Designing an Online Community - Part 2
In my previous post, I shared how an online community has changed in terms of how interactions take place. However, the principles of an online community and a face-to-face one have not. These principles include Longevity, Shared Values, Community Management, and Trust. Now that we know what constitutes an online community, we can learn what some of the elements are that need to go into making one.
First of all, this is by no means an exhaustive list, and it does not list specific details. Instead, I will highlight the three main design considerations.
Purpose. The community must have a clear and defined purpose. It must be clear what the community is about and the rules/mission/concept are all clearly established. Additionally, simplicity is important to lower the barrier of entry. Unclear and complex processes will result in high barrier of entry.
Accessibility. The site should be easy to reach and easy to navigate. Any complications will be seen as a form of resistance and will turn people off from the community. Additionally, it is important that a single anchor platform is used. On this tool/site, all other resources can be embedded or shared here. However, if people need to hunt for different sites to gather resources or have various interactions, again, they might feel it is too troublesome. Like any other website, having a blank page is not a good idea.
Level of Commitment. One key design element is making the members feel committed. Otherwise, as Mark Wills shared in the video on my previous post, it will merely be a social site, and people come and ago, leaving you without the 'longevity' that creates a community. One way of motivating interactions and commitment is having a simple reward system. For example, Expert Exchange (https://www.experts-exchange.com/), a Q&A forum for professional IT support, gets it 'askers' to reward points to the person that provided the best solution. These points can work towards a certification, and would mean higher credibility and authority.
Josh, out.
First of all, this is by no means an exhaustive list, and it does not list specific details. Instead, I will highlight the three main design considerations.
Purpose. The community must have a clear and defined purpose. It must be clear what the community is about and the rules/mission/concept are all clearly established. Additionally, simplicity is important to lower the barrier of entry. Unclear and complex processes will result in high barrier of entry.
Accessibility. The site should be easy to reach and easy to navigate. Any complications will be seen as a form of resistance and will turn people off from the community. Additionally, it is important that a single anchor platform is used. On this tool/site, all other resources can be embedded or shared here. However, if people need to hunt for different sites to gather resources or have various interactions, again, they might feel it is too troublesome. Like any other website, having a blank page is not a good idea.
Level of Commitment. One key design element is making the members feel committed. Otherwise, as Mark Wills shared in the video on my previous post, it will merely be a social site, and people come and ago, leaving you without the 'longevity' that creates a community. One way of motivating interactions and commitment is having a simple reward system. For example, Expert Exchange (https://www.experts-exchange.com/), a Q&A forum for professional IT support, gets it 'askers' to reward points to the person that provided the best solution. These points can work towards a certification, and would mean higher credibility and authority.
Josh, out.
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