P1: Describe interactive media products
Airbnb
Purpose
The purpose of the Airbnb website is to persuade and to sell. Airbnb offers thousands of different homes, rooms and apartments to tourists and travellers and allows them to rent them out for a specific amount of time. Users are also able to rent out their own homes or rooms to people and get money for it in return.
Target audience:
The target audience for the Airbnb are young to old adults with enough disposable income to go travelling. The Demographic range is generally ABC1 and the range of interests would usually be travelling and sight seeing.
Design components and layout
Airbnb's logo is located in the top left corner and its signature pink colour is located on most things that say "Airbnb". It instantly catches your attention and reminds you you're not browsing just another holiday website. This creates brand awareness and makes for an effective marketing technique.
The design features only 3 colours, black, white and signature pink.
The small amount of colours create a minimalistic and modern look which is easy to navigate and is easy on the eyes. The only other colours come from images of advertised homes which draws you further to focus on homes.
The layout consists of rows and columns of homes that are ready to be rented out once you've searched where you want to stay. You are also prompted with a map which allows you to see directly where the homes are and how much they cost per night. Underneath each picture of the home for rent there is also a price per night, star rating given by other users as well as a title for the home.
Interactive features
Airbnb is full of interactive features as its goal is to get you to rent out accommodation. One of the interactive features is the ability to rent out a house, room or apartment for as many days as you want and pay for the transaction directly through the website. The interactive feature also goes for the person who is renting out their property as their interactive feature is to post their listing and add images and other information. The hosts are also given the interactive feature of accepting or denying any requests to rent their home. A built in chat is also in the website which allows for hosts and guests to communicate with each other prior and after booking. After the stay is complete there is another interactive feature available to both the host and the guest, this feature is rating. The host and guest and both prompted to rate each other based on various different criteria, this rating is then displayed to future potential guests or hosts.
Benefits:
Limitations:
Effectiveness
I think Airbnb is very effective in what it does because it is extremely easy to rent out a room or whole place to yourself if desired. The navigation of the website is extremely easy and simple thanks to its minimalistic and modern design. The website also effectively allows for its users to become the hosts and insures their property for up to £1,000,000 worth of damages.
Legal and ethical issues
The main legal issue for Airbnb mainly effects its hosts. Some cities have a law that restricts the ability to rent out your property to paying guests. In many cities you have to register and get a permit and/or obtain a license before listing the property and accepting guests otherwise you may have legal trouble. The issue is that Airbnb doesn't state this or remind you of it when you allow people to book your home which can later result the city taking legal action against you.
An ethical issue concerning Airbnb is that there is a huge risk for hosts which is that their property can always get damaged and their houses can often be trashed. It seems that Airbnb covers this issue with their insurance, however Airbnb states it doesn't cover damages to actual cash, rare artwork, jewellery and pets. This means that a lot of the most valuable things a house would usually contain isn't actually covered by Airbnb.
Purpose
The purpose of the Airbnb website is to persuade and to sell. Airbnb offers thousands of different homes, rooms and apartments to tourists and travellers and allows them to rent them out for a specific amount of time. Users are also able to rent out their own homes or rooms to people and get money for it in return.
Target audience:
The target audience for the Airbnb are young to old adults with enough disposable income to go travelling. The Demographic range is generally ABC1 and the range of interests would usually be travelling and sight seeing.
Design components and layout
Airbnb's logo is located in the top left corner and its signature pink colour is located on most things that say "Airbnb". It instantly catches your attention and reminds you you're not browsing just another holiday website. This creates brand awareness and makes for an effective marketing technique.
The design features only 3 colours, black, white and signature pink.
The small amount of colours create a minimalistic and modern look which is easy to navigate and is easy on the eyes. The only other colours come from images of advertised homes which draws you further to focus on homes.
The layout consists of rows and columns of homes that are ready to be rented out once you've searched where you want to stay. You are also prompted with a map which allows you to see directly where the homes are and how much they cost per night. Underneath each picture of the home for rent there is also a price per night, star rating given by other users as well as a title for the home.
