Sheila Johnson: Pioneering Transformational and Servant Leadership at BET

Sheila Johnson transformational servant leadership

Sheila Johnson, an innovative leader in the media field, helped establish Black Entertainment Television (BET) and has shown exceptional skills in combining transformational leadership and servant leadership. This research examines how Johnson’s leadership method, characterized by vision, inspiration, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration, corresponds with transformational leadership theory. At the same time, her focus on helping others, creating a sense of community, and promoting the development of employees showcases servant leadership. This study examines how Johnson’s leadership style has played a crucial role in the growth of a media empire that has not just entertained, but also empowered Black viewers, through analyzing her career path and BET’s development. Examples of Johnson’s leadership will be analyzed to demonstrate how leadership theories can be applied. This will include her involvement in BET’s expansion into film and music, and her charitable work.

Introduction

Sheila Johnson, a visionary entrepreneur and philanthropist, is renowned for her pivotal role in co-founding Black Entertainment Television (BET). Her leadership journey at BET exemplifies a unique blend of transformational and servant leadership, propelling the network from a nascent concept to a cultural behemoth. This paper delves into the intricate ways in which Johnson’s leadership characteristics and skillset align with these two leadership theories.

Transformational leadership, characterized by inspiring vision, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and idealized influence, is evident in Johnson’s role in shaping BET’s identity as well as her other organizations, sports teams, and business endeavors. Her unwavering belief in the power of Black culture and her ability to articulate a compelling vision for BET as a platform to celebrate and amplify Black voices are testament to her transformational leadership. For instance, Johnson’s foresight in recognizing the untapped potential of the Black consumer market and her determination to create a network dedicated to showcasing Black culture and entertainment were instrumental in BET’s early success.

Simultaneously, Johnson’s leadership at BET and her philanthropic efforts are marked by the tenets of servant leadership, which prioritizes the needs of followers and the organization over personal interests. Her commitment to fostering a supportive and inclusive work environment, coupled with her dedication to empowering BET employees, reflects the core principles of servant leadership. For example, Johnson’s establishment of the BET Foundation, which focuses on education, health, and human rights initiatives, demonstrates her commitment to giving back to the community and empowering marginalized groups. Analyzing Johnson’s leadership through the lenses of transformational and servant leadership illuminates the complex and multifaceted nature of her influence on BET. Through a detailed analysis of her leadership style, characteristics, and the impact of her decisions, this research seeks to contribute to the broader understanding of effective leadership in the media and entertainment industry.

Literature Review

Sheila Johnson, a trailblazer in the media sector, helped establish Black Entertainment Television (BET) and has exhibited outstanding leadership abilities. She is a well-known business owner and generous philanthropist, having made notable impacts in media, sports, and hospitality sectors. This research investigates how Johnson’s leadership approach corresponds with the theoretical models of transformational and servant leadership. Analyzing Johnson’s career path and BET’s growth will demonstrate how her leadership methods have boosted the network’s achievements and empowered Black viewers.

