Design to Thrive

Creating Social Networks and Online Communities that Last

Design to Thrive on ScienceDirect(Opens new window)
Paperback, 248 Pages
Published: FEB-2010
ISBN 13: 978-0-12-374921-5
Imprint: MORGAN KAUFMANN


By
Tharon Howard

Description
Social networks and online communities are reshaping the way people communicate, both in their personal and professional lives. What makes some succeed and others fail? What draws a user in? What makes them join? What keeps them coming back? Entrepreneurs and businesses are turning to user experience practitioners to figure this out. Though they are well-equipped to evaluate and create a variety of interfaces, social networks require a different set of design principles and ways of thinking about the user in order to be successful.



Design to Thrive presents tried and tested design methodologies, based on the author’s decades of research, to ensure successful and sustainable online communities -- whether a wiki for employees to share procedures and best practices or for the next Facebook. The book describes four criteria, called "RIBS," which are necessary to the design of a successful and sustainable online community. These concepts provide designers with the tools they need to generate informed creative and productive design ideas, to think proactively about the communities they are building or maintaining, and to design communities that encourage users to actively contribute.



Audience:
web designers, information designers, information architects, content managers, usability engineers, web application designers, user interface designers, HCI academics


 
Last update: 13 Dec 2011