Interactive features
Airbnb is full of interactive features as its goal is to get you to rent out accommodation. One of the interactive features is the ability to rent out a house, room or apartment for as many days as you want and pay for the transaction directly through the website. The interactive feature also goes for the person who is renting out their property as their interactive feature is to post their listing and add images and other information. The hosts are also given the interactive feature of accepting or denying any requests to rent their home. A built in chat is also in the website which allows for hosts and guests to communicate with each other prior and after booking. After the stay is complete there is another interactive feature available to both the host and the guest, this feature is rating. The host and guest and both prompted to rate each other based on various different criteria, this rating is then displayed to future potential guests or hosts.
Benefits:
- Huge amount of accommodation ranging in prices
- Easy to navigate
- No hidden costs
- You can easily use it to rent out your own property legally
Limitations:
- Properties can be damaged
- Properties don't always match description
- Reviews aren't enforced
- Unresponsive to guests
Effectiveness
I think Airbnb is very effective in what it does because it is extremely easy to rent out a room or whole place to yourself if desired. The navigation of the website is extremely easy and simple thanks to its minimalistic and modern design. The website also effectively allows for its users to become the hosts and insures their property for up to £1,000,000 worth of damages.
Legal and ethical issues
The main legal issue for Airbnb mainly effects its hosts. Some cities have a law that restricts the ability to rent out your property to paying guests. In many cities you have to register and get a permit and/or obtain a license before listing the property and accepting guests otherwise you may have legal trouble. The issue is that Airbnb doesn't state this or remind you of it when you allow people to book your home which can later result the city taking legal action against you.
An ethical issue concerning Airbnb is that there is a huge risk for hosts which is that their property can always get damaged and their houses can often be trashed. It seems that Airbnb covers this issue with their insurance, however Airbnb states it doesn't cover damages to actual cash, rare artwork, jewellery and pets. This means that a lot of the most valuable things a house would usually contain isn't actually covered by Airbnb.
The Guardian
Purpose
The purpose of The Guardian is to educate and inform and, in less common cases, to entertain. The Guardian publishes hundreds of new articles every day relating to different topics and areas of interest.
Target audience:
The Guardian targets mainly the educated and middle class. It aims itself at the ABC1 demographic and is left-leaning whilst also targeting mainly people aged 18 and over.
Design components and layout
The Guardian puts their logo in various places on their website. Predominately it's logo is located in the top right corner however upon entering certain articles the logo will reverse to the left side. This grabs the attention of the viewer so they instantly know what they are reading. On the left hand side of the screen we see a "Support The Guardian" button. This is placed there as it is the first place viewers instinctively look at so it's more likely people will donate money to The Guardian.
The Rest of the page is dedicated mainly to links to news stories. These are laid out in columns and rows which allows the audience to easily navigate through the site. On top of the page there is also a navigation bar which lets the audience choose what kind of news articles the want to read. On the top they are also given an option to sign in and right below that they are given the weather report for the day.
The colours which are used most commonly are black, white and red. These are very basic colours however they go together very well aesthetically and result in a very professional and slick look. In fact the whole design of the website is quite modern however due to its large saturation of information is isn't minimalistic.
Interactive features
The website possess a multitude of interactive features. The most notable one being the ability to log in and subscribe to the content you like most which allows for the website to then send you links to new articles it believes you may like reflecting on your recent activity. Another interactive feature is the ability to search for anything on the website using the search button, this ranges from exact phrases to dates in which the article was published. Last but not least the website allows you respond to them directly by emailing in or contacting them through included hyperlinks on the websites and articles.
Benefits:
Limitations:
Effectiveness
As a whole I think this website is very effective for its purpose. This is mainly because it is a household name and is a go to for many people to get their daily news which it updates very regularly. However it is very over saturated and sometimes finding the kind of article you want to read may be a hassle.
Legal and ethical issues
The main legal implications which a website like The Guardian might face is mostly issues regarding libel and slander as the website can feature a story which presents someone in a very negative light unfairly which can result in legal action. Another problem which The Guardian can face is the data protection act as if it reveals too much information about their author or a subject they can be violating the data protection act which will also result in legal action.
The main ethical issue behind The Guardian is often moral panic with articles who might cause it by bending the truth or wording a situation in an ineffective way which can lead to people becoming afraid or angry about something which they shouldn't be afraid or angry about.
Purpose
The purpose of The Guardian is to educate and inform and, in less common cases, to entertain. The Guardian publishes hundreds of new articles every day relating to different topics and areas of interest.
