Fast, cheap & somewhat in control 10 lessons from the design of SlideShare Rashmi Sinha SlideShare & Uzanto

Rashmi Sinha

SlideShare & Uzanto

http://www.slideshare.net/rashmi/10-lessons-oz-ia

working at a startup…

traditional UX methods or agile design

SlideShare launched Oct 2006

launched Oct 2006

Presentations are hard to share Large-scale sharing like pictures/video Office 2.0?

Large-scale sharing like pictures/video

Office 2.0?

on slideshare... Users drive navigation (tags, popularity) Popular content floats to top Slides as microcontent Mash up slides with audio

Users drive navigation (tags, popularity)

Popular content floats to top

Slides as microcontent

Mash up slides with audio

What people share on SlideShare Venture capitalists share advise Ministers share sermons Teachers share lesson plans Entrepreneurs share business plans

Venture capitalists share advise

Ministers share sermons

Teachers share lesson plans

Entrepreneurs share business plans

10 Lessons from SlideShare

1. The alpha as the first reaction

2. The beta is the market probe Research is about hypotheticals, quick feedback to real thing

Research is about hypotheticals, quick feedback to real thing

the risk of failure?

social sites as complex systems

How developed should the Beta be? Get basic concept across and no more Leave room for flexibility

Get basic concept across and no more

Leave room for flexibility

3. You don’t need personas When you know your users by name They want to visit your offices They email you everyday

When you know your users by name

They want to visit your offices

They email you everyday

Get into a conversation with users Answer emails personally Monitor blogs, subscribe to RSS Customer service as user research

Answer emails personally

Monitor blogs, subscribe to RSS

Customer service as user research

4. Launch first, refine later Avoid analysis - paralysis Look at best practices, take a guess Put it out there. Respond. Refine.

Avoid analysis - paralysis

Look at best practices, take a guess

Put it out there. Respond. Refine.

5. Just in time design Design – development hand in hand Deliverables editable by everyone

Design – development hand in hand

Deliverables editable by everyone

Feedback email Personal emails Blog posts Shadow App Web analytics Phone conversations User forum Slideshows about SlideShare

Feedback email

Get yourself a shadow app Simpler than web analytics Track crucial metrics daily Measure project success, iterate

Simpler than web analytics

Track crucial metrics daily

Measure project success, iterate

6. designer-developer role is crucial Easier communication Reduced design work

Easier communication

Reduced design work

7. Under invest in visual design users feel ownership of space unpolished look is fine

users feel ownership of space

unpolished look is fine

8. Pay attention to technical simplicity Complex > slower, riskier, harder to maintain

9. Single biggest win: make app faster

10. There is something about social websites Design for individual Usability Interaction Engagement Design for crowds Social networks People interacting Wisdom of crowds

Design for individual

Usability

Interaction

Engagement

Forget the ipod!

Give up control This is messy!

Beyond hand-crafted IA

Plant seeds, let people connect

emergent architecture (or Social IA)

Finally...

sometimes process / methods become baggage when to let it go programmers are switching to agile methods when will it be time for designers?

Capitulate Collaborate or Initiate Marianne Sweeny

Marianne Sweeny

be experimental. create something Mashup RSS feeds (Yahoo Pipes) Build your own social network (Ning) Play with an API (Google Maps) Read Emergence , Wisdom of Crowds

Share slides at http://www.slideshare.net/tag/ozia07 you can find me at http://www.slideshare.net/rashmi

Share slides at

http://www.slideshare.net/tag/ozia07

you can find me at

http://www.slideshare.net/rashmi

Do you need traditional UX methods to design a SlideShare ?

YES : When feedback becomes a torrent Feedback form not enough. Too unstructured Issues need prioritization. Diff user groups Users have specific expectancies from product New team members need summary info Improvements beyond low hanging fruits Designing completely new features

Feedback form not enough. Too unstructured

Issues need prioritization. Diff user groups

Users have specific expectancies from product

New team members need summary info

Improvements beyond low hanging fruits

Designing completely new features