Trioro in the news

Yesterday ConnectIt news ran an article about our work to build Sweetspot.ca a robust custom content management system on a .Net platform. Check it out.

Navigating through technology clutter

At every turn, it seems there is a new technology product claiming it can, as if magically, connect you to your audience and improve your business. All too often, we come across businesses where these promises have rung hollow (a little too often lately, which is why I am writing this post). For example, we’ve recently come across businesses with content management systems that allow them change content, but cannot be configured to work well with their content creation processes, and with forums that help manage and moderate many conversations but are not flexible to allow the customized design necessary for that businesses brand. This is not to say technology product developers are incompetent or most of the products are useless, far from it – there are a lot of great technology products out there.

The point is that it takes the combination of business understanding and technical understanding to make a proper fit between your business and the right technology, and all too often technology providers simply try to fit the business to their technology, rather than the other way around. They do this for a reason; they own a pre-developed technology that they want to sell you.

As an internet technology agency, Trioro takes the opposite approach. We have skilled business resources that learn about your business first, and then find the right technology to fit with your strategies and goals – even if it has been developed by someone else.

Web Design - the OXO test

“User-centered design” is often used to describe designing products and services from the consumer’s point of view, which is something we are very fond of here at Trioro.

Recently the User experience arts blog outlined the 4 criteria that OXO use to evaluate which consumer product ideas to commercialize. I think these criteria also work well to evaluate websites.

So does your website pass the OXO test?

• You must be able to understand what it does [or what type of information it contains] just by looking at it
• Knowing how to use it has to be obvious (no instructions!)
• It must be thought provoking
• It should warrant consistent use (not a use-once-and-put-away product)

Source Michael Grossman, User Experience Arts

The POST approach: Where Internet Technology Agencies fit in

POST is a simple approach invented by Josh Bernoff and Charlene Li from Forester Research to help people step back from the dizzying social technology buzz, and get back to the basics of figuring out what they want to accomplish. It’s an approach that has been getting a lot of attention.

The POST approach (Learn More):

Source: Forrester Research

An Internet Technology Agency, like Trioro, typically enters into this method at the strategy stage. Once people and objectives are defined, the process of collaborating with the client on strategy and then delivering the technology becomes more effective.

Actually the Trioro process has always been centered on this fundamental idea, our terms are slightly different, we use “user experience” and “business goals”, but it is the same thing. We put the people and objectives at the center of our process to collaborate, create, and connect.

Who needs paper! - Part 2

Though phrasing their headline as a question, rather than a statement, the Economist has published an interesting article also called "Who Needs Paper?"

What I find particularly interesting, is that the article mentions that Continental Airlines is testing a system to deliver tickets to traveler's mobile phones using the same technology as the Digital Coupons I talked about in a previous post.

Who needs paper!

My recent trip to New York really highlighted how little paper is needed when traveling. The combination of credit cards, and online or mobile services meant that my trip was almost paperless.

Hotel and Flight Booking: Expedia - E-tickets and electronic booking.

Shows, Meals, Museum, Shopping: Credit Card, Credit Card, Credit Card! Even many of the street vendors had credit card readers attached to their mobile phones. Though there were a couple that still only took cash.

Recommendations: No tourist book here. DailyCandy.com , city search, and email & txt with friends gave me great recommendations.

Finding Places: I did use the free tourist map, mostly to figure out the subway stops, but most of the time I used Google and the map on my blackberry. Sometimes the digital maps in New York taxis came in handy too.

Getting Around: Credit Card. The subway and all taxis take credit card.

Money Exchange: I didn’t change any cash before I left, or get travelers cheques. I actually didn’t have a single (U.S. or Canadian) in my pocket when I boarded the plane. I did take out cash from a bank machine when I got there, mostly as a precaution, but I ended up having to try to spend it, using it instead of a credit card so that I wouldn’t be left with it when I got back.

Tips: Credit Card and Cash, this is one of the last bastions of paper.

Comparing auto manufacturers’ websites

J.D. Power and Associates recently ranked auto manufacturers’ Canadian websites. The ranking put Subaru first, Hyundai last, and Mini right in the middle. The ranking was based on a shopper survey which took into account four areas: information/content; ease of navigating; appearance; and speed of page load.

Take a look at these sites yourself, and see what you think.

www.subaru.ca

www.mini.ca

www.hyundaicanada.com

What I find particularly interesting is that with all the flashy bells-and-whistles that are included in the Mini site, it only ranks as average. I think this is partially a lesson in the effective use of motion and animation on websites, which many people have yet to learn.