Task 6

This plan is being developed for the Milwaukee-based design firm Thiel Design. The current internet presence amounts to the official webpage: www.thiel.com. Thiel Design is a design firm that specializes in commercial art, identity logos and print design. The goal of Thiel is to provide modern and unique visual solutions for companies that want to stand apart.

Since the business revolves around visual production, Second Life is an extremely appropriate environment for promoting and displaying the work and services of Thiel. As an almost completely visual experience, Second Life could serve as a more intimate and unique setting for viewing and displaying a company portfolio in the design industry. The Thiel Second Life Island could be a great opportunity to showcase the company’s creative skills.

The first implementation would be a large portfolio/gallery. It would have to be an extremely well-designed and artistic-minded building to match the aesthetics of the current company portfolio. This building would be open to the public, and would have an exciting interior setup similar to an art gallery where people could view the company’s portfolio in a virtual environment. Different rooms would be built for different kinds of work, and small plaques explaining each image would be available.

Interactive features the gallery segment would include the option for people to take any art or design seen on the wall and have the option to save them for display in their own second life home. Many people enjoy decorating their homes in Second Life with artwork, and this would be a great way to connect with the rest of the second life community. Other options could include free virtual t-shirts and other clothing with custom designs, which would be available to everyone, as a way to promote the company in other parts of second life.

Another important part of this implementation would be a visitor center where a receptionist would be staffed during business hours for the purpose of answering questions, offering people more information on the company, and giving virtual tours of the company to get them more interested in what they do. There could be information available inside the visitor center (most likely on the walls or standup signs) on how to get quotes for design work, if the company is hiring, and things such as the philosophy and history of Thiel for those who were interested in learning more.

A conference room would also be important. If Second Life continues its increase in growth and popularity, virtual conferences with current and prospective clients alike could be an important part of the Second Life Island. It could make for a more personalized and interesting environment for a long distance meeting to take place. The room could even be used by employees to give presentations. Other ideas for the island could include interactive creative areas where visitors could paint or help design certain rooms of the island. There probably are not very many design companies that have a presence in Second Life thus far, so this could be a great opportunity to step into a new field of marketing and create a broader audience.

There are many considerations both structurally and individually organizations must think about because virtual worlds in corporations are growing every day. IBM, Apple, H&R Block, and the Geek Squad are only a fraction of the companies already in virtual worlds, more specifically, Second Life. However, many considerations must be made in order to implement a virtual world for a corporation. Particularly, structural and individual considerations. Structurally, virtual worlds can be an added benefit to a corporation in areas like reducing real estate costs, increasing global connections, improved customer service, and enhanced profits (Miller, 2006). However, virtual worlds are not just beneficial to a corporation at large. Individuals participating in virtual worlds will be influenced too. Individual considerations include more flexibility, greater individualism, greater control, and greater responsibility (Miller, 2006).

A major consideration organizations have to decide is whether to place their company in a virtual world, whether it is in Second Life or any other virtual world. The companies need to know if their company’s presence in a virtual world will be beneficial and how. For CEO’s and Board of Directors who have not heard anything about virtual worlds, it can be very hard to persuade to them the positives of creating their company/organization in a virtual world. It is hard to track economically if having their organization in a virtual world is worth it, because a lot of people go to the already created virtual worlds locations mainly for information about a product or service. As you can see some organizations are the trendsetters while others will sit back and wait for clear evidence the positives of creating their organization in a virtual world.

Task 7

Believe it or not, there are third-world countries that do not have running water, yet have Internet access! Society is changing in many aspects; however, the use of technology and Web 2.0 is clearly one of the fastest changing areas of change. Particularly, Second Life is a world that will greatly impact society if its use continues. Second Life does not physically exist as a world, however; it does offer features that make it feel actual and real. The moving, talking, and expression capabilities make this Utopian world come close to reality. The ability it has to allow one to create an idealized perfection contributes to the Utopian aspect of Second Life. If the use of this virtual world continues, society will be influenced greatly in the way they communicate and interact with each other. Face-to-face communication will be less common in everyday interaction.

According to Jackson, younger people between age 12 and 50 are more likely to use the Internet than those 55 and older (2003). This group, being innovators and future leaders, will greatly influence others when choosing a form of communication technology. An example of this influence could be in the form of increased online shopping and ways of doing business in virtual worlds.

Second Life is considered to be a rich form of media. Factors such as audio capabilities, character interaction, and instant response contribute to this richness. We think that while Second Life team will be able to complete tasks more efficiently, the users outside of teams may present themselves differently than they are which creates a dishonest society. The dishonesty in Second Life could potentially lead to dishonesty in our public society. For example, people on MySpace have the opportunity to present themselves in a false light. Second Life has comparable features. The slogan for this communication technology is "Your World. Your Imagination." This is promoting users to identify themselves differently through different characteristics and attributes. Users have the power to create the Utopian world they want.