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The original EXEC page is much better. First, current tells me EXEC will do anything for $25/hr, yours tells me they will buy my groceries for $25/hr (cutting

by wdewind 15y ago

The original EXEC page is much better. First, current tells me EXEC will do anything for $25/hr, yours tells me they will buy my groceries for $25/hr (cutting the mass appeal down IMMENSELY) Second, and much more importantly, EXEC's current design works within real constraints. For one thing, you mocked up all this social proof that likely does not exist for an early stage startup. That takes up about 50% of your design. There are some things you improve on (more frequent calls to the primary action etc.), but the problem with doing design like this is you end up focusing almost entirely on aesthetic stuff, as well as cookie cutter things you can plug into any site (ie: testimonials etc.), instead of the real task at hand. If you want to improve your design skills you have to get some real constraints. Design without constraints isn't.

swombat 15y ago
I'm pretty sure getting quotes from people like Paul Graham and early interest from a bunch of early adopters is well within the "real constraints" of someone like Justin Khan. Social proof is easy when you're the founder of Justin.TV and SocialCam and a YC partner.
- tptacek 15y ago
  Hey, wait a minute: that's not the kind of social proof this mockup included.
  - swombat 15y ago
    All the social proof on this design is within reach of the Exec team. Listing them all: - YC startups using Exec - we already know they are, check. - Videos of people using exec - are you kidding me? The founder of Justin.TV would struggle to make a couple of nice testimonial videos from trustworthy looking people? check. - Names of people who use Exec - see first point. check. - Profiles of execs. easy. check. - Quote from Paul Graham. Should take about 20 seconds to bang out an email. check. - Quote from Elon Musk. I don't know if he's connected to YC/Khan/etc, but I would be surprised if that was more than one or two phone calls away if that was really needed. That said, any other reputable figure will do. check. - "Millions of people" - ok, that's not true yet. So change it to thousands of people (probably true already).
    - tptacek 15y ago
      "Thousands of businesses use Exec". "Here's real people testifying about Exec". Zero doubt that Exec could put together "social proof" that YC companies use and love the service. But that's not their target market, is it? It's not the targeting that this redesign uses. I'm commenting on the redesign. I'm not arguing whether it would be good for them to leverage the YC network on their front page. This redesign doesn't do that. Incidentally: quotes from Musk and Graham are (I'd suggest) counterproductive. Exec is priced for the mainstream. They're following TaskRabbit's price point. Look at TaskRabbit jobs; they're all bachelors getting shit out of their 4th floor studio apartments or assembling Ikea furniture. Why would Exec adopt a message of "this is a service targeted at the Elon Musks of the world"? How many FT PA's does Musk already have? I think he has some of them in space. I think you're (accidentally) moving the goalposts. I like the idea that the founder of Justin.tv can, because of his amazing video powers, generate compelling videographic social proof for any product. Maybe he should sell those super expensive Vertu phones too. ;)
      - swombat 15y ago
        But that's not their target market, is it? I don't know, you'd have to ask the Exec team. Me, I think that's a great starting target market. It's not enough as a final objective, but if they can saturate that market, they're in a good position to expand to the rest.
armandososa 15y ago
Everything is too vague and broad. Will they tell stories to my kids? Will they change my grandpa's diaper? Will they break my debtor's knees? I'll be afraid to ask. OP's design proposes a slideshow showing concrete examples of what exec can do for you. Concreteness trumps vagueness. I think task rabbit does it better. http://www.taskrabbit.com/ http://www.taskrabbit.com/

by wdewind 15y ago

swombat 15y ago

I'm pretty sure getting quotes from people like Paul Graham and early interest from a bunch of early adopters is well within the "real constraints" of someone like Justin Khan. Social proof is easy when you're the founder of Justin.TV and SocialCam and a YC partner.

tptacek 15y ago
Hey, wait a minute: that's not the kind of social proof this mockup included.
- swombat 15y ago
  All the social proof on this design is within reach of the Exec team. Listing them all: - YC startups using Exec - we already know they are, check. - Videos of people using exec - are you kidding me? The founder of Justin.TV would struggle to make a couple of nice testimonial videos from trustworthy looking people? check. - Names of people who use Exec - see first point. check. - Profiles of execs. easy. check. - Quote from Paul Graham. Should take about 20 seconds to bang out an email. check. - Quote from Elon Musk. I don't know if he's connected to YC/Khan/etc, but I would be surprised if that was more than one or two phone calls away if that was really needed. That said, any other reputable figure will do. check. - "Millions of people" - ok, that's not true yet. So change it to thousands of people (probably true already).
  - tptacek 15y ago
    "Thousands of businesses use Exec". "Here's real people testifying about Exec". Zero doubt that Exec could put together "social proof" that YC companies use and love the service. But that's not their target market, is it? It's not the targeting that this redesign uses. I'm commenting on the redesign. I'm not arguing whether it would be good for them to leverage the YC network on their front page. This redesign doesn't do that. Incidentally: quotes from Musk and Graham are (I'd suggest) counterproductive. Exec is priced for the mainstream. They're following TaskRabbit's price point. Look at TaskRabbit jobs; they're all bachelors getting shit out of their 4th floor studio apartments or assembling Ikea furniture. Why would Exec adopt a message of "this is a service targeted at the Elon Musks of the world"? How many FT PA's does Musk already have? I think he has some of them in space. I think you're (accidentally) moving the goalposts. I like the idea that the founder of Justin.tv can, because of his amazing video powers, generate compelling videographic social proof for any product. Maybe he should sell those super expensive Vertu phones too. ;)
    - swombat 15y ago
      But that's not their target market, is it? I don't know, you'd have to ask the Exec team. Me, I think that's a great starting target market. It's not enough as a final objective, but if they can saturate that market, they're in a good position to expand to the rest.

armandososa 15y ago

Everything is too vague and broad. Will they tell stories to my kids? Will they change my grandpa's diaper? Will they break my debtor's knees? I'll be afraid to ask. OP's design proposes a slideshow showing concrete examples of what exec can do for you. Concreteness trumps vagueness. I think task rabbit does it better. http://www.taskrabbit.com/ http://www.taskrabbit.com/