Synopsis
The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), Canada's national public broadcaster, first considered the potential of widgets in the Fall of 2007. After extensive fact-finding and planning, CBC is now in the process of rolling out an extensive widget strategy across its News, Sports, and Entertainment program areas. CBC's Product Design Manager and widget lead, Jonathan Carrigan, will share the big 'ah ha' insights and learning he gained while developing CBC's widget strategy and researching his MBA thesis on maximizing widget earning potential.
Understand three sources of widget value that best serve your potential users. A user needs to perceive benefit before installing your widget. Whether your widget informs, entertains, or makes a task more convenient - if there's nothing it for the user, your widget has no value. Jonathan will share his thoughts on three important ways to create user value: content, utility, and control.
Sometimes building a widget may not be the best use of resources depending on the nature of your content and the audience you hope to reach. Jonathan will share a practical guide for assessing widget content, audience, and revenue potential.
What happens when your widget expires, becomes irrelevant, or old and uninteresting? Do you start over with a new widget, or can your widget adapt to the changing needs of your users over time? Jonathan will share his thoughts and an example of a widget design that will allow you to grow your user base, while adding value and flexibility to your long-term widget strategy.
