iCompuGlobalHyperMegaNetster
Persona Description
Lindsay is an eighteen year old college freshman attending the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Born and raised in Syracuse New York, she is one of the eighteen percent who come to the university from out of state. When not attending school she lives with her mother and stepfather in New York. She also has a younger sister still attending high school in Syracuse whom she misses very much. She is currently living in the freshman dorms on south campus, in a suite with seven other girls. She appreciates the opportunities she has had to get to know her suite mates, but being the social butterfly that she is, she yearns to branch out and meet more people. Coming from out of state, Lindsay finds it hard to make new friends with native Carolinians who already have groups of friends that they have established in high school. She often feels like one on the outside looking in. In high school, Lindsay was very active in student life being the president of the student council, editor of the school newspaper, and co-captain of the cheerleading squad. In an attempt to meet new people, Lindsay has once again become active in student life by joining several student organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Masala, and the Campus Y. Through these organizations, Lindsay has gained many casual friends and acquaintances, but no many solid friends. With her Facebook profile quickly filling up, Lindsay hopes to turn many of these casual associates into more personal friends.
Goals: Lindsay is currently registered with the university as a political science major. In a year or so she hopes to enter the school of journalism and double major in that along with political science. Upon graduation, Lindsay hopes to start her career as a photo journalist and to one day work for National Geographic Magazine. Lindsay has taken several photography classes and invested in high quality camera equipment in preparation for her future career. She is diligently attending class and tackling her class work as she knows that the "J-school," as the kids call it, has an additional application process that one must complete during their sophomore year. Though she is fairly set on Political Science, Lindsay has just been made aware of the International Studies program by her academic advisor. The program appeals to Lindsay's interest in other cultures and may help her in her future career. She plans to take several classes in the curricula next fall.
Interests: Lindsay's first and foremost interest is in people. She enjoys seeing how people interact with their environment and how they operate within their society. Because of her interest in other cultures, Lindsay has joined Masala, the multi cultural student group on campus and is highly active in it. Her desire to help people has led her to join the community service groups Habitat for Humanity and the Campus Y. Lindsay is deeply gratified by her ability to help others. In addition to helping people, Lindsay enjoys several academic pursuits such as writing and learning new languages. At the moment, Lindsay is currently studying Spanish and Hindi at the university. In the future she hopes to learn several more. Lindsay is also quite the shutter bug, and frequently takes weekend trips to different locals to snap some pictures in an attempt to build up her portfolio. Having been a high school cheerleader, Lindsay puts great emphasis on physical fitness. She tries to hit the gym at least three times a week and is a regular at the pilates class given at the SRC. And of course, like most eighteen year old girls, Lindsay is interested in hanging out with her friends. She and her suitemates go out to dinner every Friday and frequently eat lunch together on campus. While she cherishes the time spent with her suitemates, Lindsay feels that she should meet more people in order to get the full "college experience."
Motivation: Lindsay is primarily motivated by three things; her family, her future career, and her friends. Lindsay has always been very close to her family and greatly desires to make them proud. She is the first female in her family to attend a four year university and wants to fulfill the high expectations that everyone has for her and to make her family proud. Another driving force behind her academic success is Lindsay's desire to become a photo journalist. She is aware that this is a small field with lots of competition so she must do everything she can to make herself a viable job candidate, including a tough, diverse class schedule and working on a photography portfolio in her spare time. It is a tough road, but Lindsay is up for the challenge. Lastly, Lindsay is highly motivated by her friends. She always seeks to meet new people. This is a largely why she has been so active in student life in high school and college. Being a cheerful and pleasant person, Lindsay has never had trouble making friends in the past. Now however, with the stress of adjusting to a new environment and from being so far away from the people and places that she knew, Lindsay is having some difficulty meeting new people at Carolina.
Brainstorming Ideas - Reasons for Acceptance and Rejection
iCompuGlobalHyperMegaNetster has thought of a comprehensive list of possible ideas that may be good to increase the programmability of the application we seek to deliver. Below is a list of the ideas along with the reason the group decided to accept or reject each one.
1. A new web
application could be designed from scratch to compete with Facebook,
Friendster, MySpace, etc.
with added functionality that would lead to dominance over these other services. REJECTED
- This was too ambitious of a task and would likely not have
been successful due to the established popularity of these sites. Given our research, users have been satisfied
with Facebook but have yet to take full advantage of
some of its functionality. It was
decided that it would be more useful to add programma
2. Add a calendar
feature to Facebook to replace the Events functionality
currently in place. ACCEPTED
- Users that were observed and interviewed expressed
that they did not use the a
3. The calendar
feature will be accessible through a user’s main profile page. ACCEPTED
- Users expressed that one of the most used aspects
of Facebook was looking at an individual’s main
profile. By placing a prominent link to
the calendar in the profile, users will be inclined to use the programma
4. The link to a
user’s calendar should be placed immediately under the picture of the user,
right above the link to the photo album.
