Can software be likeable?

Yes.

It isn't the easiest thing to do and it is contrary to current marketing and software development practices but it ISN'T rocket science. Likeable Software sees usability as part of the maturing process for software. In software's adolescence, a focus on features and lightning-fast development was understandable. But to use the computer as a tool, instead of an end in itself, requires software produced using a more mature approach.

To create software that is likeable requires a focus shift -- from showing off features to helping the user accomplish their tasks. Likeable Software is designing software to make common tasks (see Products) more likeable. Soon these software libraries will available to be easily incorporated into your own applications to make your products likeable.

Here are some basic principles (see Further Info) used at Likeable Software:

• Understanding the tasks that the user needs to do and what their goals are
• Make informed decisions so that the user doesn't have to
• Cut things (impress with SIMPLICITY)
• Prototyping (paper is fine) the design and then testing it with REAL users
• Let the computer remember things, the user has better things to do
• Displaying an error to the user is a failure of the design and programmer
• Break conventions when the solution is a good one and its benefits outweigh the cost of learning it

The bear in the logo

The teddy bear in our logo foreshadows a time when all software is likeable and computers are friendly and easy to use.