Design Considerations For Virtual Communities

Web 2.0 describes a new era of the Internet. Users actively participate in the Internet especially in online communities in order to get access to specific information, to look for social support, and to create new or maintain existing friendships. Prior research has analyzed the motivations for participation in online communities and how system design features can influence users. Based on a systematic review of the literature, this chapter investigates the influence of specific design features on user interactions, how certain types of user interactions provide benefits to a virtual community (VC) user, and how user benefits influence virtual community success. To do this, we present a conceptual framework and examine its application in the context of the Lung Cancer Forum at the Cancer Forums. This framework provides a deeper understanding of interactions and benefits that arise from design features prevalent in informational or hybrid social-informational VCs. We also propose that certain feature sets prompt informational and collaborative interactions.