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

Rashmi Sinha

Uzanto & SlideShare

Who am I? my influences…

my influences…

Prof. Bill Heindel Dept of Psychology Brown University Prof. Andy Van Dam Dept of Computer Science Brown University 1993-1998

Prof. Bill Heindel

Dept of Psychology

Brown University

Prof. Marti Hearst Information School UC Berkeley Prof. Hal Varian Information School UC Berkeley 1999-2002

Prof. Marti Hearst

Information School

UC Berkeley

IA thoughts about the state of the field…

No navel gazing well, maybe a little

Rumors of the death of IA have been greatly exaggerated

old timers back for more

new comers who found like-minded people

and some products

Product Management Second Life Analytics Entrepreneurship Social IA Social IA Blog data mining Search engine optimization Web 2.0 RIAs Mobile IA UX management Prediction markets topics – some old, some new

Registrations at IA Summit are growing

the story of MindCanvas & SlideShare

working at a startup…

UX methods or just in time design

SlideShare launched Oct 2006

launched Oct 2006

Presentations are hard to share A social critique of PowerPoint Large-scale sharing A social space, not a utility: Office 2.0?

A social critique of PowerPoint

Large-scale sharing

A social space, not a utility: Office 2.0?

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

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

Multiple models of popularity

Users drive navigation

Slides as MICROCONTENT URL for every slide Comment on individual slides

URL for every slide

Comment on individual slides

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

how SlideShare fits into people’s live

10 Lessons from SlideShare

1. The alpha as the first reaction

2. The beta is the market probe Research is about hypotheticals, get feedback to real thing Our methods are individualistic What is the risk of failure?

Research is about hypotheticals, get feedback to real thing

Our methods are individualistic

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

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

3. Launch first, refine later Don’t over-analyze Look at best practices, take a guess Put it out there. Respond. Refine.

Don’t over-analyze

Look at best practices, take a guess

Put it out there. Respond. Refine.

4. There is something about social websites Design works differently than design for individual

Design works differently than design for individual

MindCanvas as design for the individual Usability Control Interaction Flow Engagement

SlideShare as design for the crowd People interacting Following each other Wisdom of crowds

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

Keep a pulse on main metrics

Simpler than logs, faster than usability testing

Whole team responds to it

Experiments without A-B setup

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. Single biggest win: make app faster

10 . designers as entrepreneurs How to find first 1000 users or first 100 customers Lifestyle business?

How to find first 1000 users or first 100 customers

Lifestyle business?

Find yourself a developer partner Focus on execution You cannot just “hire a developer”

Picture of data center

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 users -> diff features New team members need summary info Improvements beyond low hanging fruits

Feedback form not enough. Too unstructured

Issues need prioritization

Diff users -> diff features

New team members need summary info

Improvements beyond low hanging fruits

Capitulate Collaborate or Initiate Marianne Sweeny

Marianne Sweeny

What when everyone is a designer? Jared Spool

Jared Spool

What when everyone is a developer? Mashup RSS feeds (Yahoo Pipes?) Build your own social network (Ning?) Play with an API (Google Maps?)

Finally Some summit slides http://www.slideshare.net/tag/iasummit07 you can find me at http://www.slideshare.net/rashmi

Some summit slides

http://www.slideshare.net/tag/iasummit07

you can find me at

http://www.slideshare.net/rashmi