User Experience Is Everything

Explore the critical importance of user experience in technology through this JSConf Iceland 2016 talk. Discover how appear.in, a WebRTC-based video-conferencing service, evolved from an intern project to a successful product by prioritizing user needs. Learn valuable insights on focusing on user-centric design, understanding target markets, and balancing innovation with familiarity. Gain practical advice on gathering user feedback, interpreting quantitative and qualitative data, and addressing performance issues. Understand why users prioritize functionality and ease of use over technical complexities, and how this knowledge can drive the success of your own projects.

Intro
What is appear.in?
It all started with the interns
3 students, 6 weeks
The world's biggest WebRTC-based video-conferencing service
The average user couldn't care less
What could we build that was better?
Just share the link
User experience made us better, but technology was the enabler
The user doesn't care about technology
Talk to your users!
Quantitative vs. Qualitative
People have different expectations
Get a target market
Choosing a target does not mean your product will only fit those people
"Access profile" is the new login
Keep innovations to a minimum
Users need to feel familiar
Listen for feedback
Performance was horrible, simple requests taking 5 seconds
Summary