Sheila Johnson’s Transformation Leadership Components

Extensive research has been conducted on transformational leadership in organizational behavior, which is distinguished by vision, inspiration, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Bass and Avolio (1994) characterize transformational leaders as individuals who motivate and inspire their followers to accomplish exceptional results. Transformational leadership involves motivating and inspiring followers to go beyond their personal interests for the benefit of the organization or a larger purpose. Khan (2020) informs that transformational leadership consists of four essential elements, including idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, and individualized consideration. Examining Johnson’s career path and the success of BET will demonstrate how her leadership strategies have aided in the network’s achievements and empowered Black audiences. Johnson demonstrates idealized influence by dedicating herself to promoting social justice and empowering the community. Her commitment to providing opportunities for marginalized groups is evident in her efforts with the WNBA team the Washington Mystics and as a co-founder of BET. Wallace (2023) explains how Johnson is the sole African American female owner in three professional sports teams: the Washington Mystics in the WNBA where she is the team’s president and managing partner, the Washington Wizards in the NBA, and the Washington Capitals in the NHL Johnson’s leadership at the Washington Mystics showcases transformational leadership through creating a culture of success, motivating female athletes to reach their maximum capabilities, and supporting women in sports, embodying the fundamental aspects of idealized influence and inspirational motivation in transformational leadership theory. Her advocation for minority groups in her work has encouraged and catalyzed others to pursue beneficial transformations. The dedication to a greater cause is a characteristic of transformational leaders. Martin et al. (2014) asserts that involving team members in a common vision is crucial for both transformational leadership and development efforts to offer guidance and a clear sense of purpose. Johnson’s skill in expressing a captivating vision for her organizations motivates those in her vicinity. Her focus on diversity and inclusion in leadership roles highlights her dedication to encouraging a positive organizational environment, which is also an essential trait of transformational leaders. Johnson’s leadership at BET exemplifies the inspirational motivation component of transformational leadership. By articulating a clear vision of BET as a platform that not only entertained but also empowered Black audiences, she inspired employees to rally behind a shared purpose. Johnson’s ability to communicate the significance of BET’s role in shaping culture and creating opportunities for the Black community ignited a sense of passion and commitment among her team, driving them to achieve extraordinary results. Her charismatic personality and ability to connect with employees on an emotional level further enhanced her capacity to motivate and inspire those around her. Johnson is promoting intellectual growth and pushing employees to reflect on their position in the organization by fostering diversity acceptance. Mackian & Simons (2013) stress the significance of establishing a setting that encourages team members to freely share ideas without worrying about criticism. This is closely connected to the aspect of intellectual stimulation within transformational leadership, which promotes creativity, innovation, and critical thinking. Johnson fosters an environment where team members can freely express ideas without fear of criticism by championing innovation and creativity as a leader, aligning with transformational leadership principles that promote critical thinking. Johnson’s establishment of a secure environment for brainstorming matches with the intellectual stimulation aspect of transformational leadership. She motivates her team members to think critically and creatively by promoting open communication and cultivating an innovative culture. Johnson’s encouragement of trying out new ideas and taking risks helped BET keep up with industry changes and stay competitive. This method encourages workers to push their boundaries and play a role in the company’s development and achievements.

During her interview with Trinity Magazine (2013), Johnson discussed her efforts to inspire young women on her basketball team to strive for excellence and live up to their full potential through mentorship. She has been teaching them how to give back through community outreach so they can then mentor and teach more youth. By engaging in philanthropy, she can pass on the torch by assisting young individuals in recognizing their abilities. Johnson’s mentorship method demonstrates personalized attention by acknowledging the distinct abilities and requirements of her team members. She dedicates time to fostering talent in her organizations. Johnson’s leadership style at BET and her sports teams demonstrates the personalized attention aspect of transformational leadership. Furthermore, Johnson’s capacity to establish a nurturing atmosphere in which employees were appreciated and motivated to work towards their career aspirations may have strengthened trust and loyalty, leading to an improvement in her leadership skills. Johnson showed a true dedication to her team’s success by investing in their personal and professional development, which reflects the fundamental principles of transformational leadership.

