Building a New Social Network SCAD | DGMT 720 OL | Professor Hilary Collins | Spring 2018 TABLE OF INTRODUCTION 3 - 7 RESEARCH 8 - 158 CONTENTS Secondary Research: Social Networks & Dating Networks 10 - 37 Primary Research: Interviews & Surveys 38 - 123 Network Users: Empathy Maps & Personas 124 - 138 Competitor Analysis 139 - 158 BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT 159 - 180 Building A Brand 161 - 169 Business Model Generation 170 - 178 Marketing Strategies 179 - 180 CONTENT DEVELOPMENT 181 - 193 User Driven Features 183 - 189 User Experience 190 - 193 PROTOTYPING 194 - 206 For Users 196 - 205 For Business 206 - 209 APPENDIX 211 - 245 2 THE GOAL of this project is to analyze the current social networking market and determine where there are opportunities for innovation. Using design thinking methods, we will construct a new social network and full prototype based on current gaps in the Online Dating social market. These gaps will be defined from contextual design inquiry, competitor analysis, and research into the user network. DESIGN THINKING is a highly effective approach to innovation which is based around a process, or a systematic way of thinking. The design thinking process follows a path of steps which covers research toward understanding the current market and its consumers, analysis of all gathered information, visualization and quick prototyping, an emphasis on close collaboration with the audience and team within all steps — all through a business-lens approach. Through these systematic steps for innovation, this approach will be successful in discovering a new approach to social media networking. (Lockwood, 2011) The Team Zubeida Alawi Rebecca Brand Danielle Barisic Tracy Mextorf PROJECT TIMELINE WORKING WALL Social Networks User Groups PROTOTYPING HMW Features Information Architecture Sketching- Mockups Online Dating Networks Empathy Map Sketch Brand Color Ideas 7 RESEARCH Secondary & Primary SECONDARY Contextual Analysis Procedure: We began by researching and breaking down current social networks to help us analyze social trends and topics within the RESEARCH current market space. Through synthesis of secondary research we decided to focus on and began developing an online dating network. We researched our PROCESS competitors and conducted interviews of current users, non users, bartenders and experience seekers. Then we defined our users, generated a business model of our network, developed a brand and created a network commercial. 1. Define ‘Social Network’ and Reasons Why People Use Them 2. Research and Compile Existing Social Networks Into Groupings 3. 2x2 Analysis Charts: Quantity vs. Quality 4. Define and Focus on One Opportunity Area: Online Dating 5. SWOT of Online Dating Networks 6. Different and Good chart 9 SECONDARY RESEARCH Social Networks REASONS PEOPLE USE SOCIAL NETWORKING We define Social Network as Serious Non-serious Platonic Relationships Relationships Friendships forms of electronic communication through which users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, Mentorship & Part of a Business Sharing Learning Community Opportunities Content and content. (Schauer and Schauer, 2018), (Boyd and Ellison, 2010) LANDSCAPE Initial Organization of Popular Social Networks 12 LANDSCAPE Online Dating Networks 13 LANDSCAPE Online Dating OVERVIEW OF COSTS & Networks FEATURES, CONTINUED 14 Google Drive link: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1 wzjkqWdfFv4H1wRpmPP8TJ3I_nDdLFfXsd 89vhUV0rw/edit#gid=1543351677 LANDSCAPE To better understand the success of social networks, we bucketed the most popular Types of Social services by the following categories: Networks Personal Networks Status update networks Location networks Used to share information Used to post short status Used to share one’s real-time about ourselves with detailed updates in order to location, either as public online profiles through communicate with other information or as an update only connecting with others users quickly and identify for contacts that you’ve given important people to follow permission to see Content-sharing networks Shared-interest networks Used to share content, such as Used to connect a subset of individuals music, photo and videos through who share a common interest such as personal profiles, with ability to hobbies, political affiliations, ethnic make connections and interact backgrounds, religious views, sexual with other users orientations or other defining interests (Privacyrights.org, 2018) 15 A competitor analysis tool is a 2x2 where two axes are used to create a 2x2 comparison between two categories. We utilized this 2x2 tool to identify global, ANALYSIS large-scale trends and takeaways which would guide our next step in analysis. Users vs. Cost X Axis = Average # of Users Per Month Indicates the level of activity, and therefore, popularity (Most Famous, 2018). This was chosen to compare each of the top social networks in the five stated networking categories. To define the difference between less users vs. more users, the median value was used. Therefore, all platforms above 300M MAU were placed in the ‘More’ category and everything under that metric was considered ‘Less’ for this analysis. Y Axis = Cost Specifically Free vs. Not Free, was chosen as a comparative measure to visually see which types of social networks are most popular compared to whether or not the service charges it’s users.