Google Wave is dead. Over. Kaput.
Of course, to anyone who considered using it, this isn’t a surprise. Nonetheless, it’s a bit sad; Google Wave had great promise and received much fanfare. It was heralded by many, including Google of course, as a revolutionary way to communicate.
But it had one major, insurmountable flaw: no one understood it. Or, rather, it took too long to understand.
And in this there is a lesson. Successful products and services almost always share the trait of understandability. When you encounter them for the first time, you understand what they do and how they can benefit you. If they are complex, then the wrapper does a good job of explaining why you should buy, though that’s a less desirable circumstance for the provider to find themselves in.
It’s not that Google Wave was overly complex in and of itself; rather, it’s that Google never did a good job explaining to people why they should use it. On top of that, the product itself—the user interface—gave few if any clues as to what made it tick, why you should use it, and why it was so revoluationary. Adding insult to injury, you could only use it with other Google Wave members, so it meant you were only able to communicate with the rare few who, like yourself, “got it.”
I’m sorry to see Google Wave die. Not because I think it was great, but because it might have been great but I just didn’t know it.
Great post MM. When I think about understandability in products, I always go back to the pencil: you hold it in your hand, write with one side, and erase with the other. Even if you have never seen one before, you could quickly figure out how to use it.
Here’s a video where a VC (Fred Wilson) explains his golden principles of successful web applications. Number two is exactly what you are describing about Google Wave. He uses the term “Instant Utility”, but it’s the same principle as “Understandability”. A person should instantly understand how the application can solve a problem or improve their daily lives.
http://thinkvitamin.com/business/fred-wilsons-10-golden-principles-of-successful-web-apps/