Designing for Community

Our instructor facilitated a presentation about important aspects of designing for community. During Week 1 of this course, the difference between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 was discussed. I really appreciated the clarification because I had not explored either concepts in much depth. Web 2.0 is literally the next generation of the Internet that includes user-generated content and social media platforms galore! No longer is information just created by single entities and posted on webpages, but instead, content is constantly being generated by users who not only generate content but also interact with other users on social media. 

Web 2.0 has instituted a completely different meaning to the word "community." While community was once defined by groups within certain locations/proximity, it has come to mean so much more as Web 2.0 tools literally connect and allow people to engage with one another from every corner of the globe. This creates great opportunities for us to strategically design communities that will not just facilitate learning but also engagement with a particular topic and/or community.

https://thecliparts.com/couch-potato-cliparts/

When I think about Web 2.0, I have a visual in my head of a couch potato who finally gets off the couch and decides to become a participant instead of an observer. This is the essence of community via Web 2.0. While there is nothing wrong with observing content on the Web (aka "lurking"), the goal of designing for a "community of practice" is to create (1) mutual engagement, (2) joint enterprise, and (3) shared repertoire. 

• Mutual Engagement =  building relationships and developing norms within the community
• Joint Enterprise = developing shared understanding of what the members of the community are developing
• Shared Repertoire = developing resources and tools that members of the community use

As our instructor reviewed general guidelines for designing for community, a light bulb went off in my head because it was evident that these guidelines were used as the framework for our course. (As my nephew would say, "Duh!"...I mean that would only make sense, right?) Listed below are the suggested guidelines when designing for community. As we have moved through each week's assignments, we have been putting these guidelines into practice. I always appreciate when an idea comes together and this week's presentation has provided just the AH-HA moment I needed to understand the method to the madness! LOL!

General Guidelines for Designing for Community

1. Choose anchor platform...this should be the platform for which all other platforms will be built
2. Integrate secondary platforms into anchor platform...this goes a long way in providing organization and convenience for users who can quickly get overwhelmed with trying to keep up with multiple platforms
3. Platforms with clear and articulated purpose...How and why do you want users to use the platforms in your community? The clearer the purpose, the more likely users will use the platforms in the intended way
4. Consistent account names and hashtags across platforms...this will definitely make it a lot easier for users to keep up and not have to search for a needle in a haystack
5. Consider whether some platforms should be "read only"...while you want users creating content and engaging with one another, there can and should be exceptions that allow for some content to be created and managed specifically by the community designer 
6. Never leave blank pages...it's essentially asking for trouble or leading to confusion, so take them out!