4 ms·

I like how you put the Facebook, FreshBooks and Mailchimp logos on there in the same style other websites use when saying who uses their product.

mattmanser 14y ago
I found this pretty shitty too.
nathanbarry 14y ago
Some initial feedback was that people didn't know what I meant by web application. So they asked that I provide examples.
- mattmanser 14y ago
  Seriously? I mean seriously? You're supposed to be a UX designer. And you honestly can't see how that looks like social proof, that you are visually implying that these companies use your product? I want this book so bad. But your contact form is awful. You can't design the simplest form on the web. You don't actually seem to have any actual experience in designing web apps, working for one unidentified startup. I'm afraid I'd be spunking my money. The screen shots are awful and show you can't actually design a good UX, take this as an example: http://nathanbarry.com/wp-content/themes/nathan-refreshed/img/software-book/content_4/polished.png http://nathanbarry.com/wp-content/themes/nathan-refreshed/im... Who puts a cancel button there? Seriously, that's the worst cancel button placement I've ever seen. UX is very different from graphic design. You seem to be a graphic designer, not an interaction designer. This book is one I've wanted for ever But it's got all the signs of being a stinker, the blind leading the blind.
  - nkohari 14y ago
    Congratulations, you're an asshole!
  - obstacle1 14y ago
    Are you drunk? What a vile, illogical, and empty rant. OP didn't say he doesn't think it looks like social proof. He stated that it wasn't intended to function as social proof, and gave his motives for placing the logos. Seriously, I mean seriously, you couldn't have read that properly? You're supposed to be a HN poster, and you honestly can't read a post properly? Instead of repeatedly insulting the guy, yelling about how he can't do stuff, and providing examples of his incompetence, why don't you show/tell how things could be improved?
  - zedzed 14y ago
    Would you mind detailing the reasons why that 'Cancel' button placement is terrible?
  - mnicole 14y ago
    Don't know why people are saying you're an ass for calling out glaring design flaws in a $200 book about design. I felt similarly about Sacha's book on UI, but it was only $6-$12 so it didn't seem worth complaining about. If people want to drop two coffees on something they think they'll get value from, that isn't a big deal. Additionally, the app he designed for actually exists. This is a little different from Nathan's offering because as far as I can tell, there is no end product, nor are the examples provided good indicators of good visual design or UX.
- brown9-2 14y ago
  Are you sure these people were in your target audience of designers?
tomasien 14y ago
I don't know if you actually liked this or not, but I did. It displayed a deep knowledge of how to manipulate design elements to implant an idea in a user's head. There's nothing dishonest about it, it's just a design element.
- kaolinite 14y ago
  Kinda ;-) I think it's dishonest if done intentionally (which I suspect it may have been), but it is also quite clever too.
- MikeKusold 14y ago
  Actually, I found it dishonest. It's the equivalent of small print to me. I'll do a walk through of my initial reaction when I saw those logos. 1) Oh! Those companies have purchased this before to make their sites better! If they stand behind the product then maybe I should look into buying it. 2) Hmm...they didn't purchase it. Maybe the creator of this product was part of the design team for those websites and he knows what he is talking about. 3) Oh.....Those are just examples of web apps.
  - tomasien 14y ago
    That's an extremely narrow view of "dishonest" if "dishonest" means "made me make an assumption that it itself clears up in English plain text in plain view".
- brown9-2 14y ago
  I'm not sure if "this guy seems good at manipulation" is a quality I want to see in someone trying to sell me a book/video/instructional package. It makes me feel like I'm about to be manipulated.

mattmanser 14y ago

I found this pretty shitty too.

nathanbarry 14y ago

Some initial feedback was that people didn't know what I meant by web application. So they asked that I provide examples.

mattmanser 14y ago
Seriously? I mean seriously? You're supposed to be a UX designer. And you honestly can't see how that looks like social proof, that you are visually implying that these companies use your product? I want this book so bad. But your contact form is awful. You can't design the simplest form on the web. You don't actually seem to have any actual experience in designing web apps, working for one unidentified startup. I'm afraid I'd be spunking my money. The screen shots are awful and show you can't actually design a good UX, take this as an example: http://nathanbarry.com/wp-content/themes/nathan-refreshed/img/software-book/content_4/polished.png http://nathanbarry.com/wp-content/themes/nathan-refreshed/im... Who puts a cancel button there? Seriously, that's the worst cancel button placement I've ever seen. UX is very different from graphic design. You seem to be a graphic designer, not an interaction designer. This book is one I've wanted for ever But it's got all the signs of being a stinker, the blind leading the blind.
- nkohari 14y ago
  Congratulations, you're an asshole!
- obstacle1 14y ago
  Are you drunk? What a vile, illogical, and empty rant. OP didn't say he doesn't think it looks like social proof. He stated that it wasn't intended to function as social proof, and gave his motives for placing the logos. Seriously, I mean seriously, you couldn't have read that properly? You're supposed to be a HN poster, and you honestly can't read a post properly? Instead of repeatedly insulting the guy, yelling about how he can't do stuff, and providing examples of his incompetence, why don't you show/tell how things could be improved?
- zedzed 14y ago
  Would you mind detailing the reasons why that 'Cancel' button placement is terrible?
- mnicole 14y ago
  Don't know why people are saying you're an ass for calling out glaring design flaws in a $200 book about design. I felt similarly about Sacha's book on UI, but it was only $6-$12 so it didn't seem worth complaining about. If people want to drop two coffees on something they think they'll get value from, that isn't a big deal. Additionally, the app he designed for actually exists. This is a little different from Nathan's offering because as far as I can tell, there is no end product, nor are the examples provided good indicators of good visual design or UX.
brown9-2 14y ago
Are you sure these people were in your target audience of designers?

tomasien 14y ago

I don't know if you actually liked this or not, but I did. It displayed a deep knowledge of how to manipulate design elements to implant an idea in a user's head. There's nothing dishonest about it, it's just a design element.

kaolinite 14y ago
Kinda ;-) I think it's dishonest if done intentionally (which I suspect it may have been), but it is also quite clever too.
MikeKusold 14y ago
Actually, I found it dishonest. It's the equivalent of small print to me. I'll do a walk through of my initial reaction when I saw those logos. 1) Oh! Those companies have purchased this before to make their sites better! If they stand behind the product then maybe I should look into buying it. 2) Hmm...they didn't purchase it. Maybe the creator of this product was part of the design team for those websites and he knows what he is talking about. 3) Oh.....Those are just examples of web apps.
- tomasien 14y ago
  That's an extremely narrow view of "dishonest" if "dishonest" means "made me make an assumption that it itself clears up in English plain text in plain view".
brown9-2 14y ago
I'm not sure if "this guy seems good at manipulation" is a quality I want to see in someone trying to sell me a book/video/instructional package. It makes me feel like I'm about to be manipulated.