Mediated Communities: A Case Study on the Relationship between User Interfaces and Online Communities

Abstract

Creatives face a unique challenge in using social media platforms to find online communities that facilitate learning, critique, and the sharing of work. “Mediated Communities” aims to better understand the relationship between user interfaces and online communities of practice through secondary research and a qualitative case study on the ‘Blender Discord’ group on the social media platform Discord. Members of the ‘Blender Discord’ server were surveyed and the resulting data analyzed. Since social media platforms have different user interfaces, a better understanding of how user interfaces use social affordances to influence online communities can help creatives pick platforms that are better suited to their needs. In addition, “Mediated Communities” details the author’s process and reflections on designing a case study around an anonymous online community of practice. This work shows that studying online communities in conjunction with their host platform(s) is valuable and can lead to new insights. It was developed and conducted as a part of the Masters in Art + Design program at NC State.