Timothy Keirnan interviews Gerry McGovern at User Interface 12 on
November 5th, 2007, immediately after Gerry's all-day seminar
called How To Design A Task-Based Information Architecture:
Essential Tips For Creating Customer-Centric Websites.
Points discussed include:
* "Words drive behavior." Getting the right words is crucial to
developing good Web content.
* Task-centric is customer-centric. Correct wording is essential to
being customer-centric.
* The opposite of customer-centric is organization-centric.
Organization-centric websites are not very helpful to
customers.
* People often come to the Web to learn or to do something. So,
design for impatience. Are your customers able to quickly and
simply complete their tasks?
* Advertising often treats customers like Pavlov's dogs. Many Web
users see through manipulative ads and instead want useful
knowledge that conveys something authentic about the good or
service they're after. Most ads are not perceived as authentically
representing a good or service.
NOTE: When Tim says "marketing" in this interview, he should have
said "advertising". It was a terrific but long day :-)
You can find Gerry's website at
www.gerrymcgovern.com
Gerry's most recent book is Killer Web Content at
www.gerrymcgovern.com/killer-web-content.htm
Special thanks to User Interface Engineering (
www.uie.com) for making this episode
possible by sponsoring Design Critique at UI12.