Copywriter, provocateur and whirlwind-wordsmith Sharon Clark from the Watershed kindly spent a frantic 2 hours with the Happy Packages team on Wednesday. It was a really interesting session, both challenging and inspiring in equal measure and the unanimous verdict was "Why didn't we chat with Sharon 2 months ago!?! That was brilliant!"

The focus of the session was on the way in which we communicate the idea to potential users, to investors, to journalists and to the tech-savvy pervasive community. Sharon was quick to point out the language we've been using isn't the most inspiring, accessible or luddite-friendly. While we might hit technological nails on the head, we're missing the experience, the passion, the emotion, the look and feel of this *thing* we're creating. What does it look like? Feel like? Where am when I use it? When do I use? Why?

But above and beyond helping us critique the language we've been using thus far, Sharon had us thinking more clearly about the users and the responses we want to evoke within the first 10, 20, 30 seconds of seeing our product. Finally, she suggested returning to the core aspirations for the project, which should include the aims for each contributor and each compay. There are four strong minds and to get the best out of them we need to consolidate our proposition, ensuring it is clear, congruent and supported by solid evidence.

Next on the agenda -

(1) A focus group with studio residents to explore the fun & function of the product
(2) A new name (For Sharon Hapy Packages conjures little more than a bulging codpiece...)
(3) A 3 sentence description
(4) In depth audience & user analysis
(5) Statisitcs research, user scenarios, business plan
(6) Finish the iPhone prototype!

Lots of homework to be getting on with! Onwards we march...

Posted by Ben Templeton