User-centred design approach for a community website with social software

Abstract

Social software and web 2.0 live on the fact that people want to share and collaborate. This feeling of connecting with each other as well as helping and sharing information can be used in different domains. We think social software can be used to build dynamic online communities and subsequently can be used to improve the relationships between community members and stimulate them to be more active community members. To make sure the website is usable by all people and to make it approachable for all people to be active on a community website, we involved the users in an early stage of the design process. With the results of the user studies we designed the website, after which iterative usability tests took place. In this paper, we discuss a case study of the design of a community website around an interactive page in a local newspaper, using social software and their interaction with the real life community. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2007.