“The problem, as I see it, is that many small startups, and even some larger social media companies and efforts, lack user-centric and objective definitions of their goals and objectives. Companies are started to extend existing practices or applications, to take advantage of emerging market and social technology trends, and to explore opportunities in the marketplace. Those are either product or business-centric approaches, and they take user participation and interest for granted.
But the participation of users is precisely what will shape a company’s success. Social interaction design should be an essential step in vetting and defining product and service features. It can be relatively quick, and is not a full-time requirement. But insofar as it supplements the skills already covered by engineers, front-end designers, and business sense, it is a role that should not be overlooked.”