Xianhang Zhang

The biggest influence on the design process is whether the software you are building is social in nature or not. And we as a design community have not yet come to realize this.

The biggest influence on the design process is whether the software you are building is social in nature or not.

And we as a design community have not yet come to realize this.

The primary goal with non-social software is to get something done We are primarily concerned with issues of usability and efficiency I want to make an attractive image I want to produce a good report

The primary goal with non-social software is to get something done

We are primarily concerned with issues of usability and efficiency

The primary goal of social software is to convince someone of something I’m a cool guy who does cool things with my cool friends

The primary goal of social software is to convince someone of something

The primary goal of social software is to convince someone of something I want you to know I just graduated

The primary goal of social software is to convince someone of something

The primary goal of social software is to convince someone of something ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

The primary goal of social software is to convince someone of something

Traditional HCI is concerned with the relationship between the person and the computer: Interaction

Traditional HCI is concerned with the relationship between the person and the computer:

Social software must view the machine as a conduit for communication Communication If you’re only focusing on the Interaction Design, you’re only solving a minor part of the problem Interaction Interaction

Social software must view the machine as a conduit for communication

Social software is a conduit for conducting social relationships But it is not the only conduit Every conduit has a set of policies For social software, the policies are enforced by code But other policies exist as well, enforced in other ways

Social software is a conduit for conducting social relationships

But it is not the only conduit

Every conduit has a set of policies

For social software, the policies are enforced by code

But other policies exist as well, enforced in other ways

Social software must be studied in the context of use Testing Social Design early is very difficult Bringing users into a lab doesn’t work Healthy policy can only come about through good design Social software is “alive” The slate can’t be wiped clean and restarted If you make a mistake, you’ll have to live with it

Social software must be studied in the context of use

Testing Social Design early is very difficult

Bringing users into a lab doesn’t work

Healthy policy can only come about through good design

Social software is “alive”

The slate can’t be wiped clean and restarted

If you make a mistake, you’ll have to live with it

There is a wide disparity in technical skills which makes interface design very tricky Luckily, there is a much narrower disparity in social intelligence There is potential for cognitively complex social tools if this intelligence is leveraged correctly

There is a wide disparity in technical skills which makes interface design very tricky

Luckily, there is a much narrower disparity in social intelligence

There is potential for cognitively complex social tools if this intelligence is leveraged correctly

Social Design Theory of Mind Implicatures Structure of Spaces Dunbar’s Number Self Presentation Social Capital

Social Design

Theory of Mind

Implicatures

Structure of Spaces

Dunbar’s Number

Self Presentation

Social Capital

Maxim of Quality Do not say what you believe to be false. Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence. Maxim of Quantity Make your contribution as informative as is required for the current purposes of the exchange. Do not make your contribution more informative than is required. Maxim of Relation Be relevant. Maxim of Manner Avoid obscurity of expression. Avoid ambiguity. Be brief. Be orderly.

Maxim of Quality

Do not say what you believe to be false.

Do not say that for which you lack adequate evidence.

Maxim of Quantity

Make your contribution as informative as is required for the current purposes of the exchange.

Do not make your contribution more informative than is required.

Maxim of Relation

Be relevant.

Maxim of Manner

Avoid obscurity of expression.

Avoid ambiguity.

Be brief.

Be orderly.

We generally tend to follow these maxims Resolving conflicts with implicatures “ She has a great personality” What we could have said but didn’t is important to interpreting meaning

We generally tend to follow these maxims

Resolving conflicts with implicatures

“ She has a great personality”

What we could have said but didn’t is important to interpreting meaning

Receiving a friend request from someone you don’t consider a friend can be highly awkward Reject? Accept? Ignore? Some solutions I’ve seen: Ignore the request for over a year Declare you’ve “forgotten your password” and create a brand new profile (MySpace) Is this a problem that can be fixed with design?

Receiving a friend request from someone you don’t consider a friend can be highly awkward

Reject? Accept? Ignore?

Some solutions I’ve seen:

Ignore the request for over a year

Declare you’ve “forgotten your password” and create a brand new profile (MySpace)

Is this a problem that can be fixed with design?

Click Add as Friend Reject Ignore

Rejecting a friend request is awkward because it requires an action If I reject, I know that you can see that I rejected you I know that you’ll try and figure out why I would reject you (implicature) I know you know that I know a rejection is an implicature

Rejecting a friend request is awkward because it requires an action

If I reject, I know that you can see that I rejected you

I know that you’ll try and figure out why I would reject you (implicature)

I know you know that I know a rejection is an implicature

Click Add as Friend Ignore Reject Click Add as Friend Click Add as Friend A friend request has been sent to John Fox.

