Timely for us, as we’ve recently created an IQ Twitter profile, primarily to get the word out on our World Usability Day efforts. Anyway, back to basics, what the hell is it?

I’ll let Commoncraft do what they do best with the help of plain English and sketches:

But is Twitter just for play or for bloggers?

It’s a question I’ve been asked a few times and it’s best answered by highlighting some case studies on how some businesses are using it, at home and abroad:

• FBD Insurance (twitter.com/fbd_ie) may not be the biggest insurance company in Ireland (they’re close), but they could be making a play for the “coolest” - not something you’d normally associate with an insurance company. Spearheaded by Brendan Hughes, FBD are using it to connect in a different way to new customers. More importantly, in using it, they could be breaking the “brand perception” of a traditional and conservative insurance company.
• Bandon based, Curious Wines (twitter.com/curiouswines) have a new site and they’ve also hit the ground running with their Twitter presence offering special “Twitter friend discounts” (€10 off any mixed 12 bottle case for 24 hrs). After Bubble Brothers (twitter.com/bubblebrothers), they’re the second wine merchant in Ireland (and Cork) to use Twitter as an additional channel.
  
• Amazon are using it in at least two ways with daily MP3 discounts (twitter.com/amazonmp3) and everything else (twitter.com/amazondeals)
  
• US airline JetBlue (twitter.com/jetblue)  are using it as a customer service channel, answering customer queries, giving updates on flight delays etc.
  
• How could I leave out the Yes-we-can man of the moment, Barack Obama (twitter.com/barackobama). So, the “internets” swayed the election in his favour and with a following of over 130,000 on Twitter alone, it’s easy to see why.
  

Any other interesting “business” applications of Twitter you dare to share?

As today is Guinness World Records Day (as well as World Usability Day), I wonder if we could apply for an entry?

Our findings

It will take a while to collate everything we have learned. However, some things stand out loud and clear:

Aer Lingus: Very few people saw the ‘Multicity’ option on the homepage - probably because it is styled as a link. Change it to a radio-button to align it with the existing “One way” and “Return” options.

Bus Eireann: People were irritated at having to insert their departure date on the homepage and then AGAIN after clicking ‘Go’. Ease the pain. Use a session cookie to carry the user’s selection over from the homepage to avoid double data entry.

Irish Rail: Few people could find information about carrying bicycles on trains. And when they did, the instructions were in a PDF. Annoying! Not only that,  it was worded “Service that can accammadate bicycle transfers”. Spel chequer anyone?

By fixing such simple things today, these companies could do a lot to increase Gross National Happiness.

End in sight

After a long day, the end is in sight. Thanks to all who helped out and to the people who came along to support us.

The video below shows some of our final volunteers (and the clean-up that awaits).

The price? Hot chocolates all round.

They are now mid-way thru the tests and enjoying some tasty coffee (courtesy of Mimi in the Dandelion).

So what are we testing?

Well, we want to find out how easy Irish transport sites are to use for ordinary people doing common tasks. Among the activities we are asking people to complete are:

For Dublin Bus: “Imagine you have missed the last bus home and you wish to get a late bus home instead. Please try to find out, when they leave, and where the leave from.”

For Irish Rail: “You and a friend are going to visit another friend in Bray. You are going to be meeting at Connolly station at 6pm today. Try to find out when a suitable train leaves, and when it will get you there.”

That is a sample. I won’t give away anymore in case you decide to come along today!

Every year, World Usability Day events are held around the world to draw attention to services and products that are – or should be – easy to access and use.

We’ll be sending out a challenge to the nation’s top transport websites – including Irish Rail, Ryanair and others - in keeping with this year’s WU Day theme of transportation.

Read about this event (and find us on a map) on the World Usability Day website.

Why are we doing this?

We want to get as many real people to give independent, honest feedback on these websites as we can, in one day.

Why? Because we want to find out just how easy these sites are for real people to use, and to send a message to transport companies to get them - wait for it - back on track. (Sorry).

We also want to spread the word about the importance of usable web design for everyone – so the more people we can get to participate, the better the results will be.

Oh yeah – and this is also the sole World Usability Day event in Ireland this year. So it’s time to get the word out.

How will it work?

From 9 am to 5 pm on November 13, at the Dandelion Café Bar (130-133 St Stephen’s Green, just beside Stephen’s Green Shopping Centre), we’ll be carrying out guerrilla user tests with passing strangers (using two MacBook Pros and two Silverback licenses), asking them to book tickets, search for schedules and destinations, and other simple tasks.

At the end of the day, we should have a pretty good idea of what works - and what doesn’t.

We’ll report our findings to the owners of each website we’ve tested, in the hope they’ll act on our tips to make their websites more usable.

We’ll also post these findings right here on the iQ blog and will be live blogging the event on Twitter (twitter.com/iqcontent) so everyone can weigh in with comments and feedback.

The magic words: Free. Coffee.

