5 ms·

The backstory behind 37Signal's "Draft" iPad app

47 points by mawhidby 16y ago

tptacek 16y ago
Irony(?): it's priced high relative to "professional" pure-play drawing apps like SketchPad and Brushes, but by omitting needless features like color and brush controls and adding the one feature of collaborative diagramming, it's probably going to be more valuable to me than either of those other apps, which I mostly use to goof around with my daughter.
- ajg1977 16y ago
  Finding a high priced product more valuable is not ironic :)
  - tptacek 16y ago
    I'm pretty sure I'm not finding the concept valuable because of the price point.
- mchristoff 16y ago
  I think it's debatable whether colors and brush controls in a sketching app are "needless" even though they may be needless for 37signals very narrow internal use case.
swilliams 16y ago
From the comments, by Jason Fried, "We might add yellow to version 2.0 in 2012." Kind of sums up a big part of their design philosophy right there.
- fredoliveira 16y ago
  also considered arrogance by some
  - jasonfried 16y ago
    and having a little fun in the comments section by others.
    - fredoliveira 16y ago
      actually I know you were having a laugh - even commented with the rest of the guys here how I found your answer funny. Fact is, however (and I'm sure you know this), quite a bunch of people take that as arrogance. Personally, I don't care - I agree with your policy on doing less (if your vision is in fact to do less with a product). The fact that some consider it arrogance (as I was alluding to) doesn't mean I do. (your downvote on my comment was not necessary, but this explanation of my comment might have been. Apologies for the misunderstanding, if there was one)
    - cmelbye 16y ago
      He can be having fun while still being arrogant towards others; they're not mutually exclusive.
  - deleted 16y ago
    [deleted]
  - jufemaiz 16y ago
    Their choice. You're not forced to use their product. Luckily there's a market offering choice.
antidaily 16y ago
Funny tweet: @tedroden: 37 signals releases MS Paint for the iPad... will probably sell millions.
joubert 16y ago
$10? Adobe Ideas is free: http://blogs.adobe.com/designandweb/2010/04/adobe_ideas.html http://blogs.adobe.com/designandweb/2010/04/adobe_ideas.html
10ren 16y ago
I love the idea of deliberately making it imprecise to serve the specific task (to sketch; and ignore details early on.) http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/getting_real_ignore_details_early_on.php http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/getting_real_ignore_detai... And their pricing strategy (from the comments): encouraging other people to add Campfire integration to their own apps – even free ones
- jshen 16y ago
  they're selling the sizzle, not the steak
taitems 16y ago
The app and its price tag seem to embody the true spirit of Apple hardware.
- georgieporgie 16y ago
  To provide extremely well-engineered devices that look and feel fantastic? Apple hardware is pretty awesome. 1st gen issues aside, that is.
  - taitems 16y ago
    More so simply dress up something incredibly simple (with a brand name and implied value) and chuck an exhorbitant price tag on it.
    - georgieporgie 16y ago
      Erm. I'm not sure exactly what Apple hardware you think is incredibly simple, but having recently looked at Mac vs. Wintel laptops, I can assure you that the Mac laptops are incomparably better engineered. Personally, I use computers for many, many hours per day, and the little things really add up. Maybe you don't care about that, and you just want the right CPU and hard drive. If that's the case, more power to you. I hate Apple on principle (1st gen purchase, 'they' mean it when 'they' say not to buy 1st gen!), but I can't seem to find anything to compete with their hardware.
      - taitems 16y ago
        As the owner of a Lenovo work horse, I'd have to respectfully disagree. It's rugged, powerful and has survived freezing weekend/overnight conditions that have damaged macbooks. If something had actually failed, I could have easily swapped it out. I was just trying to make the point that 37Signals and Apple have a similar reality distortion field.
        georgieporgie 16y ago
Qz 16y ago
From the comments: "I don’t think $9.99 is too expensive. What you’re paying for is the Campfire integration and the judicious removal of features." Sad but true. This is how they earn money at 37s.
robryan 16y ago
I think the price also reflects though that they don't actually need to sell this to anyone, it's already paid for itself in improving internal process. The people it's mainly aimed at using campfire, I'd imagine would pay for it whether it was 99 cents or $10 if it is useful in improving business process.

