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And sometimes, it's not even about financial repercussions. A dev thinks that the software can be improved in some way or another, but the users don't even want
by WA 11y ago
And sometimes, it's not even about financial repercussions. A dev thinks that the software can be improved in some way or another, but the users don't even want that improvement. They got used to the interface and are just fine with it.
This is what happens to me occasionally with my web app. The design is the same for 5 years now. I'm tired of it, it clearly has limitations, but users are very happy and new users compliment me on the "clean and great design". I really have to fight the urge to make a major redesign and rewrite huge chunks of the code base, because it wouldn't solve any problems users have.
- hinkley 11y agoAnd the nasty part of this trap? If someone does start mimicking you, but with a clean new UI, and your market share starts to slip, so you say "fuck it, I'm gonna do it that way too", then you will force your users to make a choice. Stay, and have to relearn the whole website, or leave, and have to relearn the whole website. I feel like one thing I've learned the hard way is there is such a thing as getting successful too soon. Once people start voting with their feet or wallets on your solution, you're stuck with it. "We'll fix it later"? "Later" is gone, kids. There is no "later" anymore, we have what we have. If you don't like it it's time to start on a new project.
- chii 11y agocould you not incrementally improve the UI, without a drastic surgery of the UI? For example, add an extra screen here or there, add theming support, then allow UI customization, then, add a new IU selectable as a new theme, etc etc.
- hinkley 11y agoIf you chose the wrong abstraction for the project, it's often reflected in the logical structure of the app and it takes some serious creativity to correct it without changing the UI very much, IME. Often the things that make the app hard to work on also make it hard to use.
- thirdsun 11y agoCouldn't you incrementally introduce those changes? Sneak in the major overhaul in frequent, minor ways?
- WA 11y agoYes, this is probably a better strategy than changing everything over night.