When building a new app, Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) or otherwise, figure out how to trigger an emotional response or wow factor, as quickly as possible with as little effort as possible — a magic moment. In Facebook, there’s a magic moment the first time you sign in and see photos from old friends. In Pardot, there’s a magic moment the first time you click on a prospect and can see all their activities and digital interactions.
Here are a few thoughts on magic moments in software:
- When doing customer discovery or demoing the app, listen to the user’s voice and watch their reactions — magic moments will reveal themselves with emotional responses
- Apps that are harder to quickly deliver a magic moment require more thoughtfulness around demo data or examples to show the user what they could get with enough effort (e.g. a blank spreadsheet would take time to deliver a magic moment)
- Some magic moments are stronger than others, so figure out the most powerful one and help users achieve it quickly
- When a great magic moment is found, count the number of clicks or steps required for it, and then cut the number of steps down as much as possible
The next time you use an app, regardless of whether or not it’s one you made, look for magic moments — try to become more cognizant of them and think about how they work.
What else? What are some more thoughts on magic moments in software?
David Cummings on Startups 