Sheila Johnson’s Servant Leadership Components

Canavesi & Minelli (2022) define servant leadership as a type of moral-centered leadership that focuses on meeting the needs of followers, such as employees, customers, and other stakeholders, instead of fulfilling their own needs. Important qualities of a servant leader include empathy, listening, stewardship, and commitment to the personal development of others. Johnson’s compassionate method can be seen in her charitable endeavors focused on enhancing educational opportunities for underprivileged youth. Johnson’s charitable actions demonstrate the servant leadership concept of prioritizing the needs of others before oneself. Johnson is deeply committed to empowering marginalized communities. She has helped numerous local communities throughout the nation. The Sheila C. Johnson Design Center advances growth in Black communities through her community development initiative. It involves creating jobs to improve the quality of life in communities (Her Agenda, 2024). She shows a strong understanding of community needs by concentrating on enhancing educational opportunities for underprivileged youth. Furthermore, Johnson’s commitment to supporting the Black community through involvement with groups like the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) demonstrated her dedication to increasing access to higher education. This dedication to serving others reflects the fundamental principles of servant leadership, highlighting the leader’s responsibility as a caretaker of the community. Carollo (2011) emphasizes the importance of servant-leaders going beyond simply discussing issues in order to make a difference in society. Active listening acts as a link to improve communication, build stronger relationships, and foster comprehension. Johnson is well known for participating in open discussions with her teams to ensure their opinions are considered. Johnson’s dedication to effective listening closely aligns with the fundamental principles of servant leadership. Roy (2015) discusses how the Mystics lacked adequate locker room facilities for female players when Johnson took over as president of the WNBA team. There is a lack of respect for women in sports. It is difficult for me to persuade others that women’s sports should be respected. Johnson had to advocate for suitable locker rooms and office space for the women. By putting the team’s viewpoints first and actively communicating with them, she shows a sincere interest in comprehending their needs and worries. This method promotes confidence, establishes solid connections, and enables the team and staff to make valuable contributions to the company. Through her advocation for responsible management practices in her businesses, Johnson exemplifies stewardship, a fundamental aspect of servant leadership, guaranteeing that resources are utilized efficiently for the good of the community. Johnson’s dedication to moral leadership is consistent with the servant leadership value of stewardship. Through responsible management of resources, she shows dedication to serving others by putting the well-being of the community first. This quality is essential in servant leadership, underscoring the leader’s responsibility as a caretaker of the organization and its stakeholders. Johnson’s emphasis on mentoring young leaders is in line with servant leadership ideas that prioritize developing future leaders through education and support. Johnson’s focus on guiding young leaders is a fundamental aspect of her servant leadership approach. . Moreover, she is also engaged in charitable activities, such as backing educational projects, where she mentors underprivileged youth, offering them assistance and advice to help them reach their objectives. This shows a dedication to cultivating future leaders and supporting the community, which are essential principles of servant leadership. Dedicating her time and resources to mentorship, Johnson nurtured talent in her organization and supported the growth of future leaders. Johnson’s dedication to mentoring is in line with the servant leadership concept of prioritizing the growth and development of others. Through investing in future leaders, she displays a commitment to empowering people and strengthening the community.

Although transformational and servant leadership are different ideas, they can coexist. Johnson effectively combines aspects from both theories in his leadership approach. Her skill in inspiring and motivating employees, along with prioritizing their well-being and growth, proves the success of this integration. Johnson’s leadership style at BET combines elements of both transformational and servant leadership by fostering a powerful sense of community and enabling employees to achieve their maximum potential. Johnson motivating staff with an engaging vision and focusing on their welfare and development helps establish a culture of excellence. Her talent for cultivating a united community at BET and motivating employees to maximize their abilities displays her integrated approach. Johnson’s leadership shows that the two leadership styles do not conflict but can work together to achieve outstanding outcomes.

Sheila Johnson’s leadership style aligns closely with the principles of both transformational and servant leadership theories. Her dedication to social justice is in line with transformational values, and her focus on empathy and community service embodies fundamental servant leadership principles. Incorporating these methods into her endeavors across different industries will help her enhance organizational achievements and impact society.

Methodology

This research seeks to analyze how Sheila Johnson’s leadership at Black Entertainment Television (BET) , philanthropy, and notable impacts in media, sports, and hospitality sector showcases the principles of transformational and servant leadership. A combination of methods will be used to gain a full understanding of Johnson’s leadership style and how it affects the organization. A mixed-methods approach is perfect for this study as it provides a thorough insight into Johnson’s leadership style, blending in-depth qualitative data with wide-ranging quantitative analysis. Qualitative research methods such as interviews and document analysis will offer deep understanding of Johnson’s views on leadership, decision-making, and the culture she cultivated at BET. This method will enable a thorough examination of her transformational and servant leadership qualities. Engaging in quantitative research, such as examining content and measuring performance, will give a more comprehensive view of how BET has performed with Johnson in charge. Through examining data regarding market share, revenue, and audience demographics, researchers can evaluate the influence of her leadership approach on the overall success of the organization.