Target audience:
The Guardian targets mainly the educated and middle class. It aims itself at the ABC1 demographic and is left-leaning whilst also targeting mainly people aged 18 and over.
Design components and layout
The Guardian puts their logo in various places on their website. Predominately it's logo is located in the top right corner however upon entering certain articles the logo will reverse to the left side. This grabs the attention of the viewer so they instantly know what they are reading. On the left hand side of the screen we see a "Support The Guardian" button. This is placed there as it is the first place viewers instinctively look at so it's more likely people will donate money to The Guardian.
The Rest of the page is dedicated mainly to links to news stories. These are laid out in columns and rows which allows the audience to easily navigate through the site. On top of the page there is also a navigation bar which lets the audience choose what kind of news articles the want to read. On the top they are also given an option to sign in and right below that they are given the weather report for the day.
The colours which are used most commonly are black, white and red. These are very basic colours however they go together very well aesthetically and result in a very professional and slick look. In fact the whole design of the website is quite modern however due to its large saturation of information is isn't minimalistic.
Interactive features
The website possess a multitude of interactive features. The most notable one being the ability to log in and subscribe to the content you like most which allows for the website to then send you links to new articles it believes you may like reflecting on your recent activity. Another interactive feature is the ability to search for anything on the website using the search button, this ranges from exact phrases to dates in which the article was published. Last but not least the website allows you respond to them directly by emailing in or contacting them through included hyperlinks on the websites and articles.
Benefits:
- Huge selection of articles from different topics and interests
- Informative and fairly unbiased
- Gives credit to article writers
- Free
Limitations:
- Not always factual
- No comment system
- No rating system
- Over saturated in content
Effectiveness
As a whole I think this website is very effective for its purpose. This is mainly because it is a household name and is a go to for many people to get their daily news which it updates very regularly. However it is very over saturated and sometimes finding the kind of article you want to read may be a hassle.
Legal and ethical issues
The main legal implications which a website like The Guardian might face is mostly issues regarding libel and slander as the website can feature a story which presents someone in a very negative light unfairly which can result in legal action. Another problem which The Guardian can face is the data protection act as if it reveals too much information about their author or a subject they can be violating the data protection act which will also result in legal action.
The main ethical issue behind The Guardian is often moral panic with articles who might cause it by bending the truth or wording a situation in an ineffective way which can lead to people becoming afraid or angry about something which they shouldn't be afraid or angry about.
YouTube
Purpose
The purpose for YouTube is to provide a platform for people to upload videos. It has hundreds of millions of videos and over a billion users from all around the world
Target audience:
The target audience of YouTube is very wide and can't be easily summarised because the real target audience are the people who watch videos on the platform however everyone makes and watches different kinds of videos, some aimed at kids, some aimed at retired people. However the average user of YouTube is aged between 18-24 and they are usually media natives who spend an average of 10 hours and 15 minutes a day on the site.
Design components and layout
YouTube's main design component is it's logo which is located in the top left corner of the screen. It's a very eye catching place for the logo to be as thats where users instinctively begin reading. The colours used on the website are mainly black, white and red which together create a very professional yet youthful feel.
YouTube's page mainly lays out videos in different rows. The rows are categorised by the channel who posted them or by your recent activity. This allows for quick and intuitive browsing where often you don't even search anything. Another advantage of this feature is that it looks fairly modern and uniform which doesn't put people off using it.
The whole page is seldom dedicated to displaying videos. This includes the main sight which is the thumbnail which if hovered upon begins to play a short silent part of the video to preview it. Each row belonging to a channel also ends with a subscription button which allows for you to interact with the channels and videos you're watching.
Interactive features
Youtube is riddled with interactive features left and right. It's main and probably most notable is the like and dislike buttons which allow the viewers to rate videos, in the end a like to dislike ratio is displayed which allows for content creators to get insightful feedback on their videos. Another interactive feature is the comment feature where people are able to comment on each others videos as well as like and dislike comments.
When it comes to interactive features for content creators the main that stands out is the ability to upload videos, name them and even edit them in YouTube's own in built video editor which allows content creators to add or even remove audio from their videos. YouTube also allows users to subscribe to their favourite content creators by clicking the "subscribe" button which in turn results in the number of subscribers visible for the channel.
