Empowering the user as the new media participant

Abstract

Many web designers approach the design of the graphic user interface on principles derived from either graphic design or usability, conceiving each web page as a static entity without regard for the user’s interactive activities and experiences. This research seeks to define some fundamental characteristics of design for the online user experience by looking to examples where online participation is both immersive and empowering for the user. This research draws on principles of co-creation from ‘Net art’ and the capacity of users in online communities to create alternative identities and experimental modes of being, it seeks to identify those characteristics that make online
experiences truly compelling, reconceptualising the relationship between user experience, interaction processes and design elements. The research contributes to the field of web design by offering a new conceptualisation of the user experience that escapes the current limitations of both graphic design (visual focused) and usability design (functional focused).