Data Collection

In-depth interviews will be conducted with key individuals who had close working relationships with Johnson at BET, such as former executives, employees, and industry peers, to collect primary data. These interviews will explore Johnson’s approach to leading, how she makes decisions, and the culture she built within the organization. Furthermore, there will also be a thorough examination of company archives, press releases, speeches, and other primary sources to compile a detailed account of BET’s past, Johnson’s contributions to the company, and its future.

Secondary data will be gathered by examining academic articles and books focusing on transformational and servant leadership to form theoretical frameworks. Identifying key traits in these leadership styles to build a coding scheme for data analysis. Furthermore, there will be an examination of news articles, documentaries, and other media coverage on Sheila Johnson and BET to collect data on her public image and leadership qualities.

Qualitative Research

Thematic analysis and coding will be used to recognize and group significant elements of Sheila Johnson’s leadership approach. Through analyzing common themes present in the interview data, the research will pinpoint patterns that correspond with the characteristics of transformational and servant leadership. Analyzing Johnson’s leadership approach systematically can be achieved by coding responses related to particular leadership behaviors like idealized influence, inspirational motivation, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, creating a sense of community, serving others, stewardship, and empathy. This procedure will assist in assessing how closely her leadership methods correspond to the theoretical foundations of transformational and servant leadership

Quantitative Research

Analyzing quantitative data about BET’s performance can offer valuable insights into how effective Sheila Johnson’s leadership style is. The research will evaluate the overall influence of her leadership on the organization’s success by analyzing metrics like revenue, market share, and employee satisfaction. An example would be a notable rise in earnings and market dominance under Johnson’s leadership, indicating how her transformational style motivates and empowers employees to reach company objectives. On the contrary, high levels of employee contentment could suggest that her emphasis on employee welfare and growth through servant leadership has fostered a favorable workplace atmosphere. Analyzing how BET’s performance stacks up against that of other media companies can reveal specific attributes of Johnson’s leadership that helped drive the organization’s achievements.

The research will also examine case studies of BET initiatives or challenges to demonstrate Johnson’s leadership in practice. The focus of these case studies will be on the impact of Johnson’s leadership style on decision-making, problem-solving, and organizational outcomes. Through a combination of research methods and case study analysis, this study seeks to offer a detailed insight into Johnson’s leadership approach and its influence on BET’s achievements.

Triangulation

To improve the trustworthiness and strength of the results, triangulation will be used by merging qualitative and quantitative data. The interviews’ outcomes will be contrasted with the existing archival and secondary data to recognize similarities and differences in the results.

Conclusion

This research investigated the leadership style of Sheila Johnson, a well-known figure in the media sector and one of the founders of Black Entertainment Television (BET). The study sought to determine how Johnson’s leadership style corresponded with the principles of transformational and servant leadership. Research shows that Johnson skillfully blended aspects of transformational and servant leadership to establish a prosperous media conglomerate. Her skill in sparking motivation among employees and her dedication to empowering others and contributing to the community played a key role in BET’s development and influence. Johnson’s leadership approach was marked by vision, inspiration, intellectual stimulation, individualized consideration, and a keen sense of community. This study showed how Johnson’s leadership style influenced the formation of a media platform that entertained and empowered Black viewers, based on an analysis of her career path and BET’s progress. Her dedication to charitable work and support for social equality strengthened her status as a leader who placed importance on the welfare of her community. Future studies could investigate the lasting effects of Johnson’s management on BET and the wider media sector. Moreover, examining successful minority-owned media firms through comparative studies may offer more understanding on how merging transformational and servant leadership styles can be effective. In general, this research emphasizes the importance of Sheila Johnson’s leadership in influencing the media industry and motivating upcoming leaders.

References

Bass, B.M., & Avolio, B.J. (1994). Improving Organizational Effectiveness Through Transformational Leadership. Sage Publications.

Canavesi, A., & Minelli, E. (2022). Servant Leadership: a Systematic Literature Review and Network Analysis. Employee Responsibilities and Rights Journal, 34(3), 267–289. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10672-021-09381-3

Carollo, S. (2011). Beyond dialogue: The nexus of active listening and servant-leadership: A pivotal point for pedagogy. AUDEM: The International Journal of Higher Education and Democracy. 2. 80-93. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/265709456_Beyond_Dialogue_The_Nexus_of_Active_Listening_and_Servant-Leadership_A_Pivotal_Point_for_Pedagogy

Her Agenda. (2024). How billionaire Sheila Johnson is transforming communities through philanthropy. Her Agenda. https://heragenda.com/p/sheila-johnson-community-philanthropy-initiatives/#:~:text=Johnson’s%20commitment%20to%20uplifting%20underserved,promotes%20development%20in%20Black%20communities.

