MSG

Social Media for people that don't want to be on camera

How do you empower users without having to be on camera?

Problem Not all users want to be on camera, but being on camera is directly correlated with social account audience size.

Project Goal Discover the needs and wants of a user that doesn't want to be on camera. How to provide the tools to an introverted or gaming user to make them feel super powerful.

Mission here is to create a super simple way to send a message that's visual, and expresses an emotion. The character is running here, but emotes will provide different emotions / expressions.

Background

There is a movement happening in transitioning into a gaming centric world. Tactics in incentivizing users are becoming more and more gamified. While social media is certainly gamified, not quite in the way that games hold the attention of the user. Another aspect of gaming that I haven’t seen as much of outside of the metaverse is the consistent avatar and showing emotion through the avatar. Social media in general depends on the ability to perform well on camera 📸. Instagram was about clout and a sense of vanity, Tiktok more about being yourself but with a unique skillset. The key element here though is without the sense of the camera and showing emotion, accounts don’t seem to achieve the same level of follow rate as those with a personality on camera. People want a connection through emotion with the user they are following, but with a more introverted or gamer first type personality, that can be difficult. This is 1 of the main problems, and a reason to build MSG. The main focus is always the camera. Users that perform well are on camera are the highest performers on the platforms, and this takes away from those that may have great skills, personality etc but don’t necessarily like to perform for the camera. There needs to be a platform for users that don’t want to be on camera, a simple way to build confidence or simply disguise themselves just enough. Relevant? Digital assets such as NFTs have been a bull market in past years, but more importantly it’s about expression. A way to show that you are unique (maybe a little clout too!) Fortnite for example brought home $5.1 billion of revenue in 2020 through their store, and Roblox generated 1.9B in 2021 in revenue for virtual items through robux virtual currency. Users want to express themselves in a unique way, show clout, exclusivity, it’s really no different than the real world, except you have more options. It is evident through gaming users want to purchase digital assets, a way to be unique and separate themselves from the other players in the game. But now let’s focus on the emotion and ways to express yourself.

Character walking towards camera (user walking backwards) doesn't always make sense but we thought it looked cool to see the face in context.

Research Summary

sources: user interviews, surveys + social channels: discord, twitter, reddit, tiktok etc.

• People like avatars, gravitate towards the concept of being a separate version from themself.
• Airdrop is a feature people like, specifically to not have to share contact details in order to complete the task.
• Empowering user replies is important to people, but not enthusiastic about threads
• People like to be another character to exploit different personalities
• Multiple characters can sometimes mean multiple points of view for users.
• People don't like to be on camera all the time but would like ways to express themselves outside or just text and images. This is a wider group than just gamers and introverts.
• Emotes are important to gamers, there are many kinds for different scenarios for them to be used in.
• Emotes aren't only about newest, nostalgia can be important

Branding for website

Full Process

Would you use MSG 💬?