I’m a generalist interested in creating tools that become a part of people’s lives
The open web democratised the creation of software, but increasingly, the best of this ends up in the hands of just a lucky few
Make tools for people
With the rapid advancement of absolutely everything, it can be very easy for individuals and small businesses to be left behind. Without the ability to invest on an in-house tech team, or big-name SaaS solutions, smaller teams miss out on little ways digital tools can improve their days.
Much like an all-in-one subscription, business software can end up including a lot of what you don’t need. This inflates both the cost and the learning curve. Custom tools made to order can often improve people’s lives far better than an off-the-shelf solution.
seed for thought
“To give people pleasure in the things they must perforce use…
is one great office of decoration;
to give people pleasure in the things they must perforce make,
that is the other use of it.”
William Morris
English designer, craftsman, poet, and early socialist, who revolutionised Victoria taste and worked to the belief that along with health, housing and education, all people deserved access to art: “art for all”
Improve the whole system
From “that’s a bad choice” to “what made it seem like a good choice”—thinking in systems focuses attention on where our tools interact with people’s lives. We can then produce solutions that have the biggest impact. We can ask users what they are going through before what they are trying to do. We can empathise, and consider their environments.
Systemic solutions meet users where they are. They can have a more holistic impact than prescriptive, targeted features. Importantly, they can involve the user at all stages, getting the user to be invested in the product’s success.
seed for thought
“Any task tends to be structured by the available tools. It can appear that the available tools represent the best or even the only way to deal with a situation.”
Ursula M. Franklin
Canadian metallurgist, physicist, educator, feminist and social activist, in her lecture series “The Real World of Technology”, on the impact of science and technology on the quality of human life
Life
Aside from this, I love food and travel. I’ve visited 32 countries and lived in 6. I’m a hobbyist photographer, and share copyright free on Unsplash.
Thanks for stopping by, you can get in touch at ashim@therandomlines.com