For each participant, we’ll donate 10 euro to Concern and The Dublin Simon Community. And if participants on the day choose to make a donation of their own, we’ll also match their donation.

You can also cheer us on by making a donation anytime on Mycharity.ie.

Oh yeah – you’ll also get free coffee and scones on a cold winter’s day.

We’ll also be winding down that evening at the Dandelion Café Bar from 6pm onwards. Participants, supporters and general well-wishers are all welcome.

Where it’s at

The Great iQ User Test
Thursday, November 13 (9am-5pm)
The Dandelion Café Bar
130-133 St Stephen’s Green
Dublin 2

In the wonderful surrounds of the great banqueting hall, Morgan presented the 2008 Innovation Award to Niall Devine at MyCharity.ie - a well deserved accolade.

Following a tasty dinner, a sumptuous chocolate dessert and some coffee, yours truly decided to head home. Little did I know the night was only starting.

Some tired heads in the office this morning suggest the residents’ bar in the nearby Hilton Hotel proved a comfortable venue for night-cap (or 2).

Some scenes from the evening are shown in the video below (no sound).

I’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying to figure out what matters to people when faced with the tough task of buying a new mobile phone.

In my quest for answers, I came across The Global Mobile Mindset Audit, a survey on worldwide mobile usage conducted by the CMO Council’s Forum to Advance the Mobile Experience (FAME) in 2007.

These are some of the things they found out.

When buying a mobile phone, people get really annoyed by the lack of demos. That’s probably why we keep on buying our mobiles in stores, instead of doing it online. We expect to find informed and professional sales reps there. And phones have become so complicated that we really need the help.

In fact, when using a mobile phone, the number one annoyance are all those features we never, ever use. The second most irritating thing is the short battery life, and we are also very concerned about losing our contacts.

When asked about their ideal mobile phone, people explained it would be smaller and trendier. It would also be really simple and easy to use, ring louder and have more memory.

My favourite finding was about how users in developing countries are embracing their handsets to overcome infrastructure limitations. In places with no phone lines and no computers, the mobile phone provides access to services and information:

The Sydney Morning Herald reported in January 2007 that more than four million people in the Philippines use their mobile phones as virtual wallets. And between 20 and 25 percent of respondents in developing regions reported using their mobile device for banking compared to only 7 percent in the U.S. and 10 percent in Europe.

The Global Mobile Mindset Audit - Executive Summary

The mobile phone is indeed a fair revolution: one for those who need it most.

8 is a magic number: it’s lucky, it’s scorpio, it’s planetary, it’s symmetrical. And it’s my new favourite number, because last night, at the Deloitte Fast 50 awards, we were named Ireland’s eighth fastest growing technology company.

We’re delighted. But it all could easily not have happened. Except it did, and here’s how.

How it happened: an August conversation with unforeseen consequences

Laurence: Do you think we should enter the Fast 50 awards?
Morgan: I’m not sure, Lar. I’m not really into competitions, like being below the radar, I’ll think about it…
Laurence: Grand so; I’ll just download the form, and we can see what we do later….

[Days pass. Morgan ruminates. Laurence & Morgan meet again.]

Morgan: I’ve been thinking about the Fast 50, and I don’t want us to enter.
Laurence: Really, why not?
Morgan: Ah, you know: turnover based, hype, prefer to plough our own furrow…[rabbits on indefinitely]
Laurence: Grand so.

No means yes: a September email

Weeks pass. September comes. Laurence goes on holidays. In his absence, this email arrives:

“Hi Morgan, Congratulations again on being shortlisted in the Deloitte FAST 50. We don’t usually do this, but this year we have decided to notify the top ten winners under the strictest confidence….”

I’m reading this and I’m scratching my head. What does it mean? Lar, you cheeky devil…..Have we, in fact, entered the Fast 50? Have we not only entered, but been short-listed? And are we in the Top 10?

Yes, yes, and yes, as it turned out. Magical No. 8 being our final position in a competition that I didn’t even think we’d entered.

What did I learn from our Accidental Fast 50?

• Bosses don’t know best: I was wrong about the Fast 50, and my wrongheadedness could have caused us to miss a great opportunity
• Hire great people and let them at it: Luckily, I’m surrounded by lots of people who are smarter than me. And they’re happy and willing to disagree, act, take initiative: a self-regulating system that results in better decisions and outcomes.
• Trust, let go, enjoy: Business is a great adventure. Like all adventures, there are twists, turns, ups, downs. Strap yourself in, trust your travelling companions, and enjoy the ride: fun and great things follow.

Thanks, thanks, thanks and more thanks

Thanks to Lar for sticking his neck out & taking a punt: brilliant. Thanks to all my fantastic colleagues for their smarts, effort, and unrelenting commitment to doing great work. Thanks to everyone at Deloitte for a great event and a great experience. And lastly, but most importantly, thanks to our brilliant customers who make everything possible.