10 lessons from the design of SlideShare

Fast, cheap & somewhat in Fast, cheap & somewhat in controlcontrol

10 lessons from the design of 10 lessons from the design of SlideShareSlideShare

Rashmi Sinha

SlideShare & Uzanto

working at a startup…

traditional UX methods or agile design

SlideShareSlideSharelaunched Oct 2006launched Oct 2006

Presentations are hard to Presentations are hard to share share

A social critique of PowerPoint

Large-scale sharing

A social space, not a utility: Office 2.0?

A social critique of PowerPoint

Large-scale sharing

A social space, not a utility: Office 2.0?

1) I am linked to ->

-> to you

--->You are linked to her ->

---> on…

How it works•People connect to each other•Six degrees of separation•“Are you my friend” type of awkwardness

First generation Social NetworksFirst generation Social Networks(Friendster, LinkedIn…)(Friendster, LinkedIn…)

1) I share my pics ->

-> with you --->

-->You share your pics ->

---> with him

How it works•People share objects | watch others•Connections through objects•Social info streams: emergence of popular, interesting items

Second generation social network Second generation social network (networks with objects in between, e.g., Flickr, (networks with objects in between, e.g., Flickr, Yahoo answers)Yahoo answers)

good contentgood content floats to floats to toptop Multiple models of popularity

Users drive navigation

Multiple models of popularity

Users drive navigation

Slides asSlides as MICROCONTENTMICROCONTENT

URL for every slide

Comment on individual slides

URL for every slide

Comment on individual slides

What What people share people share on SlideShareon SlideShare

Venture capitalists share advise

Ministers share sermons

Teachers share lesson plans

Entrepreneurs share business plans

Venture capitalists share advise

Ministers share sermons

Teachers share lesson plans

Entrepreneurs share business plans

10 Lessons from 10 Lessons from SlideShareSlideShare

1. The1. The alpha alpha as theas the first reaction first reaction

2. The2. The beta beta is theis the market probe market probe Research is about hypotheticals, get feedback to real thing

Our methods are individualistic

What is the risk of failure?

Research is about hypotheticals, get feedback to real thing

Our methods are individualistic

What is the risk of failure?

HowHow developed developed should theshould the Beta Beta be?be? Get basic concept across and no more

Leave room for flexibility

Get basic concept across and no more

Leave room for flexibility

2. You don’t need personas2. You don’t need personasWhen you know your users by

name

They want to visit your offices

They email you everyday

When you know your users by name

They want to visit your offices

They email you everyday

Get into aGet into a conversation conversation with with

users users Answer emails personally

Monitor blogs, subscribe to RSS

Customer service as user research

Answer emails personally

Monitor blogs, subscribe to RSS

Customer service as user research

3. Launch 3. Launch first,first, refine refine laterlater

Don’t over-analyze

Look at best practices, take a guess

Put it out there. Respond. Refine.

Don’t over-analyze

Look at best practices, take a guess

Put it out there. Respond. Refine.

4. There is something about 4. There is something about social social websiteswebsites

Design works differently than design for individualDesign works differently than design for individual

MindCanvas as MindCanvas as design for the design for the individualindividual

Usability

Control

Interaction Flow

Engagement

Usability

Control

Interaction Flow

Engagement

SlideShare as SlideShare as design for the crowddesign for the crowd

People interacting

Following each other

Wisdom of crowds

People interacting

Following each other

Wisdom of crowds

5.5. designer-developer designer-developer role is role is

crucialcrucial

Easier communication

Reduced design work

Easier communication

Reduced design work

6. Design deliverables should be 6. Design deliverables should be

approachableapproachable

Created with common desktop apps

Editable by everyone

Created with common desktop apps

Editable by everyone

7. Under invest in 7. Under invest in visual designvisual designLet users feel ownership of space

Unpolished look is fine

Let users feel ownership of space

Unpolished look is fine

8. Pay attention to 8. Pay attention to technical technical simplicitysimplicity

Balance user needs & technical simplicity

Complexity > slower, riskier, harder to

maintain

Balance user needs & technical simplicity

Complexity > slower, riskier, harder to

maintain

9. Single biggest win:9. Single biggest win: make app make app faster faster

1010. . designersdesigners as as

entrepreneursentrepreneursHow to find first 1000 users or first 100 customers

Lifestyle business?

How to find first 1000 users or first 100 customers

Lifestyle business?

Find yourself aFind yourself a developer developer partnerpartner

Focus on execution

You cannot just “hire a developer”

Focus on execution

You cannot just “hire a developer”

Picture of data Picture of data centercenter

Do you need Do you need traditional traditional UX methodsUX methods to design a to design a

SlideShareSlideShare??

YESYES:: When When feedbackfeedback becomes abecomes a torrenttorrent

Feedback form not enough. Too unstructured

Issues need prioritization. Diff user groups

Users have specific expectancies from product

New team members need summary info

Improvements beyond low hanging fruits

Designing completely new features

Feedback form not enough. Too unstructured

Issues need prioritization. Diff user groups

Users have specific expectancies from product

New team members need summary info

Improvements beyond low hanging fruits

Designing completely new features

CapitulateCapitulateCollaborateCollaborateor Initiateor Initiate

Marianne SweenyMarianne Sweeny

sometimes sometimes process & methods process & methods can be a can be a baggagebaggage

when to let it go

engineers have had to

when will it be time for designers?

when to let it go

engineers have had to

when will it be time for designers?

be be experimental. experimental. createcreate

somethingsomething

Mashup RSS feeds (Yahoo Pipes/Popfly)

Build your own social network (Ning)

Play with an API (Google Maps)

Mashup RSS feeds (Yahoo Pipes/Popfly)

Build your own social network (Ning)

Play with an API (Google Maps)

Finally Finally Some summit slideshttp://www.slideshare.net/tag/iasummit07

you can find me at http://www.slideshare.net/rashmi