This post was written by Heath W. Black, poet, beagle owner, digital strategist and connoisseur of Lionel Richie records. 

The past week has been a pretty crazy one for me. I attended Facebook’s annual F8 conference with some of the Blueye Team. I had a golf match and football game rained out. I bought my beagle her first raincoat. I also bought a record player, bookshelf and paint for my living room remodel project (It’s less of a remodel than patching up things that need patched up, but I like how manly I feel when I say remodel). As I’ve been taping, painting, remodeling and assembling things I thought to myself, “Self- there’s something to learn here…”

But what could F8 and painting my house possibly have in common? A few things, really.

1. I’ve participated in both in the past seven days.
2. My wife has patiently listened to me talk about both in recent weeks.
3. Mark Zuckerberg was present at both (note: whether this is factual or not is still being verified by Snopes.com)
4. Most importantly, they both emphasize the notion of iterations or, as designers will say, iterative design (disclaimer: i’m not a designer or developer, so if this post is errant it’s because I think on a higher-plane than most individuals).

Here’s a quick QA about iterative design:

What is iterative design?

Iterative design is the cyclical process of developing a product (whether it’s a mobile app, website, facebook application, etc is irrelevant in this case) based on prototyping, testing, analyzing and enhancing a product. Simply put, it’s the idea that you can’t build Rome, or your mobile app, in one day.

What does the process look like?

Design/Develop your product with basic functionality and features. Launch it, and begin the “listening phase” by analyzing what your users are using the most, where your users are experiencing frustration and take this data to make your product better (whether by enhancing those features or by fixing bugs) with a new design/development round.

What is the intended goal of iterative design?

To improve the functionality, quality and features of a given product based on user-intent.

But, once again, how does Facebook (F8) and painting my living room connect?

Here’s how.

I have this tendency to try to do everything at once. It’s a tendency I need to shed immediately. I try to tape the crown moulding, install the new record player, mount the television and paint all at the same time and needless to say, I don’t get a lot accomplished. Just bits and pieces of a lot of things. I want to start redecorating the guest bedroom before I’ve finished painting the living room. I want to plant grass in the backyard before I’ve mowed the grass in the backyard.

Annoying, huh?

If I tried to live my life with the same philosophy that I encourage entrepreneurs and brands at Blueye to implement in their product, I’d probably be more focused and effective.

Facebook is a great example of a company who has utilized iterative design throughout the years to enhance their product. They launch the wall, see that individuals are using it a lot and then they add commenting. They add photos and watch uploads increase, so they add albums. Facebook’s new timeline is a great example of this. After creating the Facebook profile, watching how users were doing it and seeing the holes that existed in the product, Facebook enhanced their product by creating an actual place where individuals can share their story and experiences with individuals rather than simply posting what a user’s solitary experience is. Facebook ITERATED on something they had to make it more effective.

Here are a few perks of iterative design that I think we should adhere to technologically, that hopefully I’ll adhere to at home as well:

1. It allows for earlier adjustments. - It’s easier to adjust and enhance a product when you’re only adjusting a piece of the product rather than the product five-years in.
2. It encourages user-feedback.- I’m a big advocate of beta-testing. If you aren’t asking your users for feedback, you’re probably missing out on some of the most importance product development ideas on the market.
3. It saves you money.- It’s said that 50% of all product design is never utilized by frequent users. Having said that, wasted code is money OUT OF not IN the bank.
4. Scrum means control.- The reason I got a beagle is because she will only weigh 12 pounds, not 120. When I walk her down the street, it’s much easier to control her frantic leash pulls because of this. Scrum/iterative design is the same way. When you work in small spurts, you are able to control, solve problems and prevent catastrophe at a higher ratio.
5. Inconsistencies disappear- As you iterate over and over, you are able to see inconsistencies in your product and address them as such.
6. Team Workload- I’m big on keeping my team happy. Iterative design is one way to do so. By spreading their workload out over an amount of time, I enable the employee to get his/her task done more effectively.
7. Investors Need To Know- If you have investors in your product, they want to know progress. In my humble opinion, one of the best ways to update an investor is through weekly or biweekly SCRUM meetings, to show them what enhancements/features have been implemented over the past seven-to-fourteen days.
8. Complexity Isn’t Muddling- Complex problems aren’t bad problems, but when you have hundreds of complex problems they often become muddled. Iterative design helps limit the amount of complexity on a given task.
9. Evolution DOES Exist- This isn’t about whether man was once monkey, but rather about the idea that the flexibility of product is a defining feature in the lifecycle, growth and survival of that given product. Simply put, evolve with your users. Learn from them and make their lives better.
10. Keep People Excited- I love Facebook. I’ve always loved Facebook. But every time Facebook launches a new product, design change or enhancement I REALLY love Facebook. it keeps me really excited to come back and use the product. I don’t get bored with what they’ve made and neither will your users. If you don’t iterate, you’re a Myspace. If you DO iterate, you’re a Facebook.

Next time you’re planning to build a website, mobile app, social app or even decorate your house. Do it in iterations. Take things one step at a time. You’ll find yourself more focused, saving money and enjoying the process so much more.

Now that I’m done writing this, I have to head home and paint my living room while simultaneously mounting my tv. Wish me luck!

A major point of rebranding is to change your audience’s perception of your brand in a positive way. The cool new graphics and colors come next.

Sometimes rebranding is wildly successful. Remember these?

Old Spice: Almost overnight, Old Spice’s rebranding became a viral campaign that everyone was talking about. Those creative videos that were all over Youtube were such a hit that consumers took the reigns with promoting the brand. From zero to hero.

Chicago Tribune: There’s a new website for the Chicago newspaper as of today. Personally, I think it looks great and pretty easy to navigate. Take a look at it and tell us what you think of the new look.  Will it be enough to save the paper?

Blueye Creative: Or at least we’re in the process of it. Everyone in the office has been really excited about the launch of our newly designed website. We hope you’ll love it too.  There will be more information on that pretty soon.  Soon to be success ; )

Obviously not every rebranding effort is going to be such a success (see here), but with a killer strategy and the right tactics, anything is possible.

Which brands stand out when the word rebranding comes to mind?

Okay, so this topic has the potential to become a lengthy post, and/or debate, so I’m going to keep this brief and use one example for now: skype.com .

Skype is one of the simpler, most user-friendly websites I have seen in quite a while. Personally, I don’t need to know how they got started or the technology behind their service. My main goals in coming to the site are: 1. download the service and 2. find information on using the service. Right away, I see a button to download and a navigation tab that will take me to another page about using the service. In addition, there’s even a little blurb about what Skype is, a true revelation (sarcasm). Please notice, there are not endless paragraphs about voice-over IP service, or VOIP applications that contain repeated catch phrases just in the hope that a random international college student or a small global business will search Google for ‘United States voice over internet phone service’.

Don’t get me wrong, search optimization can be vital to the success of your business but what use is search optimization if the user never gets past the first page of your site? At blueye, we put a lot of thought into the designs that we present to clients. We want our clients to not only be happy with the look and feel of the site, but we want them to be happy with the results once the site goes live. As a designer, the biggest compliment a client can give me is telling me that they are making sales and that clients and customers are telling them how easy their site is to use.

Remember, simple can be a really good thing. History speaks for itself: the tuxedo, chocolate ice cream, the bicycle – all simple products, with plenty of users worldwide.