Benefits:
Limitations:
Effectiveness
I think that the website is very effective in some sense as it is very well laid out and easy to navigate even for it's less tech savvy audiences. It allows for users to post free of charge and for viewers to watch free of charge which results in a huge amount of content to be consumed.
A negative of the effectiveness would be its own algorithms which often block out people from being shown content they've actually subscribed to watch and instead are often presented with things YouTube wants them to watch.
Legal and ethical issues
The main legal issue when it comes to YouTube is users posting copyrighted content for small or large scale piracy. If YouTube fails to take down these videos, which it often does, it can result in legal issues for YouTube and the content creator. Another law which is often broken on YouTube is the intellectual property act which is often violated when users upload copyrighted music or covers of it and try to monetise them without the right permissions.
When it comes to the ethical side of it, YouTube is often used by people to post inappropriate content which shouldn't be on YouTube as it's deemed explicit or offensive. A lot of this content could be racist, sexist and containing sexual nudity or extreme violence. These videos are often removed from YouTube promptly however they are extremely harmful and often disrespectful and in extreme cases even illegal.
Purpose
The purpose for YouTube is to provide a platform for people to upload videos. It has hundreds of millions of videos and over a billion users from all around the world
Target audience:
The target audience of YouTube is very wide and can't be easily summarised because the real target audience are the people who watch videos on the platform however everyone makes and watches different kinds of videos, some aimed at kids, some aimed at retired people. However the average user of YouTube is aged between 18-24 and they are usually media natives who spend an average of 10 hours and 15 minutes a day on the site.
Design components and layout
YouTube's main design component is it's logo which is located in the top left corner of the screen. It's a very eye catching place for the logo to be as thats where users instinctively begin reading. The colours used on the website are mainly black, white and red which together create a very professional yet youthful feel.
YouTube's page mainly lays out videos in different rows. The rows are categorised by the channel who posted them or by your recent activity. This allows for quick and intuitive browsing where often you don't even search anything. Another advantage of this feature is that it looks fairly modern and uniform which doesn't put people off using it.
The whole page is seldom dedicated to displaying videos. This includes the main sight which is the thumbnail which if hovered upon begins to play a short silent part of the video to preview it. Each row belonging to a channel also ends with a subscription button which allows for you to interact with the channels and videos you're watching.
Interactive features
Youtube is riddled with interactive features left and right. It's main and probably most notable is the like and dislike buttons which allow the viewers to rate videos, in the end a like to dislike ratio is displayed which allows for content creators to get insightful feedback on their videos. Another interactive feature is the comment feature where people are able to comment on each others videos as well as like and dislike comments.
When it comes to interactive features for content creators the main that stands out is the ability to upload videos, name them and even edit them in YouTube's own in built video editor which allows content creators to add or even remove audio from their videos. YouTube also allows users to subscribe to their favourite content creators by clicking the "subscribe" button which in turn results in the number of subscribers visible for the channel.
Benefits:
- Endless amounts of content
- Anyone can post videos
- Ability to share content
- You can like or dislike and comment on videos
Limitations:
- Unregulated commenting can cause trolls and cyberbullying
- YouTube often doesn't show you the videos you want to see
- You are often automatically unsubscribed from channels
- Heavily regulated content and a breach of free speech
Effectiveness
I think that the website is very effective in some sense as it is very well laid out and easy to navigate even for it's less tech savvy audiences. It allows for users to post free of charge and for viewers to watch free of charge which results in a huge amount of content to be consumed.
A negative of the effectiveness would be its own algorithms which often block out people from being shown content they've actually subscribed to watch and instead are often presented with things YouTube wants them to watch.
Legal and ethical issues
The main legal issue when it comes to YouTube is users posting copyrighted content for small or large scale piracy. If YouTube fails to take down these videos, which it often does, it can result in legal issues for YouTube and the content creator. Another law which is often broken on YouTube is the intellectual property act which is often violated when users upload copyrighted music or covers of it and try to monetise them without the right permissions.
