Bookclub: BADASS - Help Them Move Forward

BADASS_Help_Them_Move_Forward.md

BADASS - Making Users Awesome - Kathy Sierra

Help Them Move Forward

Remove Blocks

How do we help users keep moving forward?

The question is not "What pulls them forward?", it's "What makes them stop?"

• Working on what stops people matters more than working on what entice them
• A gap between what they wanted and what's actually happening
• Users are originally motivated, bus something details them
  • The gap of Suck
    • e.g., we want to create a snowboarder
      • User's motivation: Want to be a good snowboarder
      • User suffers: being in the Suck Zone
      • TODO: We must help them through the painful gap
  • The gap of Disconnect
    • e.g., we want to create a photographer
      • User's motivation: Want to take a good photo
      • User suffers: Read the FAQ
      • TODO: We need to help them with anything but the tool

We need to understand users. What derailers have in common?

If a user need a hand, how can we know?

What would you help them if you were with the user?

• Snowboarding is really hard the first day. It just is
• For anything worth becoming badass at, there will be pain
• The secret for keeping them going when things get tough is this: acknowledge it

We all know the first day of snowboarding is hard

What about manuals? What else can we use instead of the difficult manual?

e.g., Online Discussion Forums

Tell them:

• "We're being honest with you - this matters. It's not going to be easy."
• "What our marketing promised you'd be able to do? We'll help you do that. It's going to be harder than our website makes it sound."
• "Everyone who stuck with it has gone through what you're going through. It's typical and temporary."
• "It's not you. It's us. But you won't have to do this alone."

Progress + Payoffs

What happens between Day One and Total Badass?

You need to keep users motivated. Give them:

• A description of the path with guidelines to help them know where they are at each step
• Ideas and tools to help them use their current skills early and often

Performance Path Map

A key to motivation and progress

• Judo belt system
• Define levels (Mastery paths)

Give them superpower!

e.g., Camera's Manual mode

Give your users high-payoff tips

• Web page, PDF, Video of tips and tricks