Internet applications

I utilize a variety of social media platforms and for this post I have chosen to write about the social media application called TikTok. I personally use this application several times throughout my day, it offers several different forms of entertainment along with educational videos as well. TikTok started off as being called Musically but later rebranded into the new name that we are all familiar with now. TikTok launched back in "September of 2016 but has risen in popularity , as of July of 2022 the platform has over 1billion active users worldwide" (Mohsin, 2022). 

Usability- The usability of the application is very simple, when a user first creates an account their "for you" page consist of mainly popular videos. The use will begin to favorite the videos that they find interesting,  the application will recommend video based off their preferences. However if a user wants to post a video that has similar editing of those that are popular content creators than they may run into some difficulties because editing can be difficult on the app if someone is not used to all the functions that are available. 

Design- The TikTok platform was designed for sharing, creating and finding new videos posted by several users, the Tik Tok design team says the application "uses a simple UX design with a good layout"(Kazais, 2021). Unlike other video sharing platforms that make you choose what video you would like to see when you open the app, TikTok takes a different approach. TikTok automatically starts a popular video as soon as the app is opened. TikTok also post a limit of 3 minutes which is the maximum allowed time a creator has to record a video, "shorter videos show higher retention rates and are more likely to capture the viewers attention"(Herman, 2020). 

Functionality- The range of operations that can be run on the application is immense, a user can record a video and post it almost instantaneously. Users can also live stream in which the audience can communicate with them as well as send them emojis which in turn lead to money. When using this application you can like, comment and share videos with your family and friends. You can also follow more creators if you like the form of entertainment they provide. 

References:

Herman, E. (2020, November 12). Short video vs. Long Video: Optimizing Video length. Green Buzz Agency. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://greenbuzzagency.com/short-video-vs-long-video-optimizing-video-length/

Kazais, A. (2021, October 1). What makes the UX of Tiktok's feed so successful. Medium. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://uxdesign.cc/what-makes-the-ux-of-tiktoks-feed-so-successful-1c15e7e82dcd

Mohsin, M. (2022, September 15). 10 tiktok statistics you need to know in 2022 [new data]. Oberlo. Retrieved September 25, 2022, from https://www.oberlo.com/blog/tiktok-statistics