I know that you can’t know whether I’ve rejected you I know that if you try and find out, you risk sending me another friend request I know getting another friend request would be an implicature I know you know me getting a friend request would be an implicature Therefore, I feel safe rejecting the friend request

I know that you can’t know whether I’ve rejected you

I know that if you try and find out, you risk sending me another friend request

I know getting another friend request would be an implicature

I know you know me getting a friend request would be an implicature

Therefore, I feel safe rejecting the friend request

We behave according to our Theory of Mind models We can use Theory of Mind to predict the social implications of our design Social Design is not modular and decomposable Features affect the implications of other features

We behave according to our Theory of Mind models

We can use Theory of Mind to predict the social implications of our design

Social Design is not modular and decomposable

Features affect the implications of other features

Cognitive limits on size of social groupings Derived from empirical correlations of neo-cortex size in animals Limit is ~12 people Limit is ~150 people Other limits exist at higher scales

Cognitive limits on size of social groupings

Derived from empirical correlations of neo-cortex size in animals

Limit is ~12 people

Limit is ~150 people

Other limits exist at higher scales

We behave differently at different scales Social mechanisms are not scalable Different social mechanisms are most effective at different scales Multiple scales can reside in the same software (cliques) Designing for multiple scales is a difficult problem

We behave differently at different scales

Social mechanisms are not scalable

Different social mechanisms are most effective at different scales

Multiple scales can reside in the same software (cliques)

Designing for multiple scales is a difficult problem

1920: Modernist Urban Planning “ the elimination of disorder, congestion and the small scale, replacing them instead with preplanned and widely spaced freeways and tower blocks set within gardens.” Abstract, “ideal” notions of the usage of space 1960: New Urbanism Reaction against the hubris of modernism Designers were studying how people actually use space

1920: Modernist Urban Planning

“ the elimination of disorder, congestion and the small scale, replacing them instead with preplanned and widely spaced freeways and tower blocks set within gardens.”

Abstract, “ideal” notions of the usage of space

1960: New Urbanism

Reaction against the hubris of modernism

Designers were studying how people actually use space

What insights can we borrow? Spaces need to be watched and maintained Use signals & decorations to convey the purpose of a space Highlight, not hide pathological behaviors What techniques can we borrow? Study actual use, not imagined use Decompose complex structures into patterns

What insights can we borrow?

Spaces need to be watched and maintained

Use signals & decorations to convey the purpose of a space

Highlight, not hide pathological behaviors

What techniques can we borrow?

Study actual use, not imagined use

Decompose complex structures into patterns

Project on rethinking privacy and access control Access is granted based on the ability to answer a question eg: “What is my favorite place to go rock climbing” Previous privacy settings were always at a per user basis, but this is not how people behave Currently in development, preliminary beta due Sept

Project on rethinking privacy and access control

Access is granted based on the ability to answer a question

eg: “What is my favorite place to go rock climbing”

Previous privacy settings were always at a per user basis, but this is not how people behave

Currently in development, preliminary beta due Sept

We have multiple facets of our personality Which facets are expressed depends on the audience and the context Mixing facets causes tension and anxiety

We have multiple facets of our personality

Which facets are expressed depends on the audience and the context

Mixing facets causes tension and anxiety

Origins in 1970’s Sociological theory One of the major non-economic forms of capital Analogous to “reputation” in online communities Largely tacit

Origins in 1970’s Sociological theory

One of the major non-economic forms of capital

Analogous to “reputation” in online communities

Largely tacit

Reputation Systems

Google’s social networking site. Incredibly popular in Brazil and India Why?

Google’s social networking site.

Incredibly popular in Brazil and India

Why?

Social Capital can be an enormously powerful social tool Not just reputation systems Huge implications for Enterprise 2.0

Social Capital can be an enormously powerful social tool

Not just reputation systems

Huge implications for Enterprise 2.0

Social Design has been sadly ignored by the HCI community We need to establish it as a separate discipline from Interaction Design Social Design is hard in many ways We can get a big head start by borrowing theories from other fields Empirical validation will be tricky Developing a field of Social Design is an urgent priority, this is too important to wait!

Social Design has been sadly ignored by the HCI community

We need to establish it as a separate discipline from Interaction Design

Social Design is hard in many ways

We can get a big head start by borrowing theories from other fields

Empirical validation will be tricky

Developing a field of Social Design is an urgent priority, this is too important to wait!