IA Failures in Social Networking Platforms

IA Failures in Social Networking Andrew Boyd facibus@gmail.com @facibus

social networking platforms • this is where the big tag cloud diagram would go • Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn

let’s talk... • some deﬁnitional stuff • let’s pick on Facebook • let’s pick on Twitter • let’s talk about a social contract

some definitional stuff • people do stuff (execute tasks) with things (in this case, social networking platforms) • IA is about finding the stuff and using the stuff. • if you can't find the stuff, you can't use the stuff... and if you can't use the stuff, you can't use the stuff.

let’s pick on Facebook • Task: plan an event • Task: ﬁnd a friend • The good bits: it may be stupid, but at least it’s big

let’s pick on Facebook Task: plan an event • go to facebook.com and look for the Events menu • click on Home, then realise you were already on Home. Feel foolish. • click on Proﬁle. Scroll up and down. Swear. • Notice the ﬁxed toolbar at the bottom of the page. Feel foolish. Swear. • Mouse over until you note that the tooltip for the calendar icon is Events.

let’s pick on Facebook Task: plan an event 2 • locate + Create an Event icon. Click on it. • look at 23 element form for event creation. Think. • call the event “My Birthday Party” • examine mandatory event types and swear when you note that one of them is Party > Birthday Party • click on Create Event icon (another one?) • bored yet? I know I am :)

let’s pick on Facebook Task: plan an event 3 • ﬁll out the second page of form stuff • send out the invites • wait a month or two until it’s time to check who is coming • forget that you have to click on the Event icon in the toolbar down the bottom of the page. Swear. • ﬁnd your event and check acceptances • swear that you will use eventbrite next time

let’s fix Facebook • Navigation fixes • Notification fixes • The good bits: it may be a little stupid, but at least it’s big

let’s fix Facebook • Navigation fixes • Notification fixes

let’s pick on Twitter • sometimes, it works - sometimes, it doesn’t •

let’s pick on Twitter • spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam spam

let’s pick on Twitter • task: ﬁnd something on an ephemeral platform used for non-ephemeral information • task: refollow on an iPhone • the good bits: TGFTAPI

let’s ﬁx Twitter • availability and spam issues: what do you think?

The social contract for social networking • there is a social contract implied in our use of social networking tools. • we add value to their share price, and in return, they add value to our lives. We need to take this contract seriously so the SNP providers do, too.

Whadda ya gonna do? • Talk about it - blog, tweet, discuss • It’s OK to complain when things get bad • I’m @facibus, @facibus@gmail.com

IA Failures in Social Networking Platforms

by facibus on Oct 02, 2009

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IA Failures in Social Networking Platforms — Presentation Transcript