Why every web designer should have a MySpace account
It is said that statistically, every 300th web visit is a MySpace visit. When you have sites that are redefining the web, not by design or technology, but by popularity — must we pay attention? Sites such as MySpace that are taking the web by storm are inherently changing how users understand and react to the web. Whether it is by popularity or innovation, those of us in the industry must be aware and adapting our styles accordingly, one way or another.
I was in a client brainstorm meeting recently and suggested that one of the ideas sounded much like what LinkedIn was doing. To my surprise, no one in the meeting had ever been to LinkedIn – not even once. While LinkedIn is no where as popular as MySpace, it is again well known for its intuitive design, easy registration set-up and advanced social networking relationships. I don’t mean to imply that all site designs must mimic MySpace or LinkedIn; however, it is a factor we need to start considering – or at the least, just be aware of.
MySpace being as popular as it is now has become a base foundation for user understanding. Statistically all web users now have something more in common; they understand MySpace.com, some religiously. If we design our sites not to mimic MySpace, but use it as a foundation for user understanding, we may be able to alleviate the learning curve or better, anticipate it.
Depending on our industry and business objectives, we need to answer a variety of questions. Do want to be innovators, striving to change the way the web works, or do we want to be industry followers, striving to ensure our processes are in sync with that of the rest of the industry? Regardless of your answer, one thing should remain true – you must be industry aware! You must know what is happening in the industry, especially within industry leaders. Whether or not you would ever use LinkedIn, MySpace, Flickr or even del.icio.us, you must create an account and be personally aware of how others are attempting to revolutionize your industry!
- October 18th, 2006
- 14comments
- I am a proud member of the 9rules network
i must disagree with your “article” . Something innovative isn’t copying myspace ( or “… use it as a foundation for user understanding…” how you named it ). I don’t like that idea… because i think a good page.. must be something “new” something that was never before seen, then you can success.
But staying in touch what your competition is doing.. that’s good :) ( but as i’ll never create a site even similar to myspace, i won’t register. )
Jinzo you make a great point and I understand your hesitation against anything MySpace. However, think of the smaller tasks, perhaps the more insignificant ones. If the general population learns from MySpace how to upload a photo, crop a photo, how to use an avatar or work with streaming video – that is crucial information. Whether or are not we “copy” MySpace, we should be aware of user expectations generated from their interaction with a site as popular as MySpace.
I fully expected this article to be about avoided the horrendous mistakes of MySpace. I must absolutely disagree with you.
If anything a designer should strive to avoid anything that remotely resembles MySpace. That site shows zero effort at a user interface. It’s confusing, illogical, inconsistent, and just plain ugly. Designers should strive for a good design, referencing MySpace only as a textbook example of what not to do.
hello Martin, I also work as a web/UI designer in the Wash D.C. area and I am currently on-board with USA Today redesigning usatoday.com and tackling some of the very same issues you note above. While I agree with the former comment that MySpace has put little thought into usability, it is important that we explore what’s out there and stay in-the-know of what industry leaders are doing. The challenge is to take existing approaches and mold them to your particular vision. I think it’s difficult to reinvent the wheel, and I see nothing wrong with taking cues from the innovative minds who have already addressed these issues.
I think you’re right on in noting the large scale change that is currently taking place on the web. Users are being empowered to become involved with the content of a site like never before, and soon, very soon things such as blogging, commenting, avatars, and user networks via site publishers will be commonplace.
take it light.
Don’t take my post the wrong way – I am not advocating that we design like MySpace. My primary point is that we at least acknowledge its existence and ensure we know what is happening to determine either what to or what not to do. MySpace, Google, YouTube and Yahoo! are all industry leaders; to be good at what you do, you must know your competition and those shaping your industry — especially if you want to be an innovator!
MySpace may not have the best design structure, user-interface or information architecture – but that obviously isn’t stopping them from being #1 on the web. Do we need to have bad design to be #1, absolutely not!
Our designs should be focused around two principal factors, business objectives and audience expectations. Knowing where your audience surf’s the web and how they are currently using the web is a great way to “begin” understanding their expectations.
