3 Principles of Social Network Design

Social software designers are learning that designing for group behavior and interaction is more complex than designing for individual users. Especially in social network design, the unpredictability in user response and group activities can pose design difficulties. In order for a social network design to be successful, there are several basic principles that should be followed.

1. Engage the user quickly—seconds matter. First impressions matter when users have millions of websites they can click to. You will need to make the core features of your network absolutely clear before distracting the user with too many peripheral features. Make sure there is a very short learning curve for users to be able to add content or change settings so that they can see the results quickly.

Continuing to engage users requires dynamic applications. In order to provide an ongoing quality experience across multiple sessions, the application must generate new content on a steady basis. One way that social network design can accomplish this is by exposing friend or contact activity. This is how MySpace and FaceBook have leveraged their technologies. As users become aware of how other users are interacting and using the network, this creates ongoing change and interactivity.

2. Enable self expression. The user's profile page should be customizable to the extreme and offer a large variety of options for self expression. The profile will ultimately reflect the individual's identity, expressing their likes, dislikes, tastes—opening themselves up to every other user. The more self expression available on the profile page, the more interactions are possible with other users as they connect and networks grow.

Conversations or discussions among users are another necessary way for self expression. As discussions continue, the interaction has a tendency to spawn new topics and new content. The growth of a network can be exponentially related to the interaction and interplay of its users as they have increasing numbers of conversations throughout the network.

3. Community Building. By following the first two principles of engaging quickly and enabling self expression, the network creates an environment that fosters development of huge connecting interactions. These connections can quickly grow too numerous to be able to track so smaller communities within the whole are created. As in a real public setting, users will tend to gather together in groups of similar interests or tastes. As these communities grow, contributors become emotionally vested in the network.

By forming these smaller communities within the larger network, users are given a much fuller and richer experience. As they become more and more vested in the community, they are less likely to leave and more likely to invite others to join them in the experience. Communities are what keep users coming back, helping them form permanent, virtual ties.