The UX community on Twitter is alive and vibrant.  Everyone is dropping UX knowledge and sharing lovely linky goodness. This is what learning and collaboration looks like.

Last week, we looked at individual UX geniuses posting on the Twitter.  Today we take a look at companies or businesses who are outstanding and worthy of praise.  Ben and I agree that these companies deserve recognition because of consistent and quality tweets.

Our criteria for Great UX Businesses on Twitter

Consistency is fairly easy metric – a few posts a day and never a lapse of a week or more between posts.  Quality, on the other hand is more subjective.  I feel the tweets from a company shouldn’t be overly sales oriented, overly support oriented, or overly conversational.  “All things in moderation” is the quote that applies here.  Of course, companies should tweet out sales and promotions, should answer support tweets, and should chat with friends – but within moderation. A healthy balance of those mixed in with cool UX links and RTs – that’s what makes me click the follow button.

And that’s what the following UX business Twitter accounts deliver. (in no particular order, so please no wagering)

KISSmetrics.com

@KISSmetrics is a web analytics tool supported by none other than my man, Avinash Kaushik. Check out the quote on their homepage.  I wonder if he said that before working at Google.  I’m pretty sure Google obfuscates the analytics to make room for analysts, like Ben and tools, like KISSmetrics.  KISSmetrics does keep it simple and the tool is delightful.  The feed is pretty awesome, too.  They must have a secret pipeline to all the cool UX links.  Thanks for sharing.

IntuitionHQ

@intuitionhq is a BOSS.  These folks are seriously ‘in tune’ with what I need as far as information about UX and design.  When they say, “by designers for designers”, I believe ’em.  Its clear from the relevant and quality links they share each and every day. Quality, check. Consistency, check.  … Crap, I get it now.  They are from New Zealand.  THINK ABOUT IT.  It’s the fall season down there now.  I’m always more insightful and productive in the fall.  Also, they are a full day ahead or behind us – whichever works out in their favor.  All other UX twitter feeds should give up.  IntuitionHQ has got the lock… couldn’t happen to nicer folks.

CrazyEgg

@crazyegg Here is another of Ben’s picks.  Whenever I think of Crazyegg, I think of a literal ‘Crazy Egg’, like a honey badger or Chuck Norris.  But I suppose you could think of the Crazyegg as the Chuck Norris of synthetic eye tracking.  Their blog is spot on. They’re a must-follow for that alone.

Usabilla

@usabilla  What’s not to love about Usabilla? They’re the remote testing and design feedback tool from Amsterdam.  Long time listeners will recognize them from previous posts – It’s no secret, we love Usabilla.  And, their twitter feed is top-shelf, just like the the tools they build.  The links they post are relevant to the needs of those using the tool and often link to their own very well done blog.  One last thing… keep up with their case studies.  They’re great!!!

UIE– User Interface Engineering

@UIE is the UX and usability consulting firm headed up by our man, Jared M. Spool.  If you don’t know these guys and gals, you better ask somebody!  I saw the light during a recorded lecture Spool gave at one of UIE’s seminars. Such quality insights! And, guess what? That’s what their twitter stream delivers on a daily basis.  Many times a day actually.  What’s more, Spool and Co. have a knack for balance.  They RT. They @ reply.  They do promotions and announce  discounts.  Quotes, jokes, whatever you like, they got it.

Vandelay Design

@VandelayDesign is our black sheep, or rather odd-ball.  They are awesome, but not specific to UX.  They are a website design company specializing in church websites.  They do good work.  But their tweet feed is why we listed them here.  It’s wonderful links to the resources that we designer need and crave.  While it may be light on personality and engagement (not many replies or personal discussion), that’s fine because the links are ‘consistent and quality’.  So keep it coming Vandelay.  And, I like saying ‘VanDElay’. 🙂

Why do all this?

It’s sort of like  Jamie Oliver, the food revolution guy who takes a food diary of all the stuff people eat.  I’m doing that of the stuff I follow on Twitter.  I want to manage my information diet in order to produce results – that starts with an inventory.  That’s what this post is about.  Next I need to ask myself: What do I expect of my twitter feed?

I expect my twitter feed:

• to keep me informed – like reading the paper.
• to entertain me – like watching a show.
• to help me feel connected – like visiting with family or friends.

Will this list do that?  It’s a start.  But I can’t help but think  that there is a more systematic way of doing this.  The danger is information overload and not meeting our objectives.

Do you have a systematic approach to you produce things on Twitter?  Businesses should and many do – I recently read “Groundswell” by the folks at forester research, which talks about this.

But what about individuals?   Do you have a strategy for how you read things on Twitter? It seems businesses have a strategy to produce.  I feel, the consumers should be enlighten to those strategies and develop strategies their own.  This will work for food and information, I suspect.  But, that’s a story for another time.

ENJOY!