DEFINE: Theory Into Practice Through Synthesis

My research project is being conducted through three stages, the first of these stages is the 'Discover' stage in which I have researched into the YouTube platform. The second stage of the project is called 'Define' in this stage I will be taking the research I have collated and defining key areas and aspects of YouTube that can be enhanced through better design or through the design of new features to add to the service. I will be breaking down the 'Define' stage in separate parts as defining new features and improving olds ones will be a developmental and experimental process. Within part one I am initially going to outline so set of features and enhancements I intend to make to service based on the discussion that I have put forward within my written research.

Chapter 1: Digital Natives and What it means to be a creator

Reducing the gap between Digital Natives and Digital Immigrants
My researched frames and argues more predominately towards Digital Natives, this is because they have made the service and platform what it is today, however I think that in the future for YouTube to continue to prosper YouTube must also embrace the Digital Immigrant demographic, which to an extent it does - but not fully. To achieve this I want to improve the experience users have when using YouTube on the television. As explored in the essay TV is the place Digital Immigrants have gone to get there information since they grew up, whereas Digital Natives have had the internet. Therefore I want to bring YouTube to the TV is a more gratifying way that provides a more pleasurable experience to the user than is currently possible. This will therefore introduce YouTube to this new audience and begin to get them involved in the service and the community.

Summary: Improve and enhance the YouTube experience for use on the Television


Improved device agnosticism
As laid out in the essay, for Digital natives technology is at the centre of their universe. YouTube is available wherever they are, whatever device they are on. However the same experience isn't always possible on every device. I want to change this, I want the user to have same experience and capabilities no matter what device they are on. This is also known as device agnosticism, which refers to how products can be designing to work on any device.

Summary: Deliver the same YouTube experience, across Web, Mobile, Tablet and Television.

Chapter 2: Celebrities or Entrepreneurs

Celebrity/Entrepreneur exposure

I have debated throughout this chapter if 'YouTuber's are celebrities or entrepreneurs but either way they ultimately need exposure to reach such levels within the community, this is why I think bigger emphasis should be made to promote not just the videos which YouTube does already, promote the people behind the videos. This will mean greater exposure for personalities on the platform through making the design of platform encourage and make more apparent these personalities, show videos they've appeared in, enhance how these personalities can be found on other platforms. 

Summary: Increase exposure of YouTuber's by increasing the visibility and functionality around YouTube content creators.

The Vlog Format

I want to improve the YouTube experience around the Vlog format, a predominant form of content on the Platform. Currently this style of content is treated the same as all the other content on the site. However I think the platform could benefit from more bespoke features around the format. This will include the ability the easily catch up on missed vlogs with a catch up button, watch weekly, monthly or yearly re-caps of videos to enhance the experience for new audiences. Using Google Glass enhance how Vlogs are filmed, in the future when Google Glass becomes for widely adopted vlogging will have a greater POV feel to it thanks to the filming capabilities of google glass, a user interface for this new functionality will need to be developed.

Summary: Add greater more bespoke features for the Vlog format, for both the auidence user and contributor user. 

Chapter 3: Top Down vs. Bottom Up

Better content aggregation
There is a clear tension between user generated content and professionally produced content, these two forms of content often site awkwardly on the platform. Through design improve how this content can be better aggregated together and makes use of each other qualities. For example Movie trailer are a common form of professionally produced content on the platform, content such as reviews by users could sit better with this content. Use design to attract users to explore the new content.

Summary: Allows user generated content and professionally produced content to sit better together on the platform through creating a user interface that aggregates content uniquely for the user

Content Guide
Another way in which this content can sit better is if it is aggregated into a guide [Guide: A tv guide of channels] YouTube has since it's initial conception been formatted into channels, an idea reminiscent of the TV era, however these channels are aggregated into a guide, but by putting content into a guide is always for new content discovery beyond how YouTube already recommends related videos to you. But this new format of putting content into a guide also always YouTube's new feature of Live broadcasts to better integrated into the platform than is currently present.

Summary: Design and develop a content guide for channels to fit within

Chapter 4: Mediality, Media Formats and content curation

Flow

Through the research that I have gathered and discussed within the final chapter of my dissertation it is evident that a new role can become apparent on YouTube, and that role is a Curator of content, their are already creators on YouTube and now there will be Curators who brings content together from across the site to create new meaning. This new way to watch content on YouTube, will be called Flow. As part of my practical, I will need to design how Flow will function and look on the site. 

Summary: Visually conceptualise how the new concept of 'Flow' will work and function on YouTube

Expand Media Formats

This chapter explored how YouTube has been part of creating new media formats that are present on the web and have been developed out of the constraints of YouTube as a platform, for example Vlogs or Vlogging being positioned as a new media format. Within my practical I will explore new media formats that are breaking through on the platform such as live content which is starting to take off on platform however currently it is not integrated into the platform at all. 

Summary: Develop and visualise what live content will look like on platform and how it will integrate with existing content.