Live In Labs- Human Centric Design I by Meenakshy Sreekanth Ranjeela

The Rise of Meta and Fall of Yahoo

meensreekanth — 2023-12-01 05:37:52 UTC

Meta promises to be the future and is on rise, but looking back to early 2000’s The pioneers of early internet, Yahoo! Was established. Found by Jerry Yang and David Filo in January 1994. However, its use declined in the late 2000s as some of its services were discontinued, and lost its market share to Google and Facebook Inc.(now known as meta)

With this, we are going through the Human Centric Design (HCD) of Meta, in the prespective of How it brings people together, enhances their creativity and providing more opportunities for Artistic communities.

meensreekanth — 2023-12-01 06:10:05 UTC

Meta, (formerly Facebook.Inc) is a major social media and technology company that was founded by Mark Zuckerberg, along with his college roommates, Andrew McCollum, Eduardo Saverin, Chris Hughes, and Dustin Moskovitz. Facebook, the social networking platform, was launched in 2004 and quickly became one of the most popular social media platforms globally. It was considered as a student centered platform as it was found out by college students. But quickly Facebook rised to fame, competing with Orkut.

Now, in 2023 Facebook.Inc rebranded as Meta, harbouring different platform catering to the need of both Millenials and GenZ. Such platforms includes Instagram, Facebook, Whatsapp, Oculus VR etc.

meensreekanth — 2023-12-01 06:11:56 UTC

On the other side, Yahoo! failed to keep the evolving expectations of users in terms of attractive and seamless experience. As their competitors ( meta, google) found room for errors, and improved . Yahoo! became outdated and less user-friendly. As the time moved and phones became more "smarter", The absence of a good strategy and keeping up with design trends affected Yahoo! more . Moreover frequent security breaches compromising personal informations. From an HCD prespective, Yahoo! failed to address Adaptablity to user behavior , Consistent and clear language and most importantly, innovation that is alligned with user needs.

meensreekanth — 2023-12-03 05:52:14 UTC

The Genesis of Facebook (2004):

In 2004, Mark Zuckerberg launched "The Facebook" in a Harvard dorm room, setting the stage for the emergence of a global social media phenomenon. It started as a platform primarily for college students and rapidly expanded globally. Facebook's user-friendly interface, innovative features, and strategies for user engagement contributed significantly to its success.

Acquisition of Instagram (2012):

In April 2012, Meta strategically expanded its reach by acquiring Instagram for., a renowned fast growing and photo-sharing platform,approximately $1 billion, enriching its presence in the social media landscape. Meta recognized Instagram's potential to complement its existing social network and saw an opportunity to expand its presence in the mobile social media market.

Acquisition of Oculus VR (2014):

Venturing into virtual reality, Meta acquired Oculus VR in March 2014 for approximately $ 2 billion, signaling early interest in immersive technologies and laying the groundwork for future metaverse developments.

Acquisition of WhatsApp (2014):

In a strategic move in february 2014, Meta acquired WhatsApp, a widely used messaging platform for approximately $19 billion. This acquisition bolstered Meta's influence, particularly in the realm of instant messaging, contributing to its dominance in social media.

Development of Threads(2023)

In October 2019, Threads was introduced as a separate app available for Android and iOS. This app's functionality resembled that of Snapchat, allowing users to communicate through messaging and video chats. It was integrated with Instagram's "Close friends" feature in July 2023, so that users could send images, photos, and texts privately to others, and was embedded with Instagram's photo editing system.

SUCCESS STORY

The acquisition of Instagram in 2012 and WhatsApp in 2014 further strengthened Meta's position in the social media landscape, expanding its user base and diversifying its portfolio. These acquisitions allowed Meta to reach a broader audience and offer various platforms tailored to different user preferences.

Meta's success also lies in its ability to monetize its platforms through targeted advertising. The company developed a robust advertising system that leverages user data to provide advertisers with highly effective targeting capabilities, contributing significantly to its revenue.

Moreover, Meta has been at the forefront of technological advancements, exploring virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR), and the concept of the metaverse. Its acquisition of Oculus in 2014 propelled its entry into the VR space, aiming to revolutionize how people interact and socialize in virtual environments.

Despite challenges and controversies related to user privacy, data security, and regulatory scrutiny, Meta has continued to innovate and adapt to changing market dynamics. The rebranding to Meta Platforms, Inc., in 2021 reflects its ambitious vision to build the metaverse—a connected digital environment that intertwines various online experiences.

Overall, Meta's success story is marked by its pioneering role in social media, strategic acquisitions, technological innovation, and its ongoing pursuit of creating immersive digital experiences for users worldwide