Ask HN: Review my Startup -- wokhei.com

http://www.wokhei.com/

by JohnIdol • 17 years ago

20 36 17 years ago

ErrantX2• 17 years ago

You can access our services only through a Google Account. Why? Because virtually everyone has a Google account and this way you don't have to remember yet another password.

I see the logic in using OpenID for signin. But only google?

Defi9nitely not everyone has a google account (though perhaps your target audience will have). Also what about the people that do not want to use Google's services (there are plenty). And if you dont have a Google account it's a pain to go elsewhere - sign up - then come back.

However.... www.clickpass.com will do exactly the same thing and offers a much wider range of logins :) (HN here uses it). YOu might want to look into that - I doubt it will take much to switch to using Clickpass (as the openid sequence for them is similar to Google I believe)

JohnIdol13• 17 years ago

That's why the word virtually is there :-)

Anyway being this a beta release that's exactly the kind of feedback we're looking for - definitely something worth looking into - thanks!

ErrantX2• 17 years ago

haha fair enough :)

I do like the idea - have you seen sites like 99designs? How do you stack up next to them - not competing / different market, or are you a better implementation.

I like the "fun" on the site btw :) made me smile to browse around.

tarelli3• 17 years ago

I agree that probably the audience would increase, especially that it's an easy change. How to say, not a big effort with a big benefit in return. I like the idea behind the service though, looks fresh.

mshafrir• 17 years ago

I'm guessing Wokhei is being run off of Google App Engine, which has user authentication baked in via Google accounts.

davidw2• 17 years ago

I'd be interested in a nice logo for www.hecl.org , but I would need a BSD open source license for it. I would be willing to link to you guys, but probably not shell out the full price for it, since it's an open source project. Let me know if you're interested.

JohnIdol13• 17 years ago

Would the Wokhei Limited License cover your needs? You can use the logo for free as is as long as you credit Wokhei.

davidw2• 17 years ago

I read it, and I don't think so, because I want the logo to be redistributable under the same terms as Hecl itself.

If it's a problem... no problem:-) No harm in asking though!

javery• 17 years ago

How is this different then all the other logo creation sites and services out there? How is it better than using 99designs, etc?

midnightmonster2• 17 years ago

You put in your info once, you don't get to give feedback and request changes, you get one logo at the end--like it or not, and you get it in 24 hours.

These points all make it different from most logo services. Better is another question.

I didn't find the difference difficult to glean from the site, but it wasn't obvious to at least a couple people here, so maybe OP still has some work to do here as far as positioning.

JohnIdol13• 17 years ago

I believe you summarize perfectly the main differences.

I may add that as you correctly point out we don't wanna be better than the others or steal their customers, we're just different - since there's no service which does exactly what we do (good or bad, your pick).

We ideally offer a conceptually different service, covering needs (as said in some other comment around) of a category of people who are craving for results and don't wanna bother with revisions and complicated workflows.

Or at least that's the idea :-)

midnightmonster2• 17 years ago

I have advised people to use cheap logo services as a way of getting a decent first draft--something they can use temporarily or take to a more involved designer for improvement.

If I pay for a logo (cheap, sure--but also with no opportunity for feedback) I expect to get (1) ownership, not a license and (2) the source files so some other designer I hire can improve it (or make it suck worse, or just make it black and white--doesn't matter, it's my logo).

Re: ownership, if you want to require me to agree to let you display it in your gallery, that's reasonable. (Even then, if you get pushback, consider an option to buy my way out of that. If someone's that concerned, just take their money and put the next one in the gallery.)

JohnIdol13• 17 years ago

spot on, very good points - at current stage we have discussions going on the exact topics you cover. Thanks for sharing your opinion.

k0ban3• 17 years ago

I do represent your target audience, looking for a logo designer right now.

Besides login issue, already mentioned here, i think the video is too long, you should fit into 30-40 seconds with real example. I am missing portfolio, so can't estimate quality of the service you are providing.

Anyway I submitted request, will see what will be an outcome.

JohnIdol13• 17 years ago

For now (just released the first beta) we only have a slideshow on the home page - we're working on a gallery though as it's definitely needed.