ACCEPTED
- Several users said that they use the photo album
functionality quite frequently. By
placing the link to a user’s calendar right above the link to the album, it
ensures that users will quickly become aware of this added programma
5. The link to a
user’s calendar should be placed as a separate heading within the main profile
(along with hometown, interests, etc.). REJECTED
- This turned
out to be a bad idea as the group decided that these lists tend to run over
each other, making it difficult for each item to stand out. Since the programma
6. A user will
have the a
- This is a good idea since a user can just click on a time slot on their calendar and quickly be able to add what they will be doing during this time slot.
7. A user can add
a desired time block to an event, meeting, party, etc. ACCEPTED
- This was quickly accepted as the user should have
the programma
8. There should be
the a
- This is a
good idea as the calendar will have little use if a user is unable to know what
each item refers to. There should be an
a
9. The user can
color code each item based on the type of event that it is. ACCEPTED
- This is a good idea as it allows a user to be aware of different types of events. A person can categorize their schedule based on how important or social an item may be.
10. There should
be a popup alarm that notifies a user before a calendar item is about to occur. The amount of time before the event the alarm
goes off can be specified by the user. ACCEPTED
- This is a
good idea since it will remind users when they have something to do. This will ensure that this programma
11. All users of
the application will be able to view another user’s calendar. ACCEPTED
- This programma
12. A user can
specify privacy settings for viewing the calendar for each of their friends. ACCEPTED
- This is an integral
part of the functionality to maintain the safety and privacy of users of the
application. Users that are not friends
may still view the calendar, but only can see blocked out times. A user will have the a
13. Only friends
can look at another’s calendar. REJECTED
- This idea was rejected because we found the calendar would be most useful if every user had at least limited access to viewing. However, a user can restrict access to only friends.
14. A user can
send out an invitation for a common calendar item such as a meeting. Users who receive the invitation will receive
it via an email and can choose to accept or decline the invitation. If a user accepts, the item will
automatically be added to their calendar.
ACCEPTED
- This is
perhaps the programma
15. Users who have
accepted a common event may be able to post messages in the event description
area, similar to how they are handled on the current “Wall” feature available
on Facebook. ACCEPTED
- This is a good idea as it will allow people to post comments and opinions about a certain event before it occurs. It will also allow users to notify each other about any special circumstances surrounding a scheduled event. This feature is designed to operate similar to an internal listserv.
16. Users can view
what another user is currently doing via their main profile page. ACCEPTED
- This idea was accepted because we thought it would be useful to quickly check whether another user is busy. The level of information provided will be consistent with that users privacy settings.
17. The calendar
will be displayed over the period of a day.
REJECTED
- This idea is a bad idea as the time horizon is too short. It was decided that a user would like to see more than a one day horizon at one point. A one day calendar also would be difficult and time consuming to schedule future common events.
18. The calendar
will be displayed over the period of the current week. ACCEPTED
- This idea
was accepted because it seems like a week is the longest amount of time one
would likely want to see, without being too long. A user will of course have the a
19. Strike a deal with Match.com in which a plugin on
that site can link up with the calendar functionality of Facebook. ACCEPTED
- This idea was accepted because we thought it may be useful for people who set up online dates to add these dates automatically to their calendar so they do not forget the date. The functionality will be relatively simple, as the details of the date obtained from Match.com can be rolled into the calendar on Facebook.
20. Allow for
customizable layouts of the calendar. REJECTED
- This idea was rejected because the group thought that it
would be more valuable to have a consistent look and feel to the calendar to
have maximum usa
21. Allow a user
to podcast through Facebook, preferably linked to a
specific event. ACCEPTED
- This is a good idea since it allows a user to distribute a description of a certain event before or after it happens. This saves everyone time, as users will not need to recount the story regarding an event numerous times to all their friends.
22. Users can
stream their play list as a podcast on Facebook. REJECTED
- This idea was quickly rejected as this would be an illegal action and would lead to the user and the application being sued.
23. Photo albums
can be created for events and posted on the event after the event has
occurred. ACCEPTED
- This is a good idea because it allows users and friends to quickly view photos of events after they have occurred. This is especially useful for people who may have missed an event or meeting and are curious as to how it went.
24. Users can
create profiles that synchronize with massive multiplayer online games. REJECTED
- This is a bad idea as the group decided it would be best if gaming friends and Facebook friends remained separate. It was somewhat creepy to mix reality with gaming in our redesign of the application.
Redesigned Product
iCompuGlobalHyperMegaNetster has decided to implement calendar programmability to the Facebook user interface. The functionality is designed to augment the social networking capabilities of the Facebook without infringing on the privacy of an individuals life. This will empower users to use the tool as a social life organizer to quickly connect people through an online environment into a physical one.
The calendar feature available will give a Facebook user the ability to add items to their calendar as they see fit. The calendar will be accessible through the main profile page through a hyperlink appearing directly below the picture of a user. There will also be a small display on the main profile page that describes the current status of that user. The profile will disappear and the calendar will load up in a similar fashion that the photo album functionality currently does. The calendar for the next seven days will appear with all of a user's items visible to another user. These items may be blocks of time that can be specified by the user. A person may also color code these events based on their type and importance. These events may include a short title and description so that other users are aware of what the item entitles. A user also can set a popup alarm to notify them when an event is approaching.
