Last night, I saw a tweet from Dr. Nic about a new tour of a “powerful project and task management” web app called Orchestrate. Interested, I read through the tour.

After looking at it for a couple of minutes, I had my impression of the app:

A product tour failed in its purpose: to get me to try the app. Why?

The interface is the first thing a customer sees

(screenshot from Orchestrate tour)

(screenshot from Basecamp tour)

Similar:

• Project & client name position & typography
• My account & log out links postion
• Overall color & contrast scheme
• Tab navigation position, color, & typography
• Main action button (“View your task list” v. “Create a new project”) position & style
• Late & upcoming items style
• Varying the colors for status/type

Brand management

To the founder of Orchestrate’s credit, he asked for clarification.

I love that about Twitter: know immediately when people talk about you, how they feel, & engaging with them. On a mission to streamline that process, thoughtbot built Thunder Thimble.

I clarified:

Emotional & psychological aspects of branding

Nothing I said had anything to do with the actual quality of Orchestrate. All my feedback was how it made me feel: like I’m being sold a fake Rolex.

My feedback would definitely qualify as negative in Thunder Thimble.

What matters is how you manage that percpetion

Unfortunately, Andy’s opinion doesn’t matter when it comes to selling his application. Buying his own product won’t turn him a profit. What matters is what his customers & potential customers think.

Instead of asking me, Andy jumped to the conclusion that tabbed navigation was the only similarity between the two products. I never specified what I thought was similar.

If he’s saying there is nothing wrong with tabbed navigation as tool for web designers, he’s right. What matters is context. The overall feel of Orchestrate needs to be different enough from Basecamp to feel like it has own identity.

Andy’s comments are defensive, attacking his potential customer, & invalidating their opinions. Telling your customers they’re wrong about how they feel makes you look… bad.

React on face value, don’t try to extrapolate

Andy again jumped to a false conclusion. I never accused Hick Design of “suffering from a lack of creativity.” I had no idea they designed the site and never mentioned them. I said Orchestrate’s interface lacks creativity since it looks so similar to Basecamp.

He’s also making an appeal to authority, which rarely works. Hicks Design is well-known design shop but people aren’t going to think something is awesome because of who made it.

Your customers are smarter than that, and will judge your product on its own merits.

Keep your cool

What I thought was going to be an engaging conversation between a founder and a potential customer turned sour.

He’s still focused on tabbed navigation & still missing the point that what matters is the similarity between his app and a major competitor. He attacked wildly when he should have been listening.

If a founder is sent into an emotional tailspin from one negative comment, it raises concerns from anyone watching the interaction that he & his team won’t be able to manage ongoing customer needs & wants from their product.

Differentiation

Had the interaction been better, I would have gladly shared more opinions about the app with Andy. For instance, Orchestrate could create its own identity through better copy.

In the title of the Orchestrate tour, the product is touted as “Employee scheduling software” but the tagline is “Powerful project and task management.”

Using “employee scheduling” or “location-specific task management” and never “project management” would distinguish Orchestrate and keep a consistent message.

Missed opportunities

I could have been nicer when critiquing Andy’s site but when I’m in product manager shoes, I don’t expect customers to hold back their feelings.

If people think Hoptoad’s interface can be better (it can… stay tuned), I want customers to be vocal.

If I don’t understand what they’re saying or need clarification, I want my colleagues and I to respond in a 100% courteous way to be in a better position to learn if there’s something we can improve.

The onus is on us to be polite, not our customers.

It’s okay to ignore sometimes if you’re listening

I’d recommend Andy try a product like Thunder Thimble to find out if I’m the only crazy bastard who feels a certain way about his product.

If I’m alone, write me off. I’m just one person.

But if others feel the same way, a brand management tool won’t save you if you can’t react positively to negative feedback.

Listen, and be polite. Kindergarten stuff.