The ADD Pattern in Registration Process of Social Sites

Rip-off Designing Series

(Attention-Deficit Disorder? Can be...)

After signing up for different social sites, and observing the registration/creating account process with them, one very dominant pattern I notice is the ADD element, which is social sites are plastering each page with the connect/add friends from different social sites to your account in them. VIRAL it is. But a bit annoying?

What is ADD design pattern?

Anyhoo, following are screenshots of the different social sites to show off how they implement/design their registration/create account/sign up process.

ADD was just a sidebit.

Since @tweetitow is a twitter 3rd-party application, let's look at twitter first. Let's see how twitter design their 'registration process.'

Then, the real 'registration' thing part.

I'm not sure if this is still part of the registration. But this is what usually happen after you gave them permission to spam you, and create that most-coveted username. 

To be nice about it, you can call it as the 'more getting to know you' stage. This part sort of give you introduction to what/how/why their application is about. In short, this is the part where application will try their best to make you a fanatic of them in an instant.

Next, let's look at Plurk because it's somehow a close family of twitter, probably a near or distant cousin. If twitter can do it vertically, Plurk can also do it horizontally.

As usual, Plurk's registration require very few data, which is the 'in' thing now because users are too lazy to fill out forms. They call it SIGN UP. Is there really a difference between 'registration,' sign up, and create account?

Unlike twitter, Plurk directs you straight to the meat of their application. It really is designed for people who have not much friends to invite. On the other thought, they might have no celebrities to suggest.

Let's see foursquare -- a distant location kin of twitter. Probably, just in the neighborhood. The proof that in the internet, you can be any body. Foursquare let's you be a Mayor of a public restroom. As they say, location-based social site is the next bigggg thing.

After the 'minimalist' registration/signup page of twitter & plurk, I think foursquare is the opposite of it. But I like how they have this 'steps' -- Join, Add Friends, Invite Friends, Link up -- are like display. Giving you a signal of where you are now. 

The ADD FRIENDS, INVITE FRIENDS, LINK UP steps of foursquare have a heavy emphasize on connecting to you facebook and twitter. They probably badly need morrreeee signups.

Gowalla -- the more colorful version of foursquare. It looks gowalla has a graphics designer overload. =)

But with their sign up page, they are more closer relative to twitter than foursquare's overloaded signup page.

And, the ADD symptom begins -- ADD FRIENDS here and there. Just like how his near-distant relative foursquare does it. Well, it can really be a case of attention-deficit disorder.

Now, let's see brightkite -- my most favorite color-combination site. It's another location-based social site.

I just totally love the sign up page of brightkite. It might be because of the cute illustrations in the background that gives that feeling. 

Brighkite is like Plurk after the registration page, it brings you straight to the meat. You are right away directed to the dashboard, and from there where you are ask to ADD friends from twitter and such.

After the location-based social site, let's take a look at the food-based social site. I wonder what's next after food. Here is Foodspotting, which is still on beta.

The most minimalist sign-up page so far, I think. You know that saying, make it very dead simple, simpler than clicking the Back button.

After the registration, you will remain on the same page as the landing page except that you are no logged in. I believe, since they are still on beta, they are still figuring out on what should be the next page after registration. On the other thought, I think it's a good page to start from.

Another one is Fiddme, an Israel-based food-based social site. Looking at their landing page, the emphasis is on their iphone application.

Fiddme is not the 'minimalist' type when it comes to their registration page, but not as annoying as signing up to yahoo mail. =)

Let's take a look at another site which is more meaningful, in a way that it inspires people to move. Unlike other social sites who wants you to do nothing but just wants you to get stuck on their site, poking and poking. And, yes, I love this site -- dailymile.

All-in-all, I like the dailymile's sign up page. 

Registration/Create Account/Sign UpIn a nutshell, based on my scientific observation of the different social sites, the Sign Up process should be uber simple. If looks could only do the sign-up, then go for it. I say sign-up process can be broken into 3 main steps:

1. Create account -- which involves:• username, • password, • and email address in the least. • But/Or some allow to sign up via facebook and twitter logins (that OAuth thing).• An added bonus when site gives you a customized subdomain.

2. Share to Friends/Add Friends -- lets you invite friends via email, twitter, facebook, flickr, and other social sites.

3. Link to Social Sites -- this enables you to crosspost whatever activity you do from that social site to other social sites -- mostly to twitter and facebook.

So for @tweetitow sign-up process, we will probably have it in the following:

1. Create account using twitter log-ins/OAuth.2. Register mobile numbers.3. Share to friends.

My brain is friend, feel free to add stuff to what I write.

Salamat!

@owrange forhttp://tweetitow.com