Good luck with your logo! :)

k0ban3• 17 years ago

Slideshow is better than video, and out of 20-30 logos I might like just one. Comparing to logoworks quite low rate. I wouldn't submit information if I'd saw this portfolio. Keeping in mind that you need iterations and several logos to choose from, I don't expect something valuable for me as a result. Of course we will see, but still ... I wouldn't use this service if found it not on HN.

Have some idea for you. You have two types of services:

1. Draw it by yourself - which works, for some people 2. Services where you find designer, who will do it for you. But first you need to find a right designer. This is done or by looking thru portfolio of designers or by contest, where designers might or might not participate.

So the problem is to find a right designer. This could be done by asking me to choose several logos to identify what I am looking for a match to the designer that works in that style. It will save my time to find a right person (since I can't even formulate how the logo should look like) and save designer's time.

erikwiffin• 17 years ago

You need need need a portfolio. So far all I can see is one logo (yours) and it's not really the branding I'm looking for.

A portfolio would reassure me that you have a broader range, or that you excel at doing one kind of logo really well.

JohnIdol13• 17 years ago

at the moment there's a slideshow of logos on the home page - but I do get your point, there's gonna a be gallery we'll roll out on future iterations

tarelli3• 17 years ago

there is an animated screen with logos passing by, I supposed that was somehow their portfolio even if there is no mention of the companies involved. also I read about a gallery, maybe at some stage some of the logos will endup there.

odvious• 17 years ago

Hate to be a stickler, but: "He will prepare your logo in 24hrs!" should be "They will prepare your logo in 24hrs!"

tarelli3• 17 years ago

looks like it's only one chosen designer that will prepare the logo

akeefer• 17 years ago

But you might want to leave open the possibility that designer could be female (and despite what old-school official grammar books might say, in 2009 I don't think it's acceptable to use "he" for a gender-neutral pronoun, and "they" is much less awkward than "he/she")

ckinnan• 17 years ago

I've used LogoWorks a few times with success. In every case some revision was required...most logos are a committee effort so users want to be able to revise them...it is also nice to get a couple different versions with the understanding that you can choose to have one polished into a final logo.

Some site feedback: the monitor with rotating logos on the homepage is somewhat confusing. It looks like there are buttons but it is just a graphic.

The video is cute but it is a little drawn out.

The site branding is strong but may be too unprofessional for the market of people looking to pay money for a logo. I don't know if focusing it on "web 2.0 logos" or something might help refine and differentiate the site.

Overall it looks cool-- good luck!

symptic• 17 years ago

Your video is long and boring. Make it quick and simple; to the point.

JohnIdol13• 17 years ago

point taken - that is a common pain point. thanks for the honesty

run4yourlives• 17 years ago

I'm not going to comment on the site itself, but I've read through the comments here and would like to put something forward: You aren't focusing enough on making this a win for your customer.

I'm a potential customer. Right now, I see a process that limits my input to next to nothing, won't allow me to make revisions, and after all that, I don't even own the thing.

As a comparison, for $50 more I can get 4 concepts, two revision rounds and actual ownership at Logoworks. To me, the choice is clear.

I don't want or mean to disparage you but that is the current mindset of your potential customer. All I see are wins for you, but not many for them. I think you need to fix that ratio if you are to be successful.

Good luck to you!

aw3c2• 17 years ago

Completely Javascript reliant and (for me) painfully slow (the site loads, then the content flickers into view. A good half second I guess) if I enable it. Opera 10 beta on Linux.

edit: Actually it takes 4 seconds for the content to appear. And it borks my navigation-back. I have to press back at least 2 times to actually get back.

Without Javascript, this is your site: http://s1.image.gd/o/84/84730e851a4074e1040dcbe659d8f929989a...

JohnIdol13• 17 years ago

you're right - being developed in GWT the site is completely javascript dependent. The problem seems to be that with javascript disabled you're still getting the content in somewhat of a mangled form --> you shouldn't be getting any content (just a message), this is obviously not working.

On performance - it's laoding up pretty good on all the browser we've tested, then again we didn't test on any of the environment you refer to, which makes your feedback much appreciated. Thanks!

Ask HN: Review my Startup -- wokhei.com

Related Stories