Fast, cheap and somewhat in control 10 Lessons from the design of SlideShare Rashmi Sinha

Rashmi Sinha

First www.slideshare.net www.themindcanvas.com

www.slideshare.net

www.themindcanvas.com

Designing SlideShare

1. Documents are hard to share What would large-scaling sharing look like? Is office 2.0 just editing & collaboration? A social critique of PowerPoint

What would large-scaling sharing look like?

Is office 2.0 just editing & collaboration?

A social critique of PowerPoint

2. A simple sharing website A space, not a utility For sharing and connecting Sharing and finding both user driven

A space, not a utility

For sharing and connecting

Sharing and finding both user driven

First generation Social Networks (Friendster, LinkedIn…) 1) I am linked to -> -> to you --->You are linked to her -> ---> on… How it works People connect to each other Six degrees of separation “ Are you my friend” type of awkwardness

How it works

People connect to each other

Six degrees of separation

“ Are you my friend” type of awkwardness

Second generation social network (networks with objects in between, e.g., Flickr, Yahoo answers) 1) I share my pics -> -> with you ---> -->You share your pics -> ---> with him How it works People share objects | watch others Connections through objects Social info streams: emergence of popular, interesting items

How it works

People share objects | watch others

Connections through objects

Social info streams: emergence of popular, interesting items

Viral sharing (passing on interesting stuff, e.g., YouTube videos) How it works Individual to individual to individual Popularity based navigation track “viral” items 1) I send video I like -> -> to you. You pass on --> --> to her, who sends on to her, who passes on…

How it works

Individual to individual to individual

Popularity based navigation track “viral” items

3. good content floats to the top Multiple models of popularity Users drive navigation

Multiple models of popularity

Users drive navigation

4. Slides as MICROCONTENT URL for every slide Comment on individual slides

URL for every slide

Comment on individual slides

5. What people share on SlideShare Ministers share sermons Teachers share lesson plans Friends share memories Entrepreneurs share business plans

Ministers share sermons

Teachers share lesson plans

Friends share memories

Entrepreneurs share business plans

10 Lessons

1. The beta is the market probe User research is hypothetical Get feedback to the real thing What is the risk of failure?

User research is hypothetical

Get feedback to the real thing

What is the risk of failure?

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

2. 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

3. 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. Get yourself a shadow app Keep a pulse on main metrics Experiments without A-B setup Simpler than logs, faster than usability testing Whole team responds to it

Keep a pulse on main metrics

Experiments without A-B setup

Simpler than logs, faster than usability testing

Whole team responds to it

When feedback becomes a torrent Feedback form not enough. Too unstructured Issues need prioritization Diff users want diff features New team members need summary info Improvements beyond low hanging fruits

Feedback form not enough. Too unstructured

Issues need prioritization

Diff users want diff features

New team members need summary info

Improvements beyond low hanging fruits

5. Launch first, refine later UX folks can over analyze Look at examples, take a guess Put it out there. Respond. Refine.

UX folks can over analyze

Look at examples, take a guess

Put it out there. Respond. Refine.

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

Easier communication

Reduced design work

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

Let users feel ownership of space

Unpolished look is fine

8. Pay attention to technical simplicity Balance user needs & technical simplicity Complexity > slower, riskier, harder to maintain

9. Help users kick ass Everything else is secondary No step by step ROI calculations Have sound business model, but don’t sacrifice user good

10. Single biggest win: make app faster

Finally www.slideshare.net/rashmi

www.slideshare.net/rashmi