phil gillman: July 2008 Archives
This post owes huge props and credit to David Armano. We had a bit of a twitter conversation the other day around a few of the diagrams he has posted about his use of social media and twitter. You may remember them:
Social Systems
Twitter + Your "Far Outer Circle"
After our conversation I looked over David's diagrams and posts again, and decided to create a usage map template using myself as a guinea pig. The idea behind the hybrid model is that an experience designer or planner could build out a model for each person/profile that they were modeling around. They would then be able to visually present this data in terms of communications priorities and planning as well.
This is a system modeled around my usage. I'm thinking about doing one that includes ALL of my primary media usages, not just social media—the planet rings in non-social media would relate to how that media was shared and with whom. It seems to me that this kind of modeling could really help guide a brand in decision making as to media and creative strategies, tones and types.
Since I've built this upon the inspiration of David, and since I'd love to see what other people do with this model, I'm posting the Illustrator source file as well.
Social Systems
Twitter + Your "Far Outer Circle"
After our conversation I looked over David's diagrams and posts again, and decided to create a usage map template using myself as a guinea pig. The idea behind the hybrid model is that an experience designer or planner could build out a model for each person/profile that they were modeling around. They would then be able to visually present this data in terms of communications priorities and planning as well.
This is a system modeled around my usage. I'm thinking about doing one that includes ALL of my primary media usages, not just social media—the planet rings in non-social media would relate to how that media was shared and with whom. It seems to me that this kind of modeling could really help guide a brand in decision making as to media and creative strategies, tones and types.
Since I've built this upon the inspiration of David, and since I'd love to see what other people do with this model, I'm posting the Illustrator source file as well.
A few reminders to brands:
- In the long run, you are nothing if you don't produce something of value.
- People other than yourselves have to think what you provide is of value. Just because they consume it doesn't mean that it is valued.
- This isn't just applicable to your products, but to the rest of that which you produce: Content, Marketing, Interactions and Responses as well.
- If you want to know if something is valued, listen and/or ask.
Thanks to Tim Brunelle, via Gavin Heaton, via Drew McLellan via Todd Andrik for digging up this Malcolm Gladwell talk from the 2004 TED conference. He's talking about Howard Moskowitz's learnings on consumer preferences.
The thing I really find interesting about all of this is the idea that segmenting potential consumers into multiple groups and working to please each group separately. When applied to experience design, product design, engagement planning, or design & strategy of just about any type, this thinking throws quite a twist into how planning currently proceeds within so much of the business. For example, when planning the IA for a corporate website we tend to strive towards a single sitemap, when we should probably be striving either towards 3 - 5 OR providing for dynamic self-segmentation. The problem with the standard solution set of "section 1 is for purchasing", "section two is for browsing" etc...is that purchasers and browsers exist within each segment and segments are likely to have different requirements for each task. Separating sections by product doesn't do much better, as flavors of products (even colors) are likely to have specific types of people that are most attracted to them.
The more I think about it, the more I think that distributed media is perhaps the real solution to the application of this thinking to the communications space. Just as it doesn't make sense to try and make one coffee for all consumers, it doesn't make sense to make one website or ad campaign or one "integrated" campaign for all consumers. You'll likely end up making people "60% happy".
Why not make many different pieces and aim at making people "78% happy"?
The thing I really find interesting about all of this is the idea that segmenting potential consumers into multiple groups and working to please each group separately. When applied to experience design, product design, engagement planning, or design & strategy of just about any type, this thinking throws quite a twist into how planning currently proceeds within so much of the business. For example, when planning the IA for a corporate website we tend to strive towards a single sitemap, when we should probably be striving either towards 3 - 5 OR providing for dynamic self-segmentation. The problem with the standard solution set of "section 1 is for purchasing", "section two is for browsing" etc...is that purchasers and browsers exist within each segment and segments are likely to have different requirements for each task. Separating sections by product doesn't do much better, as flavors of products (even colors) are likely to have specific types of people that are most attracted to them.
The more I think about it, the more I think that distributed media is perhaps the real solution to the application of this thinking to the communications space. Just as it doesn't make sense to try and make one coffee for all consumers, it doesn't make sense to make one website or ad campaign or one "integrated" campaign for all consumers. You'll likely end up making people "60% happy".
Why not make many different pieces and aim at making people "78% happy"?
Thanks to aaron for passing along this presentation by Leah Hall of Adaptive Path.
Good stuff here, lots of things that you might already know, but a great consolidation and reminder about how to focus your UX/Experience Design chops.
Good stuff here, lots of things that you might already know, but a great consolidation and reminder about how to focus your UX/Experience Design chops.
