MixTrail Initial Concept Presentation

This is the initial concept presentation deck for MixTrail. This piece was created prior to development and shows the long-range vision of the product.

Transcript

1. One thing leads to another.
2. Today we have access to more information and content than ever; and yet, I’m concerned that this isn’t making us more well-rounded, more knowledgeable, wiser.
3. I’m concerned that our emphasis on “the stream” -- news / timely information / ephemeral content -- leaves us knowing where we are now...
4. ...but not how we got here or where we’re going. We need to look at the bigger picture.
5. Search helps us find items we’re looking for.
6. Search helps us find items we’re looking for. Social media ties us to each other and helps surface information we care about.
7. Search helps us find items we’re looking for. Social media ties us to each other and helps surface information we care about. Websites and blogs provide organizations and individuals with publishing platforms.
8. Search helps us find items we’re looking for. Social media ties us to each other and helps surface information we care about. Websites and blogs provide organizations and individuals with publishing platforms. Sites like Wikipedia, Quora, Yelp!, Flickr, and others allow people to create, collaborate
9. But they're all so separate.
10. For example, if we hope to understand “civilization”, it helps to understand the long journey from hunter/ gatherer to clicker/tapper.
11. To do so, we can turn to all kinds of information.
12. COLLECTIONS STUDIES DISCUSSIONS DOCUMENTS PHOTOS To do so, we can turn to all kinds of information. BOOKS VIDEOS INFOGRAPHICS
13. Much of this content lives on the Web in one form or another.
14. But while they are parts of the same story, they are frequently not connected.
15. They are buried within separate websites from different organizations.
16. They are buried within separate websites from different organizations.
17. MixTrail provides a platform for people to connect the best content from across the Web into meaningful, usable, linear collections.
18. + + + + MixTrail is a content connection system.
19. + + + + MixTrail is a content connection system.
20. MixTrail lets you create, share, and follow trails of information across the Web.
25. What is a Trail?
26. At it’s most basic, a trail is a series of sequential pages connected by a user around a topic.
27. Many topics are multi-layered, multi-sided and multi-faceted stories. MixTrail nurtures deeper understanding of a topic by connecting the best content
28. Trails are created by humans. Trails are intentionally limited in length, nudging users to create concise, meaningful collections. (Trails need to be of manageable length to be helpful.)
29. Viewing a Trail
30. Initially, a viewer sees a trail summary.
31. The viewer moves through the pages within the trail.
33. The viewer can open a trail preview panel.
35. Finding a Trail
36. MixTrail is conceived to fill a gap within the Web ecosystem; therefore, it is not a closed garden. Trails are intended to be search-friendly and as accessible as any webpage.
37. Trails can be explored on MixTrail.com...
38. ...found via search...
39. ...found via embed... ...found via embed...
40. ...discovered using a browser extension...
41. ...or found based on similarity to other trails.
42. Creating a Trail
43. Someone who creates a trail is called a Trail Guide. He or she maintains the trail and monitors the content to make sure that the information remains current. Trails are living, not static.
44. Name your trail.
45. Describe it.
46. Browse for pages to include on your trail.
47. Add the page.
48. Describe the page.
49. Edit and rearrange the trail.
50. Publish it!
51. All your trails are collected on your Trail Guide page.
52. Maintaining a Trail
53. Just as a trail in the woods becomes overgrown without use, a MixTrail and it's content can become outdated or be superseded by better content. Nurturing good content is a key aspect of MixTrail.
54. Feedback is collected at the trail and page level.
55. Likes and dislikes create two channels of feedback.
56. You are asked different questions if you dislike it.
57. Trail Guides can review all the feedback.
58. Aggregated feedback on webpages included in trails would be collected and could be made available to the page's author, serving as a nudge to create better content.
59. Following Trails
60. Remember, the big goal of MixTrail is to foster deeper understanding of topics. Users can follow a trail, chart their progress, and receive notifications when the Trail Guide has modified the trail.
61. When you follow a trail, your progress is tracked.
62. A page that's been read is indicated as such.
63. The status page shows you how complete you are and indicates when content has changed.
64. Platforms
65. Web Mobile - mobile interface / reader functionality Tablet - reader / Trail Guide app API - make available an API allowing other tools to compile trails through this platform.
66. One thing leads to another.