Well-meaning technology people hate to say that they don't have the skills or experience because they are counted on so often to shoulder the responsibility of not only the stability of their products but also carry the burden of adoption. It's often the case where, when a system fails to be adopted, the company blames it on the technology group as not having built a system that pleased everybody.

What is the solution? Smart companies value actually taking the user insights into consideration. Knowing who the target audience is important. It's not "everybody on the Internet". Come on. Knowing what those users are on the site to accomplish is vital. Knowing how the users think and what predispositions they have are key, as well. Research has to be done. The system has to be designed with the user in mind and the 80/20 Rule has to be put in place. By this I mean that the majority of the users' interests have to be held a higher weight than the minority peanut gallery.

Quick asterisks: By "experience" we can refer to not only experiencing a website but also software, offline experiences such as in retail, mobile applications, verbal communications and an assortment of other ways that a company engages their customers and employees. Also, by "users" I mean anyone that engages with a brand, not just customers.

And here is the paid endorsement: : ) Those of you that know me know I work for a great consulting company that has a unique methodology for incorporating user insights into system and software design and architecture. Macquarium has 20 years of experience in working with some of the top brands in the country to ensure that the users both delight in the engagement they have with our clients brands as well as adopt the system that is being deployed to them. Love to talk to you about how Macquarium can impact your engagements with your users. Just ping me anytime: scott.burkey@macquarium.com

Why User Experience Matters

Industry research shows that over 70% of IT-lead software development initiatives fail. Why is that? It's largely because the needs of the business and the needs of technology are taken into consideration without any consideration at all being given to what the user wants.

When IT says, "We can build that!" and the CEO says, "That fits within our business goals." then software is normally done with design being managed by somebody that isn't even the actual target user of the application. Or, what happens it the "HIPPO Effect". This is the Highest Paid Person's Opinion gets taken as law and everyone else (too frightened to question) jumps in alignment for fear of losing their job or creating waves.

Alas....the poor, neglected USER of the application. He might be a consumer on the Internet or he may be a corporate Intranet user. Either way, nobody seems to give a rip about his desires in these types of projects. Yet, that user is the one that will decide whether or not he will delight in using the application thus leading to adoption.

We have a saying at Macquarium: "The value of technology is realized through its adoption and use." User Experience is everything if you actually want your application used. It is everything if you are selling products on your website. User Experience matters most if you are counting on repeat visitors to your website. It is paramount if you are counting on a successful software launch to help fund the next round of development. If I can be of value to you please give me a shout. I'm happy to help.

Scott.Burkey@Macquarium.com

404.554.4217 desk

"Macquarium Is User Experience"

Solar Velocity is still in action!

Solar Velocity (the company I do sales for in Atlanta) is still clicking with another year of being named to the Atlanta Business Chronicle's Top 25 Largest Marketing Services Agencies. Congratulations to Solar Velocity.

At Solar Velocity, our first priority is to understand your company’s unique attributes and goals. Our identity analysis processes were honed and sharpened over the course of 10 years and 700 solutions-oriented for our clients. Though a series of strategy meetings, we learn your brand inside and out, ascertain your specific objectives for the website, and design a personalized marketing strategy that combines innovative creative materials and smart technology.

While we get to know your company, we also take steps to ensure that our own work is transparent. From the Design Team’s first design concepts of your homepage to our analysts’ ongoing examination of the traffic to your website, we take the time to explain the entire process and to help you understand both the creative and technical aspects of what we do. Our commitment to mutual learning and total collaboration are what set us apart from our competitors. When we begin designing your website, we are truly operating as an extension of your company and its vision.

www.SolarVelocity.com

ECommerce Payment Gateways

It looks like (from my recent experience) the defacto-standard in online credit card transaction processing, Authorize.net, has gotten too big for their britches. They used to be the only way to go for web developers like me to connect websites to merchant accounts. Now....their developer support has been outsourced, your request is put in a ticket queue and you're just a number to them.

It's okay, I understand. Companies grow and need to be scalable. But the same personalized service I liked about Authorize.net is now what I like about their competitor. : )