Eugene Eric Kim (EEK) has created A Manifesto for Collaborative Tools back in March. I want to remind myself that it's there, and mention it to a wider audience. It's a good long discussion of what needs to happen in collaborative tools. Here are the highlights:
- Be people-centric.
- Be willing to collaborate.
- Create shared language.
- Keep improving.
At some level these things apply to just about every aspect of design and even project management. What is the purpose of the project / application, other than to support what individuals or groups do? As EEK recounts, we too frequently get lost in the gee-whiz and forget that these tools are built in support of what needs to get done.