Daily Archive

Imagine logging into your Face Book account. The first thing you notice is a new friend request from five people. Instead of seeing the words friend request, you see “five sorry lots think they’re your mate”. This lingo is an element of Face Book known as pirate talk. The pirate talk application is an interactive design feature to establish a unique world within the social network environment.

Interaction design is defined as the behavior of a product or system and the user that interacts with it. The goal of interaction design is to minimize confusion and create an accurate and efficient way of connecting with people and corporations. Today with the increase of social media interactive designers are going one-step further.

Designers are developing new ways to make social networks more appealing to users. Corporations are even implementing design features into their blogs and personal social networks to draw in more users and cater to stakeholders.

When social networks were first established the design was minimal. Creators focused on the site and its functions rather than the attraction to keep people returning to their site. Even though interaction design is not necessarily conversation between people it is the returning of users that will initiate interactivity between other users.

As networks such as MySpace, Face Book, and LinkedIn continue to thrive, the design elements continue to increase. Designers use their talents to create an environment within the site. Each network has different characteristics that create a unique world. Designers work to make this world more real to users.

Social interaction design is reflected through a variety of elements. The Social Degree blog archive explains the importance of implementing interactive designs into social networks. Everything in a site right down to the labeling of buttons is used to create the interactive environment.

Even though social interactive design is more prevalent among social networks, blogs and corporate sites are beginning to implement unique designs to keep users returning. Also social network applications can be used to connect users to corporations and navigate them to a company’s blog or website.

A website created by Adrian Chan is called a Social Interaction Design Consultancy. This site describes in detail the importance of social interaction design and how it differs from conventional software designs. The website also describes and gives advice in creating interesting design elements and features. If you’re looking for interesting ideas for your own company site, check out what Chan has to say.

I am going to begin looking into different case studies and how social networks and corporate blogs are using interactivity to the best of their ability.