On the Importance of Bots
Well, good news: I finally finished up my original project regarding creating bots for LoopLogic. I've now created an automated system that will run through all of LoopLogic's functions while logging in and set up a program in which Mr. Legay and I will be alerted when something errors within the script. That way, the issue can be quickly resolved.
As an anecdote, on Monday, the login portal for LoopLogic through Twitter was not working. The bots reported this problem and we immediately set out to find a solution. Later that day, we discovered the issue (Twitter had changed its API tools without making a full out public announcement), and was able to repair the login portal.
Also this week, we talked about user interfaces even more. Specifically, we talked about how popular and comforting the YouTube layout was in the eyes of the public. The thing about YouTube is that it is insanely popular, definitely something that any consumer would be familiar with. While designing a sample channel page for LoopLogic, we kept making comments about how everybody seemed to prefer a style similar to that of YouTube. We have changes and our own style added to it of course, but the basic layout seemed to be a distant echo to that of our more popular competitor. But then, we realized a major factor.
What we were doing was setting up a video channel for a business contact, so they would have something like 20 videos and then a questionnaire section. This was to focus and maximize information absorbed in a short period of time, giving a very professional feel about the channel. In comparison, YouTube does it more lax, with multiple videos being displayed at once and seemingly having no end to the material.
That brings me to my next major point of the streaming market: target audience. Video companies can easily gain more consumer participation and product consumption by appealing to a certain demographic; that demographic depends on what the primary purpose and what features the video service provides.
Well, till next time!
This is very interesting! How detailed must you go to create the professional outlook? Are you considering everything down to the very font of the words?
ReplyDeleteIt's cool how different purposes, even in intent—though the sites may functionally be doing the same thing—can lead to a different approach to planning the design and whatnot. How do you guys get the website out there/market it to companies?
ReplyDeleteGreat job finishing that first project! I loved reading about the example with Twitter. Your comparison to YouTube was also very helpful. I think it actually helped me understand LoopLogic a little more. I have a similar question to Daria's. With big sites out there like YouTube and Hulu and others, how do you get your name out there and make consumers aware of the differences your site has? I look forward to reading more about your progress!
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