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Upcoming Meeting
Where: TripAdvisor
When: Wednesday, June 24, 2009
6:30 pm - 9:00 pm
From
Me to We to Web 2.0: Building a Community -- and Company -- with Help
from the Masses
Abstract
TripAdvisor is the world’s most popular and largest travel community. With 25 million reviews and opinions contributed by more than 10 million registered members, we’ve learned a few lessons about reaching out to consumers, building community, and creating a sustainable business through user-generated content. In this presentation, we’ll share 10 things that have contributed to TripAdvisor’s success, how we keep these in mind while designing the user experience, and how you might put them to work for you.
Specific discussion points will include:
• Motivating consumers to join and contribute
• Giving back to nurture and grow your community
• Leveraging social media for brand and content building
• Repurposing content into new product as times change
• Iterating as you go until you get it right
• Monetizing your site … making a buck or two off of UGC
Bios:
Cindy Roche, VP, Site Experience
Cindy Roche heads site design and architecture, copy development, content production and translations and content integrity for TripAdvisor. Before joining the company in 2008, she was VP, Design and Customer Experience, at Fidelity Investments. Her team focused on online user experience and information architecture for Fidelity.com. Previous positions include Creative Director at Digitas in Boston and Interactive Community Manager at Firefly and Prodigy. Before there really was an Internet, Cindy was a literary agent in New York and represented the likes of Jhumpa Lahiri, T. Coraghessan Boyle and Louis Menand. Cindy has a BA from Princeton University.
Patrick Coyle, Creative Director
Coyle joined TripAdvisor in March 2007 to spearhead the visual component of a major site redesign. Leading a team of designers to create the new online brand and visual direction for TripAdvisor.com and foreign sites in the UK, France, Italy, Germany and Spain, Coyle oversaw the process from offline, conceptual branding exercises through implementation, testing, and QA. He worked with Information Architects and CSS developers to create a scalable solution that allows TripAdvisor's site to expand with ease and speed. With the redesign successfully launched, Coyle remains at the helm of art direction for TripAdvisor, continually advocating for the benefits of strong design and simple, usable interfaces. Prior to joining TripAdvisor, Coyle served as Art Director of Molecular, Inc. and of Lycos, Inc. and Design Director of Razorfish, Inc. He holds a BFA in Illustration and Design from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Lauren Hanlon, User Experience Specialist
Lauren joined TripAdvisor in January 2009, and has helped introduce Information Architecture more formally into the design process. She also conducts various types of user research including usability tests, surveys, focus groups and ethnographic research. Prior to TripAdvisor, Lauren was a user experience consultant for a small start-up called UpDown.com and held various roles in both the Design and Brand/Advertising groups at Fidelity Investments. Lauren has her BS in Engineering Psychology from Tufts and recently completed her MBA from Boston University.
Directions:
From Route 128/95 - Points North and South:
Take exit 19A for Newton and proceed around the ramp toward Newton. Turn right at the end of the ramp onto Highland Ave., which turns into Needham Street. You will pass through several traffic lights. Just after the second Filene's Basement and about one mile from the highway, on your left, you will see a sign for Newton Technology Park, 141-173 Needham Street. Once you enter the driveway our building is the first on your right. There is plenty of parking in the lot surrounding the building.
Public Transportation:
Green Line: D train to Newton Highlands stop.
Walking from Newton Highlands station to TripAdvisor
1. Head southeast on Walnut St toward Floral St
2. Turn right at Centre St
3. Continue on Winchester St
4. Turn right at Needham St
Contact with further questions:
Lauren Hanlon [lhanlon@tripadvisor.com]
Join us for World Usability Day 2009!