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Quote of the Week:

All solitary dreamers know that they hear differently when they close their eyes.
-Gaston Bachelard

Notes from Notchcode

6.20.2008

The List, Item One: Do the Unpleasant Stuff First

These posts aren't specifically design-related, but they do speak to a working methodology that I have learned a lot from: my dad's. He had a list in his office that served as a set of guidelines for how to get things done quickly, efficiently, and well. I have no idea if he came up with it himself, or if he got it from somewhere else (although I suspect it might be a mix of the two), but having tried out The List on my own, it certainly has helped. So I wanted to share it with you.

The first thing on the list: Do the unpleasant stuff first.

There are several advantages of tackling the things that really make you cringe right off the bat. The best thing about it is that you get it done, it's out of the way, and you can now focus on things that you are more excited about. And a lot of times, if you do that Unpleasant Thing, you find that it wasn't so bad, after all. In most cases, what's the worst that could happen? Someone getting mad at you? Be disappointed in you? I'm not discounting these things as being bad--because in some contexts, they really can sting--but as they say in the old world, "you've still got your health, right?"

What this rule does for me is it forces me to look at my list of Stuff To Do and find that one thing that I would otherwise weave my way around until there was nothing else on that list to do....and then I'd probably make a new list with a bunch of other stuff on it in order to keep avoiding doing That Thing.

The problem is, That Thing would still be there. And it's not going away. The worst case scenario is that it's actually getting worse, just like an untreated wound festers without proper attention. So you need to get up out of your comfy chair and deal with it. Ideally, you'll get the most unwanted item off your plate, and lighten your work- and psychic loads. And even in the worst of all worlds--hey, at least you won't have it hanging off your shoulder like the proverbial albatross. Forever.

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4.08.2008

Measuring the Return on Investment for Fundraising Websites

A while ago I prepared a white paper titled "Measuring Return on Investment for Fundraising Website Development" for a client of mine in the non-profit sector. I think it's important enough to share with everyone, so I've posted it here [PDF].

It covers the basics on how to measure online fundraising goals, what to expect in terms of conversion rates, what sorts of metrics are important, and more. It serves as an introduction and overview, and I'd love to talk at length to anyone who reads it and is hungry for more information.

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