Doing Things Together Bonds People Together

Don't Be An Island

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What is Synchronous Activity?

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Synchronous activity is any activity occurring at the same time (ie. fans at a sporting event, church service, dance club etc.). Weinschenk, S., PH.D. (2011). 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People [Kindle]. Pg. 149

Opposite of Synchronous

Asynchronous is the opposite of synchronous. A great example of asynchronous activity would be our online interactions, including most social media. Weinschenk, S., PH.D. (2011). 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People [Kindle]. Pg.149

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The participants that partook in a study, on synchronous activities, were more cooperative in the completion of set tasks. They were also more willing to make sacrifices that benefited the group. Weinschenk, S., PH.D. (2011). 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People [Kindle]. Pg. 149

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Also, the study showed that the participants didn’t have to feel good about the group or the group activity in order to work together. Just the act of doing the synchronous activity seems to strengthen social attachment among the group members. Weinschenk, S., PH.D. (2011). 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People [Kindle]. Pg. 149

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How does this apply to design?

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Because most online interactions don’t take place with others in physical proximity, there are limited opportunities for designers to build in synchronous activity.   Look for opportunities to build synchronous activity into your product, using live video streaming, or a live video or audio connection.   Weinschenk, S., PH.D. (2011). 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People [Kindle]. Pg. 149