A talk from a slide given ProductTank London about the product management side of translating The Week magazine to the iPad

1. T H E W E E K O N I PA D :
WRONG QUESTIONS &
RIGHT ANSWERS

2. NOV FEB
2011! 2012!
UK EDITION DOWNLOADS:! US EDITION DOWNLOADS:!
106,000 ! 185,000 !
COMMERCIAL iPAD REVENUES!
TOP 5 iTUNES!
£500,000+ ! NEWS APP IN:!
38 COUNTRIES!
5-STAR!
ITUNES RATINGS:! 65%!

3. Before we get to the success...

4. Before we get to the success...
Some psychology.

6. “You” = System 2

7. “You” = System 2
It’s smart. It can handle complex
reasoning.
But it’s lazy.

8. “You” = System 2
It’s smart. It can handle complex
reasoning.
But it’s lazy.
System 2 requires
effort and focus.

9. System 1 is instinctive,
intuitive, impulsive

10. System 1 is instinctive,
intuitive, impulsive

11. System 1 is instinctive,
And it’s always running
intuitive, impulsive

12. A BALL AND BAT COST £1.10
THE BAT COSTS £1 MORE THAN THE BALL.
HOW MUCH DOES THE BALL COST?

13. 5P
(£1.05 + 5P = £1.10)

14. We’re very rarely stumped

15. We’re very rarely stumped
•17 x 24 = ?

16. We’re very rarely stumped
•17 x 24 = ?
•What’s your opinion of HTML5?

17. We’re very rarely stumped
•17 x 24 = ?
•What’s your opinion of HTML5?
•What should be done about the (near) collapse of the
financial system?

18. We’re very rarely stumped
•17 x 24 = ?
•What’s your opinion of HTML5?
•What should be done about the (near) collapse of the
financial system?
•How happy are you with your life these days?

19. Are you answering the question?

20. Are you answering the question?
•What should be done about the (near) collapse of the
financial system?

21. Are you answering the question?
•What should be done about the (near) collapse of the
financial system?
•How angry am I at the bankers?

22. Are you answering the question?
•What should be done about the (near) collapse of the
financial system?
•How angry am I at the bankers?
•How happy are you with your life these days?

23. Are you answering the question?
•What should be done about the (near) collapse of the
financial system?
•How angry am I at the bankers?
•How happy are you with your life these days?
•How am I feeling right now?

24. WHAT SHOULD I DO?

25. WHAT DID SOMEONE
ELSE DO?

26. WHAT SHOULD I BUILD?

27. WHAT CAN WE BUILD
EASILY?

28. The Week. Take 1.

29. Kindle!
Blackberry!
Android! iPhone!
iPad!
Online!
VAT!
Pricing! Advertising!
Reading time!
Print Subscribers! Editorial!
We talked tactics We planned revolution

30. Conservatism vs radicalism

31. Conservatism vs radicalism
• The best intentions: we wanted to build something good - couldn’t just be a
page turner.

32. Conservatism vs radicalism
• The best intentions: we wanted to build something good - couldn’t just be a
page turner.
• We built something interactive, clever and modern in look and feel, but
readers were uncomfortable.

33. Conservatism vs radicalism
• The best intentions: we wanted to build something good - couldn’t just be a
page turner.
• We built something interactive, clever and modern in look and feel, but
readers were uncomfortable.
• Existing software involved a lot of work and wasn’t multi-platform.

34. If the answers are wrong...
Maybe the questions are as well

35. Find out for yourself Users, not system 1

36. What job does our product do for users?

38. What job does our product do?

39. What job does our product do?
• The Week: a service, not an artefact. No-one has a favourite issue or article,
just as you don’t have a favourite bit of water that comes out of the tap.

40. What job does our product do?
• The Week: a service, not an artefact. No-one has a favourite issue or article,
just as you don’t have a favourite bit of water that comes out of the tap.
• Services work best when they’re readily available, reliable, straightforward.

41. What job does our product do?
• The Week: a service, not an artefact. No-one has a favourite issue or article,
just as you don’t have a favourite bit of water that comes out of the tap.
• Services work best when they’re readily available, reliable, straightforward.
• Subscriptions are massively important, and work well digitally for readers and
for us. Let’s get those right.

42. What job does our product do?
• The Week: a service, not an artefact. No-one has a favourite issue or article,
just as you don’t have a favourite bit of water that comes out of the tap.
• Services work best when they’re readily available, reliable, straightforward.
• Subscriptions are massively important, and work well digitally for readers and
for us. Let’s get those right.

43. So we knew the questions to ask...
• We needed great UX, particularly for existing subscribers
• We were going big on iPad, so worked hard to get Apple on side
• Good technology - but not a platform, and not 100% proprietary
• iOS users are demanding and have high expectations, so invest in some
polish and sparkle

44. What about
technology?
• Needs to serve your goals and
product priorities - “design isn’t
just how it looks”
• We’re providing a service: need
to be able to do so reliably and
efficiently. Workflow!
• It’s not HTML5 OR Native.
HTML5 and Native can be
blended, like a cocktail. When
done right, the user never
knows what’s what

54. THANKS.
I WAS ALEX WATSON.
@SIFTER
ALEX_WATSON@DENNIS.CO.UK
WWW .DENNISMEDIAFACTORY.CO.UK