Khan, H., Rehmat, M., Butt, T.H., Faroogi, S., & Asim, J. (2020). Impact of transformational leadership on work performance, burnout and social loafing: a mediation model. Futur Bus J 6, 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s43093-020-00043-8

Mackian, S., & Simons, J. (2013). Leading, managing, caring: Understanding leadership and management in health and social care. The Open University. https://www.open.edu/openlearn/e1/e0/e1e08167f21c2b0af42bf8ae9c34e4380ae5c149?response-content-disposition=inline%3Bfilename%3D%22k313_chapter_3_e1i1_isbn9780415658515_templated.pdf%22&response-content-type=application%2Fpdf&Expires=1722510000&Signature=kPx6pL9Ymn-wLdO7P56QW~thVS8pX2U3aLMCEuZH2xpTzcvyCJYoycZDgOWYLiidTYTWKJpTeFpnoN04U2CaKPby0Fr78wB209V9NM8aGblEMZKP9mN3AW6jAFItyZ9Y08dZ9jevpIMhrADk90UqEh4E5PGPRVSlsu3C-tDydxJP7gOdVoZb3KaQAQarG1K0e4jK00r2EkkZfapDgQ7uiqRfMWy-HeoQV-VVufh0B4EU-HOwB78YeYHgegGWFNwH~P2QPbrQ1SCFCBaThmjucyfMEQM9lobrkMpErp7~1LMwr9i~ugZSdw7H6cTDnzIlXhx~ZAz7dX~334ByKKnLpA__&Key-Pair-Id=K87HJKWMK329B

Martin, J., McCormack, B., Fitzsimmons, D., Spirig, R. (2014). The importance of inspiring a shared vision. International Practice Development Journal. https://www.fons.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/IPDJ_0402_04.pdf

Roy, T. (2015). Sheila Johnson: Break barriers by pursuing your passion. The Daily Record. https://thedailyrecord.com/2015/11/05/sheila-johnson-break-barriers-by-pursuing-your-passion/

Trinity Magazine. (2013). A conversation with Sheila C. Johnson. Trinity Washington University. https://discover.trinitydc.edu/magazine/2013/02/04/a-conversation-with-sheila-c-johnson/

Wallace, A. (2023). Renowned entrepreneur Sheila Johnson returns for second semester as executive-in-residence. University of South Carolina. https://sc.edu/uofsc/posts/2023/02/johnson-donor-HRSM-class.php

Voice UX

In the new age of technology, people constantly look for new ways and ideas to help make their lives easier. Even with the latest technology helping us, there are always opportunities for User Experience Designers to find new ways to make simple tasks easier for the everyday life. Today people can see a loved one halfway across the world, locate the closest Chick-fil-A, and navigate their next trip all through the power of a smart device. Even with cell phones, smart watches and robots that clean floors, there are still ways to make the user experiences with these devices easier. The latest trend in designing easier experiences for people is Voice UX.

Voice UX has served as a huge game changer for User Experience Design. People thought having the power to command through their fingertips was amazing but having the power to command technology through their voices is top tier. By simply adding voice UX features to popular smart devices, it has made the demand for voice UX increase in technology today. Voice UX has upgraded the latest technology. Apple’s Siri has become a vital factor in Apple products, and even influenced many more companies to push voice UX into their products.

The latest voice UX designs have been utilized in more than Siri, but also in Alexa, Google Home, Cortana and more. Voice UX has become a part of the engagement in technology now. It is expected that voice UX is utilized in the User Experience Design process of devices, apps and websites. If Apple were to make a new cell phone without the Siri features today, their customers would complain the company to the ground. The same would happen for Amazon and Alexa. Alexa has become a common everyday household item in households across the world. Voice UX if fairly new in society but already has shown its importance and convenience to people. People love the fact of being able to control their devices by voice. Voice UX helps people in more ways than expected.

