MyColts beta

We’re humming right along with our beta. The site seems to be holding up well. My biggest concern right now is that we take steps to improve the User Interface and “flow” of the site. The tough part about this is knowing who we’re designing for…

Right now our registration process is very similar to other social nets, right on down to the questions that are asked. In my opinion, there will be a lot of Colts fans who will feel uncomfortable completing a questionnaire that asks questions about smoking, drinking, sexual orientation, etc. But I’m assured by my younger colleagues that these types of questions are standard in social nets and dating sites.

Problem is…we’re not a dating site. Sure, some Colts fans might find eachother and fall in love through our site, but I’m not so sure we can design for that. NFL is most often enjoyed by family units and / or groups of close friends. I’m thinking we should design our system first and foremost for those audiences, and allow “hipsters” to find their own way.

That being said, it’s difficult to know which audience, mainstream or fringe, will be the more active socially. Many of the “mainstreamers’ could be older, lighter users of Internet and / or social systems. Still, I think we need to make it a priority to make that group feel comfortable, even it it means catering less to the younger, more avantgarde users.

Here’s hoping that all shapes and sizes of Colts fans will find the system useful and also find ways to personalize it so they enjoy their experiences!