Iterative design no picnic for perfectionist(s)

All the experts these days are recommending an “iterative” approach to designing software applications (including Websites).

Iterative essentially means that the application is never “done” nor is it ever “perfect” but it is “good enough” and will get better as it is used. The users, in fact, will provide feedback which will strengthen it over time.

I love this concept, but when you’re about to launch a social networking system that has taken 8 months to build, you want it to be PERFECT, if you’re like me you do anyway. You want everyone to look at your application and say “eureka! you’ve done it,” not “hmm. It’s nice, but…why doesn’t this button work correctly?”

Anyway, I’m only having these thoughts because our site is on the brink of beta – running a couple days behind our predicted schedule – but we’re VERY close now. In fact, here’s a look at my very own profile page from inside the system:

Sadly, I don’t have any “comments” from friends yet, which is why the bottom half of the page looks a little blank. I hope that area will fill up with glorious reports of how much everyone loves the new system. I realize not everyone will love it. It’s gonna have some rough edges. It’s gonna break from time to time. But it’s gonna get better every day as we ITERATE!

I just hope the users of the system – especially the other teams who are paying real money to make this system their very own – will be patient as we work through the “iterative process” together. They said they would. And I told them to expect some bumps in the beginning, but I know how I act. Sometimes what I say and what I’m THINKING are two different things. Maybe I’m unique? Doubt it. Only time will tell.

Once we launch the beta (probably next week) we’ve still got 6 weeks of testing before public launch…so we are looking good!!