When it comes to the ethical side of it, YouTube is often used by people to post inappropriate content which shouldn't be on YouTube as it's deemed explicit or offensive. A lot of this content could be racist, sexist and containing sexual nudity or extreme violence. These videos are often removed from YouTube promptly however they are extremely harmful and often disrespectful and in extreme cases even illegal.
M1: Compare and contrast the use of different platforms and formats for delivering an interactive media product
Media Product: Youtube
Format: Website
Layout
The layout of the website is simplistic and modern in style. It’s visible and easily accessible features appear to only be related to watching videos which is understandable as that’s what the user wants to do. However the websites more interactive features such as uploading videos is more hidden away and require going through several tabs to get to it. The website at first glance appears to show a thumbnail preview of multiple videos under different headings which group the videos into a category for the user to be able to find new videos they might be interested in. Upon logging in the user is able to access features such as liking and disliking videos, commenting and subscribing as well as choosing what video’s he/she would like to see or not see. Interactive Features The interactive features of the website span far and wide as the website is for content creators to publish their work however it also has various interactive features for it’s audience which doesn’t contribute in content but in response. The interactive features for content creators include, but are not limited to: Uploading videos, deleting and editing videos, monetising videos, adjusting any parameters on the video’s privacy as well as the use of features available to any user with an account which include but are not limited to: Watching videos, commenting on videos and liking and disliking videos. |
Format: App
Layout
The layout of the app is similar to that of the website except its smaller in content. Most functions and tabs are hidden away which makes the app look even more neat and minimalistic than the website yet it keeps the same focal point with it’s video’s which are displayed as the homepage and categorised similarly to the website, with categories such as ‘recommended’ set as headers above videos. The colour scheme is mainly the same as that of the website with the majority of it’s content being displayed black on white with red as the contrast colour at the top to match it’s logo. However, unlike the website there is little to no branding in the app whereas the website has the ‘YouTube’ logo in the top right corner as well as the tab. This is probably because the app has to be downloaded by the user so it assumes the user knows what he’s using and therefor youtube doesn't clutter the small phone display with any logo’s and keeps to its neat design. Interactive Features The interactive features of the app are pretty much the same as those of the website. This includes watching videos, liking and disliking them as well as commenting on them and subscribing to them. Upon logging in, like on the website, the user is able to post videos and view analytics for it as well as to edit any basic privacy settings. Even though the app holds most of the same interactive features as the website, it is still not fully fledged for content creators as the website offers more interactive features for video editing. This includes copy right music replacement and editing captions which is not available on the app version of YouTube. |
Summary
Website
Benefits:
Disadvantages:
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App
Benefits:
Disadvantages:
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Effectiveness
The effectiveness is more apparent on the app version of the product as it is more simplistic and laid out in a simpler way than the website. It gets you straight to where you want to go providing you’re using it for it’s main purpose which is to consume videos. It’s very personalised upon logging in and doesn't require a large desktop or laptop to access it.
The app’s only lacking features are those for content creators however I think this is because the majority of it’s users only watch and respond to videos especially those using the app and those who create content would prefer to the website instead anyway which has more features when it comes to publishing content on the platform.
The app’s only lacking features are those for content creators however I think this is because the majority of it’s users only watch and respond to videos especially those using the app and those who create content would prefer to the website instead anyway which has more features when it comes to publishing content on the platform.
