ia for tiny stuff: exploring widgets and gadgets

IA for tiny stuff: Exploring widgets and gadgets Martin Belam

IA for tiny stuff: Exploring widgets and gadgets

Martin BelamIA Summit, April 2008currybet.net


The information stone age


The (hand) written word


The printed word


The librarian era


The World Wide Web


"The Widget"


Why widgets?

“Users have already made it clear that they want their content, their way. Those publishers locked into the Web 1.0 portal mindset will find themselves losing market share. While it's impossible to project where the market will be in 18-24 months, forward-looking publishers will begin to engage their users with widget technology and move forward with their users”.

Barry Graubart – ‘Widgets for Content Distribution: A Shift in the Internet’http://web.fumsi.com/go/article/share/2637


Typical simple widget architecture


This really is the simple widget architecture


Introducing 'Nom Nom'


The Marketing Team widget


The Sales team widget


The Technical Team widget


What the user actually wants…


If an e-commerce site is like a busy mall…


…then a widget is a more personal space


The Sky News widget is flexible

Sky's widget offers lots of functions - but it means that the user has to configure it


Forbes offer a range of pre-configured widgets

Forbes take a different approach, and basically offer variations on the same basic widget, pre-configured for the user


Time is an under-used dimension


Leaving event websites live as an archive is fine


A 2008 Olympics widget has a specific lifespan

MAY JUNE JULY AUGUST


Thank your users when the event is over

It costs nothing to be polite.Acknowledge an event is over and thank your users


Cross-promote if your widget comes to an abrupt halt

Cross-promote another widgetif there isn’t going to be any more content for an existing one


Mimic a physical environment

For most of the week a sports stadium is empty


Mimic a physical environment

But it comes alive on match-day


Give it an inactive state…

If there is no current event, why display anything?


…and switch it on when needed

Wake it up for matches – just like the stadium


Easter Eggs


U23D Widget

U2 fans could unlock hidden video in this widget


Engage with your audience offline


Super Furry Animals vote

The widget worked as online promotion for the tour,and as engagement with the fans


Widgets, widgets, widgets


IA for tiny stuff: Exploring widgets and gadgets

Martin BelamIA Summit, April [email protected]

ia for tiny stuff: exploring widgets and gadgets

Technology