The great product designers at 37signals are coming out with a book. Check out the table of contents. Some really good stuff there.
Link: Coming soon: Getting Real, the book – Signal vs. Noise (by 37signals).
We’re putting the finishing touches on our next book. We’re not sure what we’re going to call it yet, but here’s a peak at the latest version of the table of contents. The book will also include thoughts from folks like Mark Hurst of Creative Good, Seth Godin, and Jim Coudal, among others.
Here are the chapter titles:
- Introduction
- The Starting Line
- Stay Lean
- Priorities
- Feature Selection
- Process
- The Organization
- Staffing
- Design
- Code
- Words
- Pricing & Signup
- Promotion
- Support
- Post-Launch
Here are some really good sub-chapter headings:
- It Shouldn’t Be a Chore: Your passion – or lack of – for your product will shine through
- Embrace Constraints: Let limitations guide you to creative solutions
- Develop Mantras: Explicitly define the philosophy of your app
- Stripped Down: The importance of simplicity and clarity
- Sum It Up, Fast: If you can’t explain it on one page, don’t do it
- Human Solutions: Make flexible software that encourages people to create their own solutions
- Rinse and Repeat: Expect multiple iterations
- Meetings Suck: Don’t have meetings that last longer than 30 minutes
- Wordsmiths: Hire good writers
- Interface First: Design the UI before you start programming
- Copywriting is Interface Design: Words are a crucial component of your UI
- Less Software: Keep your code as simple as possible
- Open Up the Doors: Use APIs to encourage third-party applications
- Be a Storyteller: Write stories, not details
- Spec Off: Don’t write a functional specifications document
- Easy On, Easy Off: Make signup (and exit) a painless, no-brainer process
- Promote Through Education: Share your knowledge with the world
- Publicize Your Screwups: Get bad news out there and out of the way
