The Mix Network
Type of site | Event Information / Social Network |
|---|---|
| Website | http://www.themixnetwork.co.uk |
The Mix Network is a new form of social network that launched in December 2008. The Mix Network gives thousands of venues and events their own profiles in conjunction with public personal profiles. The Mix Network provides these venues and events, e.g., clubs, bars and restaurants with their own online facilities to promote their venues and events. These facilities range from ticketing, guest lists, event listing calendars, directions, photos, table reservation systems, booth bookings, event hire requests, DJ profiles and much more.
The Mix Network has combined all of these services into one website. This means that the public now has all of these facilities at their use within one website, and venues have a comprehensive platform to gain custom and exposure from.
The Mix Network is currently available for only London and Birmingham but is expanding into Nottingham, Manchester, Brighton, Bournemouth and Newcastle within the next year.
Facebook integration
The Mix Network uses the Facebook connect throughout the website. Each time an individual purchases a club ticket, gets Guestlist or reserves a table, this activity is also published on their Facebook wall, in sequence with The Mix Networks own Guestlist.
Due to the popularity of Facebook, The Mix Network created a Facebook application that allows uses to perform all the offered facilities on The Mix Network directly from Facebook.
The Social Experience
The Mix Network has brought the public the ability to see where their friends are going, and 'whats on' in every club, bar and restaurant in two of the UK's major cities. The website is designed so that when a visitor performs an activity such as adding an event to their profile calendar, purchasing a ticket for an event, reserving a table, editing their favourites, adding photos, or making new friends all of their friends are notified of this in their own personal profiles. You can also view each friends profile individually in order to see photos, send messages, view their personal calendar and 'friends activity' which details what their friends are planning.
This means that The Mix Network users can always see what their friends are doing,'whats on' in the external social environment, and have the facilities to perform multiple actions such as purchase tickets or make a table reservation directly on The Mix Network.
Website Design
The Mix Network website has been designed using a predetermined formula created by the SIRC (Social Issues Research Centre)
{ ((14.14* EaseNav) + (13.56*Speed) + (13.11*CleanDes) + (10.89*Func) + (10.89*Up)) – ((12.84*Pops) + (15.32*Ads)) } / 6.26
EaseNav = ease of navigation.
Speed = the speed at which pages load.
CleanDes = clean and simple design.
Func = functionality.
Up = the site is always alive.
Keeping to this formula ensured the website is conducive to personal use and stimulates activity on the website.