47 points by mawhidby 16y ago

Irony(?): it's priced high relative to "professional" pure-play drawing apps like SketchPad and Brushes, but by omitting needless features like color and brush controls and adding the one feature of collaborative diagramming, it's probably going to be more valuable to me than either of those other apps, which I mostly use to goof around with my daughter.

ajg1977 16y ago
Finding a high priced product more valuable is not ironic :)
- tptacek 16y ago
  I'm pretty sure I'm not finding the concept valuable because of the price point.
mchristoff 16y ago
I think it's debatable whether colors and brush controls in a sketching app are "needless" even though they may be needless for 37signals very narrow internal use case.

swilliams 16y ago

From the comments, by Jason Fried, "We might add yellow to version 2.0 in 2012." Kind of sums up a big part of their design philosophy right there.

fredoliveira 16y ago
also considered arrogance by some
- jasonfried 16y ago
  and having a little fun in the comments section by others.
  - fredoliveira 16y ago
    actually I know you were having a laugh - even commented with the rest of the guys here how I found your answer funny. Fact is, however (and I'm sure you know this), quite a bunch of people take that as arrogance. Personally, I don't care - I agree with your policy on doing less (if your vision is in fact to do less with a product). The fact that some consider it arrogance (as I was alluding to) doesn't mean I do. (your downvote on my comment was not necessary, but this explanation of my comment might have been. Apologies for the misunderstanding, if there was one)
  - cmelbye 16y ago
    He can be having fun while still being arrogant towards others; they're not mutually exclusive.
- deleted 16y ago
  [deleted]
- jufemaiz 16y ago
  Their choice. You're not forced to use their product. Luckily there's a market offering choice.

antidaily 16y ago

Funny tweet: @tedroden: 37 signals releases MS Paint for the iPad... will probably sell millions.

joubert 16y ago

$10? Adobe Ideas is free: http://blogs.adobe.com/designandweb/2010/04/adobe_ideas.html http://blogs.adobe.com/designandweb/2010/04/adobe_ideas.html

10ren 16y ago

I love the idea of deliberately making it imprecise to serve the specific task (to sketch; and ignore details early on.) http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/getting_real_ignore_details_early_on.php http://37signals.com/svn/archives2/getting_real_ignore_detai... And their pricing strategy (from the comments): encouraging other people to add Campfire integration to their own apps – even free ones

jshen 16y ago
they're selling the sizzle, not the steak

taitems 16y ago

The app and its price tag seem to embody the true spirit of Apple hardware.

georgieporgie 16y ago
To provide extremely well-engineered devices that look and feel fantastic? Apple hardware is pretty awesome. 1st gen issues aside, that is.
- taitems 16y ago
  More so simply dress up something incredibly simple (with a brand name and implied value) and chuck an exhorbitant price tag on it.
  - georgieporgie 16y ago
    Erm. I'm not sure exactly what Apple hardware you think is incredibly simple, but having recently looked at Mac vs. Wintel laptops, I can assure you that the Mac laptops are incomparably better engineered. Personally, I use computers for many, many hours per day, and the little things really add up. Maybe you don't care about that, and you just want the right CPU and hard drive. If that's the case, more power to you. I hate Apple on principle (1st gen purchase, 'they' mean it when 'they' say not to buy 1st gen!), but I can't seem to find anything to compete with their hardware.
    - taitems 16y ago
      As the owner of a Lenovo work horse, I'd have to respectfully disagree. It's rugged, powerful and has survived freezing weekend/overnight conditions that have damaged macbooks. If something had actually failed, I could have easily swapped it out. I was just trying to make the point that 37Signals and Apple have a similar reality distortion field.
      - georgieporgie 16y ago

Qz 16y ago

From the comments: "I don’t think $9.99 is too expensive. What you’re paying for is the Campfire integration and the judicious removal of features." Sad but true. This is how they earn money at 37s.

robryan 16y ago

I think the price also reflects though that they don't actually need to sell this to anyone, it's already paid for itself in improving internal process. The people it's mainly aimed at using campfire, I'd imagine would pay for it whether it was 99 cents or $10 if it is useful in improving business process.