Hello everyone and welcome to my blog!
This is the first post about our course, social networking, and I’d like to show some of my own opinions about social web .
Many years ago, people communicated only by face-to-face talking. They got information and learned things from people around them. Individuals in one area were separated to those living in others areas by factors on region and technology. As a result, their knowledge is limited. But humans are innate social creatures. If we weren’t social from the day we are born, then social software would be incongruous: it just wouldn’t make sense. With humans’ strong desire to gain knowledge or to share mood with others, things changed, which telephone , email, BBS, social web kinds of social networking related devices or methods appeared one after another.
Nowadays, social software is accelerating. Social webs such as Amazon, Ebay, MySpace, Facebook are widely used by people around the world. From this point, I was wondering how to make sure a social web being popular?
Maybe the following aspects are in need.
1. Effective interface
The challenge of social web is to design interface that support the current and desired social behavior of the people who use them. If the interface is too confining, people won’t use it and if the interface is too flexible, people won’t know how to use it.
2. Build a unique core feature set
People like things have unique characteristics. So if a social web is totally similar with the other one, there would be no market to promote.
3. Mind The Usage Lifecycle
Someone has already put forward the definition of The Usage Lifecycle.
The picture shows a set of stages people go through when using software and there are different hurdles between each two stages. To overcome these hurdles we need to design sign-up area, sharing area and ect. carefully.
So. That’s all.
I would appreciate it if your make a comment or give me some suggestions. Thank you.
Hi, the picture in this blog illustrates how people build a relationship with a website or application from unawareness to passionate user.
ReplyDeleteThe picture said it is between "Sign-up" and "Return Visits" where people decide whether or not to have a relationship with you. As a social networking user, I agree with this opinion very much and think designer should pay a lot of attention to this hurdle to make their websites more attractive.
Hi,Niki~ Nice to see your comment.
DeleteIt's so hard for a web designer to create a relatively new and available social web. Cause social networking users like us may own our 'strict' standards to decide whether we use it.
I agree with the above mentioned factors that an attractive social network platform needs. As to the "unique“ thing, I guess it also involves the carefully choosing of target audiences. Cause different audiences have different habits and characteristics.
ReplyDeleteIf a platform is very convenient and suitable to a certain crowd people(e.g. twitter to mobile internet users and G+ to google users), then these people are most likely to become the "passionate users".
:)
BTW, you are really diligent to blog this on 4 am!
Hi,Qinwei,thanks for your comment.
DeleteYour suggestion on the target audiences is good.Any product cannot fit everyone's taste no matter how perfect it is.So better to target a certain crowd of people.
PS. the 4am next to the posted blog is incorrect,and I never sleep that late although I'm 'diligent'.haha~
Your idea on Social Web that a popular social web should have effective interface do impress me. In my opinions, a handy and effective interface might play a very important role in social web's success. I am glad to meet you.
ReplyDeleteSo happy to see your comment. But actually, I just know your name. It would be good to meet you in our class.
ReplyDeleteyeah~it is good points about how to make sure a social web being popular.You know, the development tool is more and more advanced,so it is easier to design an attractive website. But, an efficient interface is more important.It should consider the situation of interaction as perfect as possible.The position of a button or a function for drag are all important.
ReplyDeleteGreat! You analyse the reason that why social networking webs are so popular, and you use a interesting picture to explain it. All of the three reasons you mentioned I totally agree. And the usage life cycle is a interesting concept I never heard.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your conclusion of three factors of how to make sure a social web to be popular. I do really agree with you that the interface and a unique feature will greatly contribute to its popular degree. And I’m interested in your usage lifecycle part, I think it’s really a good analysis how people go through the process to the final stage---be passionate for the software. So, as you say, focusing on hurdles between every two stages as listed is necessary.
ReplyDeletegood points. the social applications totally change the life style of every single person, and make the life interesting and convient. people no longer need to wait the the letter posted for several months, we use the instant messager, that is amazing, right? for the favor of the technology, we communicate each other closely and immediately!
ReplyDeleteI think '首倡义兵'is very important,being the first is more important than being the best
ReplyDelete