These Common Craft guys are clever. They use simple and short videos featuring manipulated paper cut outs and tidy metaphors to explain the tools and concepts behind social software.
The first one I watched demonstrated the workings of wikis. They’ve also got videos on social bookmarking, blogging, RSS, podcasting, twitter … the works. Here’s Common Craft’s video ‘Social Media in Plain English’:
The Common Craft website includes the code for embedding their videos into your own website, blog or online community. You can also find them on YouTube. Handy!
Common Craft is also a big fan of being lightweight – reducing what they call the unnecessary ‘drag’ in every day work. They are lightweight in the tools they use, the way they work with their clients and their business design.
Which puts me in mind of the folks at 37signals – famous for producing simple and focused web applications. There’s Basecamp, a project management workspace that foregoes complex, time-wasting gantt charts and focuses instead on the tools of communication and – a personal favourite of mine – the Ta-da List (simple to-do lists).
The design and development methodology of 37signals is captured in their book ‘Getting Real‘, including chapters titled ‘Build Less’, ‘Embrace Constraints’ and ‘Interface First’. They design into their products only what is necessary, and consequently their products avoid ‘feature bloat’ and can be picked up and used within minutes.
Ease of use, just in time and lightweight are values embodied in the Common Craft videos, 37signals products and many of the social software tools that teachers love to use. No surprises about the appeal to educators, who are constantly teaching to the moment and to the changing needs of learners.
Thanks Sarah for putting me on to the Common Craft guys. I finally have a way of explaining to the teachers what the tools the students use on the net!
Thanks for your comment, Tania – pleased that you’re finding the videos useful!
[...] technology simply surprises and delights. I’ve posted about the web applications developed by 37signals before – their products give you what you need and nothing more. You never feel like [...]