Design and Development of a Social Platform Based on a Social Network Theory of Tie Strength

• Main Authors: Yan Jiun Chen, 陳彥均
• Other Authors: T. H. Tsai
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2016
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/nvhx7f

碩士 === 長庚大學 === 工業設計學系 === 104 === The purpose of this project is to provide users with a new social networking experience that makes social networking sites a better representation of real social situations. In this research study we created a new social networking platform, TreeIt. First, in order to understand the users’ social purpose and needs, we analyzed the functions of social networking sites and their usage. Second, the TreeIt system was designed based on: Dunbar’s 150 number, Granovetter’s strength of weak ties theory, and a social media tie-strength model presented by Gilbert, as the core of its design. These provide the design rationale for the seven functions of the TreeIt system - social display, mood display/emotional feedback, hot topics, autosuggest friends, common album, chatterbox, and recent group – and considerable support for its users to create, maintain, and enhance their social connections. Nevertheless, the TreeIt system visualizes the tie strength of the user’s online social networks, that is to say, a tree and its leaves which indicate a user’s social condition and their true relationships with others on a social media. In terms of system validation, we used the heuristic evaluation for measuring the system usability. Finally, we provide some design suggestions for online social tools and for the research in the field of tie strength measures with social media.