…on the news that they’ve sold MeasureMap to Google for an as-yet undisclosed sum. I’m postponing a few posts I was working on to note a few comments on this one, because it’s a pretty damn impressive feat and something worth commenting on. A friend had mentioned it to me today, but reading the buzz I’m starting to have it just starting to sink in - and can’t help but feel happy for them. When people who care passionately about user design win one, well, it feels a bit like the good guys finished first for a change - not the temperamental clients, not the strange schedules, not the ridiculous specs. Just the people who create great user experiences, and the users who benefit from their expertise.

I’ve long been impressed by what the folks at AP do and the approach they take in doing it. No, I’m not sucking up or dropping names - I’m doing something even more scandalous and radical… I’m being honest, which might be difficult for people in this town to recognize. I like people and companies who are willing to step forward and create their own path in the wilderness when they see no one else willing to tread that path or make that vision come to fruition. Apple set out on that path with the infamous 1984 commercial, and one might argue Google set out on that path at one point. So here we have a seemingly radical notion - a consultancy saw a need, but instead of waiting for the clients to recognize the need and pay for it…well, they did it themselves, basically living out the great words from Karl Wallinger- “if you say you want a revolution, baby, well there is nothing like your own”.
Mindboggling, but not so really mindboggling if you think about it - a good product created by great professionals should win in the end. While I’ve been a little cagey about Yahoo and Google’s massive push to buy companies and their products, I’d like to think that in this case at least all the hype is worth it. As an unintended consequence perhaps user experience as a discipline will gain some publicity, and Google will gain some sense of how to incorporate UX into their work - something more than the much celebrated whitespace on their homepage. And I sincerely hope that the APers will be rewarded nicely for their work, and that this is the first of many good products from them. Consider this a proof of concept that’s been a success :)
As an aside, it’s kind of cute how all the APers blogged about the big news… they sound like proud parents, as well they should. Their baby’s graduated and is about to leave the nest. I hope they have a good party to celebrate the graduation. Raise a glass of fine whiskey in celebration.