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Previously, we introduced some of the theory behind the development of an online community. You'll need to revisit the 5 main steps when starting to design, so to reiterate: 1/ Build the Reason, 2/ Seed the Community, 3/ Gather Feedback, 4/ Allow Organic Growth, and 5/ Enable Social Searches. These guidelines will help you focus on the essential element of a community: the user.
Follow this strategy as you develop concepts for interactive design, visual design and experience design and you will create a user-centric community. As always, it will be up to your users to decide if they want to be a part of your community. Photo courtesy: Brian Lima
Last month we invited you to join Ninthlink and the San Diego AIGA for the first of the XD3 design seminar series. To our surprise, the seminar was overbooked and designers lined the walls. Jeromy led everyone through an interactive workshop of Ninthlink’s strategic design process. Even after a great lunch and a 2-hour presentation, attendees stuck around and collaborated.
As a bonus, over the next few days Ninthlink developed an extensive resource directory of follow-up information and replied to personal email inquiries. Visit the resource directory. You won’t want to miss the next seminar, so don’t forget to check the AIGA for more information on upcoming XD3 series and other events.
In 2006 we launched a Christmas viral micro-site that grew wings and flew over the Internet. It won numerous international awards and stole time from thousands of people. So when the holidays rolled around again we had to ask ourselves, “How do we outdo that?” Enter…Face Your Christmas, an all-new interactive micro-site campaign.
Users created their own holiday personas by putting facial images onto the character and costume of their choice. The micro-site would then dynamically generate you a new name to go with your new look. FYC was promoted virally through different youth and design oriented blogs and community portals, as well as through traditional email and mail. We also set up a Myspace contest to tie it up. Keeping with our mantra of focusing on results, we used analytics to track user uploads and navigation paths. Check it out at www.faceyourchristmas.com.
I know we talk a lot about the Modlins, but we just love to celebrate their success with everyone. To fill in the uninformed, the Modlins’ bassist is Ninthlink’s head web developer, Alex Smith.
The band had a great year in 2007 with 36 shows, 2 CDs, and numerous radio plays and editorial mentions. Read their story on the FM 94.9 Local Recommended Section or better yet, go see them live at Local 94.9’s Anti-Monday League @ The Casbah next Monday, the 25th, openning up for British Sea Power.
Tell us what you think! Love us? Hate us? We welcome whatever you have to say. Call us at 858.427.1470 or send us an email. |
