Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Mo, and I am the newest bird to join the Aviary. I'm thrilled to be part of a team of such superstars, and am excited to once again be working with Iz and Avi whom I have worked with previously during the early stages of Worth1000, where I helped design the architecture.
Image courtesy of Vincent Maher
I love starting new jobs. The promise and potential of a new role is exciting. There's something that makes me feel good when I sit down at my new desk and the surface is still visible. I actually get a little turned on using a new computer with a clean desktop before all of these random files and folders named "New Requirements Version 1a - old.doc", "New Folder 2" and "Do Not Delete" clutter it up.
Joining as a new team member in the middle of a large project can be difficult. It would be great if on day one you could show up and start doing your thing. Unfortunately, this is rarely the case. Especially at a company like Aviary where the company strategy and website concepts are so complex and unique, seemingly there is so much you need to know before you can start being a productive team member.
But there are some contributions you can make *only* as a new team member.
On your first day you are a perfect focus group. You are in a unique position in that you don't really know how things are supposed to work. So take out a notebook and be a first time user - without documentation, FAQ's or anyone doing a demo for you. Can you easily navigate the functionality? A well designed and implemented interface should not require explanation. If you have trouble, so will other first time users. This needs to be addressed, and you are in a unique position to notice the problem.
On your first day, you are not jaded by how things already work. The people who have been working on the product for a while are already in a certain mindset about how the application looks and behaves. They have been programmed to expect the result of action A is behavior B. But does that make sense? Not fully understanding the application can help you give the group a fresh perspective on expected behavior.
I'd love to hear any of your thoughts or experiences as a new team member.
< view newer posts | view older posts >
Try Out Aviary»
Aviary is a powerful suite of browser-based design tools for people who create. Head on over to the Aviary homepage to try the applications out and learn more. It's free to try our tools or sign up!
RSS
Email