HurryLess is a personalized homepage that serves as an all-in-one guide to all of your favorite websites.
“Most people when they go online visit the same few websites again and again, and we were looking for a way to make that process more efficient. Bookmarks are nice in concept, but in practice they don’t act as a launching board in the same way that HurryLess does,” wrote May, news photo editor for The Chronicle and co-creator of HurryLess, in an email on Wednesday.
Both co-creators are seniors at Duke this year. Although May is not a computer science major like Miller, both possess a passion for technology. Miller finds that, “the best way to learn is by creating things.”
On the other hand, May learns much from simply watching her co-creator write code.
Nearly one month after purchasing a domain and creating the site, May and Miller continue to meet every three days and work on it for about 6-7 hours at a time. According to Miller, the site was designed in a way that gives users the ability to select, delete and reorder links as well as a frequently updated selection of thematic background images.
“We wanted HurryLess to be easy enough for a grandparent and serious enough for a businessperson,” wrote Miller.
When asked how this site compares to the popular qduke platform that Duke students so frequently use, both May and Miller emphasized its fundamental differences.
Firstly, the sites are intended for different target audiences. While qduke is widely used among Duke undergraduates, HurryLess has been largely trafficked in California, Canada, Australia and the UK. In addition, May noted that HurryLess is fully customizable whereas qduke is not.
Among the Duke students who have learned about HurryLess, Gary Yeh (Trinity ’17, Pegram House President) mentioned that he, “likes the simplicity and freedom to customize (specifically the mountain view background image).”
This sentiment was echoed by Miller, who acknowledged the “slick and intuitive” design.
Another similar platform is the well known iGoogle, which is set to be discontinued on November 1st. Having recently been listed in a tech article as one of the 10 best iGoogle alternatives, HurryLess evidently displays high potential for future success.
When asked what inspired the website title, May noted that the word “hurry” has a negative connotation. In an effort to remind users that the internet “should be a pleasant experience,” the name “HurryLess” was decided upon.
In the fast paced modern world we live in, May and Miller have found a way to direct their skills and experience toward initiating positive change for society and web-users alike. As May wrote, “we’re all in a hurry nowadays, and hopefully this website can help you hurry-less.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.