Pinterest is perhaps one of the best examples of a rich user experience in a Web 2.0 platform; incorporating a layout that is both pleasing to the eye and functional.
According to Anthrosites, a web design company, one of the most important aspects of user experience is that your website or service will run on any device. Pinterest is an excellent example of this as the site displays perfectly on any device and in any way a user chooses to uses it. An app is available for both Android and Apple devices, however the service can also be accessed through a standard web browser on a smartphone or tablet with the same functionality. The window used to display the site on both Windows and Apple computer can also be re-sized based on a users preference and the icons within the site will re-arrange themselves so that none of the features on the site are cut off by the smaller window. This encourages use of the service by more users as everyone's preferences are catered for, thus creating an environment people would be hesitant to leave.
Another thing worth noting is that Pinterest utilises new technologies to achieve this rich user experience but also manages to avoid overuse or using a technology just because they can. Professional web designer Don Peterson talks in an article on his website the importance of keeping a design simple. By keeping a design simple people will find it easier to use. While Pinterest has clearly put a lot of effort into making their website visually appealing but the focus is on usability. It is tempting to make a website look as nice as possible in an attempt to look professional however if it is hard to use barely anyone will continue being users.
A rich user experience therefore contains a mix of usability and visual appeal, but with a much greater focus on usability. Pinterest is the perfect example of this mix done right.
Monday, 31 March 2014
Sunday, 23 March 2014
Video Game Marketplace Utilises Web 2.0 to Create a Strong Community
Possibly the greatest example of incentivising people to contribute is Valve's Steam software. While Valve Corporation's Steam platform is primarily used as a marketplace for digital editions of video games there has been a huge effort to foster an online community.
For years Valve has offered badges for contributions from community such as reviews of games and for creating a detailed profile filled with a large friends list. Perhaps the cleverest and most effective however was their introduction of virtual trading cards. The trading cards are awarded to players randomly as they play the corresponding game; the concept of the cards being awarded randomly prevents gaming the system and promotes the actual playing of a game. On face value playing games does not seem to foster a community, however this does encourage people to buy their games through the Steam service and subsequently publishers will be more enthusiastic about releasing their games through Steam.
The amassing of a trading card collection could be seen as only offering intrinsic satisfaction to a user which is why rewards are offered for collecting a full set. A full set cannot be amassed purely from random chance as there is a limit to how many cards are gained this way. This fosters further engagement with the community in an effort to trade for cards that a user needs. Once a set has been collected for a game then they can be used to form a badge. This badge offers a greater user level and allows you to show off as a more active member of the community. This recognition is a proven method of fostering an online community.
A trader will also be rewarded with a background to make their profile look good as well as special emoticons that can be used in the forums and in instant chat. This is a classic example of an extrinsic reward system that encourages people to continue spending their time in the community and thus making the service more valuable to both user and the company behind the community.
For years Valve has offered badges for contributions from community such as reviews of games and for creating a detailed profile filled with a large friends list. Perhaps the cleverest and most effective however was their introduction of virtual trading cards. The trading cards are awarded to players randomly as they play the corresponding game; the concept of the cards being awarded randomly prevents gaming the system and promotes the actual playing of a game. On face value playing games does not seem to foster a community, however this does encourage people to buy their games through the Steam service and subsequently publishers will be more enthusiastic about releasing their games through Steam.
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| An example of a Steam trading card. |
The amassing of a trading card collection could be seen as only offering intrinsic satisfaction to a user which is why rewards are offered for collecting a full set. A full set cannot be amassed purely from random chance as there is a limit to how many cards are gained this way. This fosters further engagement with the community in an effort to trade for cards that a user needs. Once a set has been collected for a game then they can be used to form a badge. This badge offers a greater user level and allows you to show off as a more active member of the community. This recognition is a proven method of fostering an online community.
A trader will also be rewarded with a background to make their profile look good as well as special emoticons that can be used in the forums and in instant chat. This is a classic example of an extrinsic reward system that encourages people to continue spending their time in the community and thus making the service more valuable to both user and the company behind the community.
Saturday, 15 March 2014
Inside Meetup.com
The concept of data being the new intel inside is integral to all Web 2.0 platforms however it is particularly interesting to see how the concept is applied to Meetup. Meetup is a service that allows people to organise gatherings related to a shared interest. This can include people who want to meet up with others of the same age, movie buffs, and even musicians who want to get together.
In Tim O'Reilly's blog What is Web 2.0, it is said that the owner of the data itself is just as important as the company behind the website. The most obvious data provided by Meetup is harnessed from the collective intelligence; data such as the various groups on offer and details of the gatherings themselves. However the information that is not so obvious can be just as or even more valuable.
