[Sigia-l] the point-of-whatever-ness

[O'Neill, Todd]

Jason:

We've gone the same route as Samantha and I would concur that those are
good ways to streamline your online forms.

There may be something else to look at though, but not from structure or
content of the form on the web. Does the business need ALL this
information to make a decision? For example, if the visitor is a current
customer, does the business already have enough information to make a
credit decision for a loan let's say? If so, then maybe all they need is
the reason, collateral, etc. for the loan.

I think that we forget sometimes that we are partners in this "put
business on the web" game. That doesn't mean "put my existing business
on the web" necessarily. It may mean "what do I (as a business) do
differently to enable my business on the web?" While we're working a
project for a client our objective is the same as their objective, isn't
it: we want to bring them more business? Our focus happens to be on the
end customer, the site visitor. We know (or are experts in) the kinds of
behaviors and the kinds of techniques to apply to overcome those
behaviors.

The bankers will still be bankers, the insurers still insurers, the
retailers still retailers, but we are interaction designers/UX
designers/IAs/Whatevers. Our expertise, at least in a business context,
is working with our business partners to provide persuasive online
experiences for visitors so that those businesses can fulfill their
mission. (And if you align with that mission, so much the better.)   ;-)

I have a mass media communications background so that's my bias. I see
my work as a another method of persuasive communication that I just
happen to use (here come the salvos) information science to facilitate.
Similar to the way I would use a dissolve to indicate passage of time on
film or creepy organ music to set the mood for a radio drama.

Or that may be how I rationalize what I do today and what I've done in
the past.  ;-)


Todd O'Neill Web Producer USAA Customer Experience
210-913-8312 todd.oneill at usaa.com 
These opinions mine not those of USAA. 
"The purpose of business is to create and keep a customer." Peter
Drucker