I agree that all designers should be aware of industry movements, whether they be in design, concept, function or purpose, I believe that there are many other things to consider as well. Each design project should be first and foremost targeted to a primary and secondary audience; all conceptual, creative, UI and media choices will come from what the messages are and who they are aimed at. Competitive and industry analysis are only a part of the bigger design challenge.
I really think MySpace is just a fluke. The design is terrible, it’s written in Cold Fusion, it’s incredibly slow, it allows people to add their own music and videos, and even change their page’s design, which has opened it up to numerous security breaches. It pretty much epitomizes the Internet circa 1997 where everyone had to have their own homepage with an ugly color scheme and some godawful MIDI playing in the background.
MySpace isn’t about the design, or even really about the features. All it did was reach critical mass before any of its competition.
It might not be pretty, and it might be slightly backward in its design and features, but I agree with Martin that as designers we need to be aware from it, because it represents the internet for many people.
It might fall to us to explain how we can do things better than MySpace, but if we don’t understand users’ (and clients’) preconceptions and expectations about online experience, we’ll confuse them and end up just designing for ourselves (never a good idea).
So your saying that we should show the teeny-boppers-myspace crowd what a good design looks like? Interesting…… In my opinion myspace is, with out a doubt, the ugliest, lest user friendly, most non-intuitive site on the net. However, I dont think that a few Designers creating myspace pages is going to do anything about that. The thing is you have to be ‘into’ design to appreciates it, Something I fear few myspacers are. Also having a myspace acouynt could refelct negativly on the Designer.
The above is a heavily opinionated, very badly written rant.
(wow that’s about the most i have ever written on the site)
I think David is getting my point and perhaps articulating it better than myself. It doesn’t matter if you like MySpace or not, it doesn’t matter if you think MySpace is attractive, user-friendly or built intelligently. To David’s point, it is how most of the world (statistically speaking) knows the internet.
Most of the world knows how to upload photos the MySpace way, most of the world knows how to use video and audio on the web the MySpace way. A majority of web users know how to utilize, market, socialize, communicate and share information on the web the MySpace way.
This doesn’t mean we have to do things the MySpace way. It simply means we need to be aware of how MySpace behaves and take it into account one way or another (either similar or not).
I agree that it may look bad for a web designer to have a MySpace account; however it is a conversation similar to that comment that really spawned this post – because I believe knowing our industry is most crucial!
I have a not-so-related question to ponder… what do you think of providing users surveillance on a site versus losing user clicks? For example, lets say a particular software company wants to position themselves as a portal to all that is happening in the software world, but to do so requires that they provide links to other software makers, and possibly competitors, in order to provide that birds-eye view of the industry.
do you think this provides a valuable service to the user that they will utilize or is it just offering ways for a user to leave your site, an in turn cause you to lose page clicks and ad dollars?
They say “content is king”. Linking off to other sites isn’t necessarily a bad thing; assuming you’ve created a reason for the user to come back.
You obviously don’t want to link to competitors websites; but off-site linking isn’t a bad thing, especially if you can set up an affiliate referral program (much like you can do with Amazon).
You can also use a little iFrame and JavaScript magic to maintain your site’s branding (and maybe even a leaderboard ad) when linking off to other “related” sites – probably should provide a nice method to return back to your site, in addition to the infamous back button.
Well let’s say the iFrame/Javascript method of maintaining your site’s brand is not an option, and the user would definitely be clicking away from your site via links you’ve provided. do you still believe there’s value in a “portal” approach to web design?
my opinion is this tends to work for established sites such as Yahoo, but if you’re not an established portal site isn’t it taking a big risk to try and become one?
Well… lets look at this way. What is your other option? Not to have the site or to figure out other content in place of this content you’ve already deemed valuable to your audience? I believe if “you build it, they will come”. If you provide a medium that is of value to your niche audience, then you will be successful.
CSS Beauty is a great example; it started out as a site whose sole purpose was to showcase other sites (taking you off site). It became overly popular and now has an audience to do more with: forums, contents, job postings, etc.
On the flip side, take a site like Don’t Meet Your Heroes; they had a great concept, to highlight useful news to its niche audience and take you off site. It wasn’t the taking you off site part that killed them; it was simply the popularity of the feed reader who through evolution made them irrelevant.
My sense is that a portal methodology isn’t a bad one to have; it can be successful.