Meetup utilises services such as Google Maps to create a better experience for users due to the maps being integrated; meaning that is much easier to find the location of a gathering. This would also allow Google to harness data regarding where people most like to meet for example. While it cannot be determined if this is already happening, the possibility shows that the "inside" data can be just as important as the surface level services being offered.
It should also be noted that the success of meetup would rely on the quality of the gatherings being provided by the community. If the information from the community is of no use to anyone then the service isn't used and all the inside data becomes almost worthless due to the lack of it. However in the case of Meetup this is not an issue, most likely due to the fact that the same people accessing the data are the people creating the data, having a vested interest in it's quality. It is obvious then that Meetup is ensuring the quality of it's website as well as internal data and it is achieving this through harnessing the collective intelligence.
In Tim O'Reilly's blog What is Web 2.0, it is said that the owner of the data itself is just as important as the company behind the website. The most obvious data provided by Meetup is harnessed from the collective intelligence; data such as the various groups on offer and details of the gatherings themselves. However the information that is not so obvious can be just as or even more valuable.
Meetup utilises services such as Google Maps to create a better experience for users due to the maps being integrated; meaning that is much easier to find the location of a gathering. This would also allow Google to harness data regarding where people most like to meet for example. While it cannot be determined if this is already happening, the possibility shows that the "inside" data can be just as important as the surface level services being offered.
It should also be noted that the success of meetup would rely on the quality of the gatherings being provided by the community. If the information from the community is of no use to anyone then the service isn't used and all the inside data becomes almost worthless due to the lack of it. However in the case of Meetup this is not an issue, most likely due to the fact that the same people accessing the data are the people creating the data, having a vested interest in it's quality. It is obvious then that Meetup is ensuring the quality of it's website as well as internal data and it is achieving this through harnessing the collective intelligence.
Sunday, 9 March 2014
Good Reads Harnesses the Collective Intelligence
There have been many platforms that utilise the Web 2.0 concept in order to foster community interaction. Flickr, Pinterest, and Amazon to name a few. Goodreads however is a particularly notable example of a site that harnesses the collective intelligence in order to achieve it's goal as an important aggregation of book reviews.
Tim O’Reilly and John Battelle make the point that Web 2.0 technologies are now becoming much more than explicit information being submitted by a user. The way a user accesses a service can be monitored as a much more passive method of determining how to provide a better experience for the end user.
While this method is undoubtedly used by Goodreads, the focus is more on a social media type system. Rather than just allow people to create an account and review books they have read, it is possible to create a full list of everything you have read and add it to your profile. By using features usually more associated with sites such as Facebook, the company has created an enjoyable experience that promotes user interaction which further allows them to harness the collective intelligence.
There are also many other ways in which the profile can be customised such as showcasing the book you are currently reading. This further promotes the collective submission of information as it can prompt your friends to comment on that book or even provide their own review. This technique is an incredibly effective use of Web 2.0 technology as it provides a bonus to the consumer through added interaction with friends and their interests (books) but also benefits the company as the increased interaction fosters a larger userbase and ultimately increases the site's profitability.
This is just a simple overview of how a website integrates many facets of Web 2.0 to become a profitable and successful site. However it does make it clear that Goodreads has done a particularly good job of maximising the potential of harnessing the collective intelligence through Web 2.0.
Tim O’Reilly and John Battelle make the point that Web 2.0 technologies are now becoming much more than explicit information being submitted by a user. The way a user accesses a service can be monitored as a much more passive method of determining how to provide a better experience for the end user.
While this method is undoubtedly used by Goodreads, the focus is more on a social media type system. Rather than just allow people to create an account and review books they have read, it is possible to create a full list of everything you have read and add it to your profile. By using features usually more associated with sites such as Facebook, the company has created an enjoyable experience that promotes user interaction which further allows them to harness the collective intelligence.
There are also many other ways in which the profile can be customised such as showcasing the book you are currently reading. This further promotes the collective submission of information as it can prompt your friends to comment on that book or even provide their own review. This technique is an incredibly effective use of Web 2.0 technology as it provides a bonus to the consumer through added interaction with friends and their interests (books) but also benefits the company as the increased interaction fosters a larger userbase and ultimately increases the site's profitability.
This is just a simple overview of how a website integrates many facets of Web 2.0 to become a profitable and successful site. However it does make it clear that Goodreads has done a particularly good job of maximising the potential of harnessing the collective intelligence through Web 2.0.
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