A likely hesitation many users will face when first adopting this new programmability is the idea of privacy. The application addresses this by allowing a user to specify differing privacy settings of each other user that may have access to view their calendar.
The most useful functionality provided by this calendar feature is the social networking potential it provides. Users will not only be able to view the calendars of their friends, but also be able to send out common event invitations. This will help in the coordination of the potentially very busy lives that a college student may live. Users can post comments for a common event before it occurs, allowing for discussion beforehand. This also serves an academic need, as groups can discuss ideas in an online forum without having the always meet in person. The calendar hopes to provide the programmability for users to safely coordinate their network of friends to achieve a potentially more rewarding and organized college life.
Scenario Description
Lindsay has been using the Facebook calendar feature for an entire semester now and it has had a substantial impact on the way she organizes her time, especially with respect to her friends. Occasionally, however, she'll find that she will forget an event or her friends won't be aware of an event that she planned because she forgot to put the event on her calendar. For instance, she recently accepted an invitation to go on a date with a young man she met in class, but she never made it to their designated meeting place. After accepting the invitation, a friend invited her to a party through the Facebook calendar, and Lindsay accepted the party invitation because the date slipped her mind. The classmate she stood up proceeded to tell many of his friends, and Lindsay picked up a reputation for standing people up.
Distraught, Lindsay decided to check out the dating scene at the popular dating site Match.com. She did a search for men in her area and found several that had similar interests. After chatting for a while with one, she accepted an invitation to go on a date. Because Match.com keeps track of these arrangements, when Lindsay looks at her profile it reminds her of the date, but it also has a little Facebook icon with a description saying "click here to add to your Facebook schedule." She did so, and after entering in some information about her Facebook account, the date was automatically added to her Facebook calendar. Not only were her friends now aware that she was unavailable at the scheduled time, but now Lindsay was reminded in a convenient location about the date. Lindsay went on the date and had a great time and decided to use the service again if she used Match.com to date more in the future.
Storyboard Animation
Assignment Write-up
The team at iCompuGlobalHyperMegaNetster believes that Social Visual Communication makes it easier for people to foster relationships. Visual communication always provides more of an insight then any other form. When a person can see something they are able to make better judgments then just by reading. The Facebook has already started to implement very basic social visual communication tools. Users ability to upload photos and individually tag each person in the picture allow the entire community to visually see relationships. Also, websites like Match.com allow people to see pictures and descriptions of people and decide whether or not they want to start a relationship with that person.
At iCompuGlobalHyperMegaNetster we feel the future of social visual communication is the ability to harness the capabilities present in websites such as the Facebook and Match.com. Our product allows people to use Match.com to find people that they are interested in and then use our plug-in to link to their Facebook accounts so that an event can be created on their calendar and can be updated when and if they go on a date. The users friends can then click on the event on the users calendar and see pictures of the person directly from Match.com so that they can comment. After the date, the user can go back and create a short video podcast journal to let his or her friends know how the date went and can also upload photos to the event that was created in the calendar. Our product allows entirely new forms of social visual communication. We are harnessing the power of social communities and utilizing visual communication such that it is easier for people to see relationships, create relationships, and communicate.
Since we are adding an application to Facebook, our intended population is limited forcibly to college students and others with a university email address. Out of everyone who has a university email address, our main demographic is young people age 18 to 22 who currently attend university. People in this age range are very concerned with friends and their social life and are most highly influenced by their peers. They are also very comfortable using technology having grown up using computers and are likely to use them regularly, being in a colligate environment. This demographic is used to interacting socially via technology with cell phones, chat clients, email, blogging, etc. and manages most of their social calendar in this manner. With our redesign we hope to assimilate many of the different technologies used by college students into one portal to make organizing their social life easier and more efficient. We also hope to have people think of Facebook as being more interactive rather than just a static profile. We are fairly biased towards this population and redesign because all of the members of our group fall into this demographic. We chose this purposefully because we believed it would be easier to design a product for a population that we are familiar with and have easy access to.
The redesigned application enables new forms of social and visual communication for all users of the interface. The new functionality of Facebook allows for advanced coordination of events before and after they occur. A major feature that the group expects to add to social communication is the ability to synchronize events planned through other sites such as Match.com with that of Facebook. This not only ensures that people do not forget or miss dates/meetings/appointments, but also enables their friends to be aware of these events (if they choose). The ability to upload a podcast and pictures of an event after the fact further advances the social communication of the application. Rather than having to recount a story numerous times or sort through large photo albums, users can simply click on an event and find all related information that another user has provided about the event. This provides an online social community by offering visual and auditory communication to other users. A limitation of the redesign is that most of the information will only be viewed after the event, and it may be difficult to retrace back to older events. Another potential limitation might be privacy concerns of many users. Nonetheless, the adding functionality provides the type of social communication that the application seeks to deliver to its end users.