I am developing a platform/site/… for users who’s needs, like my own, are not solved by one online community/website. With a component here and another from there I will conceive a solution. In the process I’ll define “who” the target user, but the overall theme will be main stream.

Why do people use the applications that they use? Why do people frequent the online communities and website that they do? What keeps them coming back? What is so pleasant about the Mac, iTunes and iPhone interfaces? What are my main complaints about software, communities and applications? These questions are at the heart of the console that I envision.

IPhone SDK  Over the past couple of days I have been pondering the iPhones and it’s SDK. The iPhone is the forum and provides tools to enable creativity inside a branded framework. The fostered outcome presents a diverse spectrum of apps that are relatively easy to design and program. From a brand aesthetic standpoint the SDK makes application design “idiot proof”.

Myspace has grown from a networking site for bands and fans to a social networking bahemoth. It offers it’s users high exposure and CSS customizable pages, but tt’s poorly designed infrustructure limits the ability to create attractive layouts. There is an ever increasing amount of spam and advertising. I often try to pictorialize what an organic/realworld verson of a web experiance “feels” like. Myspace is a mix between a highschool yearbook signing and a fleamarket. Weather a person’s page i s the standard page or personalized, it looks low rent or immature at best, smells like cat piss and is unreliable and inconsistent. Those who use it, use it because it has become such a catch all. Unless a structural change is made, I see the Myspace gathering more and more users like bacteria. Eventually it will begin to grow mold and the only ones left using it will be vultures that have absolutely no concept of the modern web… or is that what it has already become?

WHY DO PEOPLE COME BACK? To communicate with friends on an established accessible framework, the music player, personalization and self expression. We can do better.

Facebook:  GOODS Connects user to family/friends, gives user control of who can see what and how much of informaion is private/public to groups that the user creates  BADS locks you into a utilitaarian format, no relevant cutomization optinons, app invites start to become junkmail, no good solution to including music/video/portfolio content. WHY DO PEOPLE COME BACK? Post-myspace way to stay connected on established accessable framwork, less bullshit, self expression.

Twitter: GOODS Quick, “this is what I’m doing, thinking or feeling right now”  BADS It is so simple that it is a better as an add on.