On both hands...

I've been looking into project management web applications for work, so that's what's on my mind. It is useful to compare like websites, as a lot of other people have been posting, because they have the same target audience (presumably).

The good: Basecamp. It's actually really well-known for how simple and easy to use it is, for how much it does. The language is friendly and inviting, making "project management" fun and less intimidating for non-executives. No paragraphs are very long, but most impressively, even the snippets of text, like instructions, are engaging. On a purely product review side, I will say that it doesn't have some features I consider key, like having due dates or progress markers on to-do items (I signed up for the free trial project).

The not so good: Zoho Projects. This is one case where I feel like having the login box so prominent is a deterrent for new users, because there isn't enough introductory content to get visitors oriented. Consider how fun and playful the logo is supposed to be, the text is deathly boring. It comes across as the middle manager trying to improve staff morale by letting employees wear more colorful ties. I logged in as a demo user, and logged out pretty quickly.

Both are just one product among a suite. Basecamp is made by 37signals, which also runs a popular blog call Signal vs Noise, while Zoho Projects is made by, well, Zoho.

A List Apart: Writing

As a web designer, A List Apart (“for people who make websites”) is a godsend for me. It's an online magazine that's been around for years and is edited by some of the leaders of the web industry.

ALA covers all the topics that anyone building a website will encounter — design, code techniques, usability, business, and most importantly for our purposes, content. Technological breakthroughs get outdated, and design trends come and go, but good (web) writing is still good (web) writing.

So put the kettle on and find your favorite blanket to wrap up in. The Red Sox have won, and A List Apart’s archive of writing articles is your new reason to stay indoors and up into the night.

http://alistapart.com/topics/content/writing/