Media Product: Instagram
Format: Website
Layout
The layout of the Instagram website is similar to the layout of the YouTube website as it is also very modern and minimalistic. The website serves only the purpose of viewing images as it does not let you upload images on this version of the platform. In order to use to website you need to be logged into it otherwise you will not be able to get past the homepage. The Instagram website, once logged into it, will show you a timeline of images that people you follow on your account have posted. If the profile the user is on follows no one then they will see the general feed with images from various accounts who he/she doesn't follow. Once logged into the website the user also gains rights to the interactive features of the website too. Interactive Features There are far less interactive features on the website version of Instagram compared to the mobile app. I suspect this is because the app was designed for the mobile phone and that way Instagram users are more prone to downloading the app on their mobile phones as intended. The main interactive feature on the website version of instagram is the ability that users have to post comments and like posts. This is available also on the mobile version of Instagram and it is not exclusive to the website and therefor it makes the website use of Instagram very undesirable. |
Format: App
Layout
The layout of the mobile app version of Instagram is almost identical to the layout of the website version of the Instagram app however it is scaled to the size of the screen so the news feed shows only one column of images as a mobile screen is natively smaller so rather than the three columns you get on the website version of Instagram you get one column. The mobile app layout is very accommodating for users who like to look at other peoples content rather than create their own as the practical home page/screen of the app is the feed where you see what all your friends have posted. This is very similar to the way that the website version of the app functions however the main difference is that the app allows you to post content too. Interactive Features There is a lot more interactive features on the mobile app version of Instagram compared to the website version. I think this is partly due to the fact that Instagram's advertising revenue streams can be blocked in the website version of the app through internet browser add-ons. This effectively hinders Instagram's profit margins and by providing less features they encourage more users to use the mobile version of the app instead. The main feature that users have the access to, when using Instagram's mobile app rather than the website version, is the ability to post images onto the platform. This is one of the main features of the app and it also branches out by letting users edit their images with various filters as well as the ability to add captions. |
Summary
Website
Benefits:
Disadvantages:
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App
Benefits:
Disadvantages:
|
Effectiveness
The effectiveness mainly lies with the mobile app version of Instagram as it allows users to use the main interactive feature which is uploading images. This makes the mobile app version of Instagram far more desirable to a large proportion of it's users as Instagram is mainly used for uploading images as well as browsing them.
Both the website and the app have a minimalist design which is very easy and intuitive for the user to navigate through. The main feature which the website is lacking is as stated above, the lack of the ability to post images. This may sway some people away from using the website, however it is still very effective for browsing images that other people have posted.
Both the website and the app have a minimalist design which is very easy and intuitive for the user to navigate through. The main feature which the website is lacking is as stated above, the lack of the ability to post images. This may sway some people away from using the website, however it is still very effective for browsing images that other people have posted.
Media Product: Amazon
Layout
The layout of the website version of Amazon is quite packed with content that Amazon is trying to sell you. This can make the website seem overwhelming and complicated. This may sway some older users away from using it. On the other hand this layout is effective for selling goods as it is laid out like a real shop where the user can see many different products at once. Once the user logs into the Amazon website it also shows the user a personalised selection of items that they might be interested in. This is done through ordinary browsing through which Amazon is able to analyse which items you're most interested in. The website also shows adverts for Amazon's own products Interactive Features There are many interactive features on the website version of Amazon. The main and most prominent is the feature of purchasing items. This is the whole premise of the website and everything about the website is aimed to persuade users to use this interactive feature of the website. After purchasing a product the user is prompted to leave a review on it. In addition to this, the user is also able to rate the product out of five stars. All together these interactive features provide an effective platform for Amazon to sell products and make their revenue. |
Layout
The layout of the app version of Amazon is similar to that of the website as they both show you advertisements for Amazon's own products on the front page. The app version also shows you items that the user may want to purchase after logging into an account on the app. The layout on the mobile app version of Amazon is less complicated as it is structured in a single column which makes it easier to navigate Over all the layout of the mobile phone version of Amazon is very similar to that of Amazon's website. The main difference between the two is that the mobile phone version is easier to navigate as it's layout is less cluttered than the layout of the website version of Amazon. Interactive Features The interactive features available to users when using the mobile app version of Amazon are similar to the ones available on the website. For example, on both versions of the media product, audiences are able to buy, rate and review products as well as log into their own personal accounts. Out of all three media products that I looked at, Amazon was the only one with the exact same interactive features in both versions of the product. In addition to this all the features are accessible through the same combination of viewed tabs or pages. |
Summary
Website
Benefits:
Disadvantages:
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App
Benefits:
Disadvantages:
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Effectiveness
The effectiveness of this media product is identical in both version of Amazon. Both the mobile and the website version of the media product allows its users to purchase and/or return items with incredible ease and in within the comfort of their own homes. The main difference only lies in the layout of the two products.
The disadvantage that the website has is that it is very cluttered compared to the mobile phone app version of the media product. This might be off putting to some users who may be older and not as comfortable with online shopping as the younger generation and in turn this could off that audience from using the platform all together.
The disadvantage that the website has is that it is very cluttered compared to the mobile phone app version of the media product. This might be off putting to some users who may be older and not as comfortable with online shopping as the younger generation and in turn this could off that audience from using the platform all together.