After working with web apps for a certain amount of time, one thing is inevitable:
There are way more tools available out there, but somehow the process of discovering the good ones has become even more challenging.
There is no shortage of platforms for discovering the right tools:
- Product Hunt
- Lists of curated web applications
- Blog posts about "top tools"
- Twitter threads about recommended applications
Distribution vs Discovery
Initially, I thought that this would be mostly a distribution problem, in other words, a matter of getting visibility if your app is worth it.
However, after looking into the matter a bit closer, I started thinking that it could also be a discovery UX issue.
Most of the tools have the same approach to discovery as social media platforms do:
- Chronological listings of launches
- Upvoting mechanisms
- Sections with trending items It helps with hype, but does not help when one needs to make an exploratory discovery.
But what if the browsing experience were made better for web applications?
There's one concept that seems to resonate with me more lately, which is thinking about web apps as something more structured than an endless series of launches.
A little bit more like browsing through the App Store:
- Categories
- Structure in navigation
- A more coherent browsing process
- A method that doesn't depend on luck and virality so much
Recently I've seen an interesting attempt at a concept called Unstore. The thing that impressed me there was not only the tools themselves but rather how they were sorted.
Importance of this concept, particularly for builders
As a builder, it may matter a lot.
Because currently:
- Visibility depends a lot on timing
- All visibility is focused on the most popular tools
- Other tools have a hard time being remembered over time
With discovery being made more structured:
- Less popular tools can rise on their own
- Use cases are easier to discover
- Longevity becomes more important than initial buzz
Open question
I am interested in hearing other perspectives on this issue.
Is this just a problem of distribution, of making yourself visible as a tool provider?
Or is discovery itself inherently flawed?
Where do you turn when you are looking for new tools?
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