Social Network Redesign – Concept

Social Network Redesign: Project Live Grid

Design Statement:

The goal of this project is to create an all-new type of social network that is more real and humanistic than existing popular networking such as Facebook and Twitter. I hope people to move their body and use their hands a little bit more, instead of just sitting in front of their computers all the time; additionally, the program will help friends know each other’s schedule better. This network is not built to be an all-in-one, instead, it is a handy tool to build real close relationships between friends and families by pushing them into an offline life.

My concept is to use live webcam as part (maybe majority) of the interface to monitor a certain (or not) area of the user’s living environment, where the user can have some sort of setup of objects that relate to his/her recent activities, showing who he/she is and what he/she is doing at the moment.

Feature 1: “Live Grid System” (real life interface), where users post content onto their webcam shots, which in a way, is a new type of “organic” and live interface. By live sharing people’s beloved “secret objects” or stuff they recently interested in in real life, they become less “digital” and more approachable. Elements posted will become floating modules in the real life “grid”.
Feature 2: “Sign Me Up”, which is basically an unconventional appointment system. Each user has a calendar of his/her schedule within a certain period of time (e.g. a month), and he/she can input date & time when he/she is available or not, if not, whether he/she wants to be met at the event place or not, etc. Friends are able to find spots when the person has an empty schedule and where they can possibly meet him/her in person by clicking “Sign Me Up” button. This feature encourages both meeting offline and making phone calls, which brings friends somewhat closer.

* The problem with webcam, of course, is you never know what people’s going to show, and the content can change any second, where administration and spam/inappropriate content report system is important.

1 comment

  1. Sign Me Up is a great idea. I need it every day. Perhaps I’m a little too demanding with my friends, but I require them to hand over their schedules to me. I would love a way for this too be automatic. Fantastic, make it happen.

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