* *Due to the highly varying cost structures for some networks, and the varying types of features added at the different payment tiers, the cost axis was simplified to a binary category axis. 16 2x2: Users vs. Cost FREE SnapChat 300 Million DeviantArt Meetup SnapChat Instagram 11 Million 40 Million 300 Million 800 Million Life360 Foursquare Swarm Reddit Youtube 10 Million 50 Million 330 Million 1 Billion Glympse Pinterest Twitter FB Messenger 10 Million 175 Million 330 Million 1.2 Billion Nextdoor Neighbor Musical.ly Twitter WhatsApp 10 Million 200 Million 330 Million 1.5 Billion GromSocial LinkedIn Google+ Facebook 12 Million 260 Million 395 Million 2.2 Billion Houzz LinkedIn WeChat Facebook LESS # USERS 40 Million 260 Million 550 Million 2.2 Billion MORE # USERS PER MONTH PER MONTH Plenty Of Fish 90 Million Tinder 46 Million Match 24.5 Million Personal Networks Status update networks Location networks Content-sharing networks NOT FREE Shared-interest networks *Sources in Appendix 17 2x2 There is interest in researching Personal Networks further, since they have a unique, pay-for-service business model compared to other types of social ANALYSIS networks. Users vs. Cost 1. Monthly Active Users among popular networks in all 5 buckets spans between: a. Facebook - 2.2 Billion Takeaways b. Nextdoor Neighbor -10 Million 2. ‘Not Free’ networks only fall under Personal Networks. Plenty Of Fish, Tinder, and Match, all gain revenue from not only ads, but also a subscription service. 3. Networks that fall under multiple social network buckets: a. Facebook - Personal & Status Update b. Twitter - Status Update and Location c. SnapChat - Content Sharing & Location d. LinkedIn - Personal & Status Update 4. Value in fulfilling multiple types of needs within one network, because the four above networks ranked the highest (Facebook) in the number of users or at least around the median value (LinkedIn). This indicates that there could be. 5. Status Update Networks are the most popular in terms of users: 4 out of 5 networks fall into the quadrant of ‘More # of Users Per Month’ and Free. 6. Shared Interest Networks are congregated mostly within: ‘Less # of Users Per Month’ and ‘Free’. A stand-out statistic is Reddit, which exceeds SnapChat in ‘More # of Users Per Month. 18 2x2 A second 2x2 was conducted in order to increase the number of meaningful large-scale takeaways across all social media buckets. ANALYSIS Users vs. Time X Axis = Average # of Users Per Month A global metric which indicates the level of activity, and therefore, popularity (Most Famous, 2018). This was chosen to compare each of the top social networks in each of the below five categories. Y Axis = Time Spent on App Specifically 30 seconds - 90 minutes, was chosen as a comparative measure to visually see how much time people spend on an app. 19 2x2: Users vs. Time MORE TIME SPENT DeviantArt 11 Million 150 minutes/day Tinder 46 Million 82 mins/day WeChat 550 Million Match 66 mins/day 24.5 Million 63 mins/day Plenty Of Fish 90 Million WhatsApp 45 mins/day Youtube Facebook 1.5 Billion 1 Billion 2.2 Billion 40 mins/day 40 min/day 35mins/day LESS # USERS MORE # USERS PER PER MONTH SnapChat MONTH 300 Million Instagram 32 min/day 800 Million 24 min/day Reddit 330 Million FB Messenger Pinterest 15 min/day 1.2 Billion 175 Million 15 mins/day 14.2 min/day Meetup Musical.ly 40 Million 200 Million 7 mins/day 13 min/day Houzz 40 Million Google+ 4.5 min/day 395 Million 3.5 min/day Foursquare Swarm Personal Networks 50 Million 4 mins/day Status update networks Nextdoor Neighbor 10 Million Location networks 3 min/ day Twitter 330 Million Content-sharing networks 1 min/day LinkedIn Shared-interest networks 260 Million 30 seconds/day LESS TIME SPENT *Sources in Appendix 20 2x2 Findings and insights from the second 2x2 identified an opportunity within the Personal Network in the area of ‘online dating’ because people spend a lot of ANALYSIS time on personal apps, relatively compared to the other social network buckets. Users vs. Time 1. Time spent on social networks: 30 seconds (LinkedIn) towards 150 minutes (DeviantArt) per day Takeaways on any particular app. 2. Range of number of network users: 10 million (Nextdoor Neighbor) to 2.2 billion (Facebook). 3. Majority of users spend their time on Personal Networks and Status Update Networks and the least amount of time on Shared Interest Networks. 4. Most amount of users are on Personal Networks and Status Update Networks and the least amount of users on shared interest networks. 21 2x2 Based on the takeaways from 2x2 Analysis, the following are opportunities for further exploration. ANALYSIS Opportunity 1. Personal Networks: How might we further explore the an opening in the market using effective cost structure and Areas 1 the current drivers behind retaining network users.