Design to Thrive: Creating Social Networks and Online Communities that Last

Social networks and online communities -- such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Second Life -- are reshaping the way we communicate, both in our personal and professional lives. What makes them succeed or fail? What draws us in? What makes us join and keep coming back? Entrepreneurs and businesses are trying to figure this out and theyre turning to user experience (UX) designers. Though UX professionals are well-equipped to create a variety of interfaces, social networks require a different set of design principles and ways of thinking about the user. This book presents tried and tested design methodologies, based on the authors decades of research that ensure successful and sustainable online communities -- whether a wiki for employees to share procedures or for the next Facebook. It provides designers with tools to generate informed creative and productive design ideas, to think proactively about the communities they are building, to avoid common pitfalls, and to design communities that encourage users to actively contribute.