Flash Interactive

The project was called FlashMate (proof of concept)

Basically my interactive will be in the form a portable social networking flash device. Users will carry these devices on their key chain. The flash device can be plugged into a computer via usb. Once in a computer the user is presented with an interactive interface in which users can place a profile of themselves, similar to popular social networking sites such as Myspace or Facebook.

Instead of looking for friends over the net or searching through your friends contact lists to make new contacts, this device forces the user to actually go out there in the physical world and make contact with these people. The goal of this interactive is to take advantage of the popularity of social networking and bring it into a new scene where users are encouraged to socialise in the real world, and leave the virtual world for just a bit.

One of the features of the device will be its ability to physically link up with other devises to share and exchange information. In order to exchange information between users the devices will be able to ‘click’ onto each other. Once connected the devices form one object which simultaneously reads the information on the other device, swaps information and finally compares your profile and gives the user a reading on compatibility by flashing or pulsating a certain colour. The user is able to match this colour on a key on the back of the flash drive. Depending on how much you and the other person share in common, weather it be interests, hobbies, background, or your job, the device will flash a certain colour depending on how much you have in common. For example a pulsating red when two people share a lot in common or a pale blue when your not so compatible. Once ‘connected’ to someone they are automatically added to your friend list. The user can then plug their flash device into a computer, bring up a list of contacts where they can view their friends profiles, chat to online, send messages, look at photos etc.

I considered using blue tooth as the means of exchanging information, but I decided that being able to click your device onto someone else’s is better due to the fact of having an actual physical connection.

The primary target audience for a social networking tool would normally be the16-25 year old generation who are more likely to be in touch with new technologies. Due to the massive Myspace and Facebook craze though we see a lot more people outside that target audience using these tools now. The way in which a 16-year-old girl and, say a 30-year-old graphic designer would use this device would be very different, but still beneficial to both. 16 Year old girl for example would love being able to chat to all her friends online, look and share photos etc, where as the 30 year old Designer may use this platform to promote his business for example – use the flash device as an ‘e business card’, in which potential clients he meets can connect to him, view his company portfolio and have all his company details ready all with one ‘click’.

This project will obviously be a proof of concept, as I don’t have the means to carry this out. I will be able to make the interface that users will update their profiles on. The interface will be made in flash and its main goal is to be simple. Initially I was drawn from myspace to facebook because I was sick of the annoying untidy look of myspace, the fact that everyone has their own song, flashing glitter all over their profiles, annoying links to youtube videos I can never be bothered watching etc. Facebook which is not as bad, is starting to become just as annoying with about a million stupid application things to pick from, games, advertisements and again links to heaps of videos and other annoying Spam.

I think a well-designed interface does only what it was intended to do, ignoring all the annoying little add ons which may be appealing at first become repetitive and irritating after a while. The interface I will design will only have what the user needs and nothing they don’t.