Voice UX has paved the way for solving the many small inconveniences in technology lately. It has become a huge help for people who drive and have to contact someone. Voice UX gives them a safer experience where they do not have to physically look at their phone and can focus on the road. You can see many new Voice UX features being added to the latest cars as well. People are starting cars with their voices and connecting their phones through their cars as well. Voice UX has also helped the awkward age restrictions in technology. Toddlers utilize the voice UX features on tablets to help them navigate to that they want to see. If a toddler cannot spell “Sesame Street,” they can simply command the device to search for it and find it easy. Most senior citizens struggle with understanding how to navigate technology. Completing simple tasks on cell phones and can be complicated for them. Voice UX features like Siri gives them the option to command the device to complete the task for them.

The latest trends in technology clearly show how Voice UX has changed the way people use technology and the user experience as a whole for today’s technological advances.

Usability

Usability serves as a vital component to the user experience. Usability utilizes the audience to measure the success of the app or website. Specifically, usability tests the service or product by allowing users to see how well they can navigate through the product or service to complete a goal. Typically, the UX design process uses usability testing from the initial design to the final deliverable. This allows UX Designers to have a full coverage and security in their usability testing.

In a quote from David McQuillen, he states how usability focuses on human behavior and ultimately recognizes that humans are human and will show actions as such. He further explained how humans “are not interested in putting a lot of effort into, say, getting a credit card and generally prefer things that are easy to do vs. those that are hard to do.” (McQuillen) The quote explains that usability is determined by the audience’s wants and needs. If the audience needs a specific product delivered in a specific way, the usability testing’s job is to figure out a way for users to successfully and efficiently complete a goal in the app to fulfill the need or want.

How well an app or website’s usability depends on how well its features help the user complete the want or need. The designer should take full responsibility for the success of the design’s usability. A successful usability plan should include five sub-components: Efficiency, Effectiveness, Ease of Learning, Error tolerance, and Engagement. The ease of learning component focuses on ensuring users do not have to do further learning and researching in order to the app or website. Users should not have to Google how to do a task in order to complete it while navigating through the product or service. Error tolerance involves calculating the amount of errors the user may face while completing usability testing. With the amount of errors calculated, you will determine how fast and efficient a user can solve the error or find a way around the error. This will allow users to gain familiarity in the situation of an error on the app, and also allows the designer to how the errors effect the usability of the app or website.

The ultimate goal is for the app to navigate the user through the experience for the. Icons, accessibility, and navigation should allow this process to come easy for the users. According to the Interaction Design Foundation, a product with high usability will be able to guide users to the easiest and least labor-intensive path. The further explain how to do so, you must have clear understanding of the context of the users and “you must accommodate their limitations, such as their environment, likely distractions and cognitive load.” (Interaction Design Foundation) A user should have a pleasant experience from the usability of the app. The app should not add complications to its use. Overall, the user should gain trust in the design and have satisfaction from utilizing the app or website.

Information Architecture

Information Architecture, also widely known as IA, serves as the design structure for computer information. Information Architecture deals with organizing and strategizing different parts of a website.

User experience and information architecture closely relate to each other. Information architecture deals with the primary structure of an app or website. It focuses on the blueprints that goes along with the process of building the app or website. User experience involves the audience’s point of view after trying the blueprint of the website. You cannot have Information Architecture with having the testing abilities from User Experience. U will need UX useability testing to determine how well the Information Architecture is structured.

In order to compose efficient Information Architecture, you have to understand what components you want to be a part of the app or website. These components are divided into four categories. The categories include organization, labeling, navigation, and searching systems.

With organizational structures, there are three sub-categories. These categories include: Hierarchal, sequential, and matrix. Hierarchal deals with looking at the physical attributions of the structure to organize the structures. Sequential involves going through each step continuously. You must complete sequential structure task by task. Matrix is used to navigate according to what the user decides. It is based off of the specific user’s experience in the app.

Some more organizational structure schemes are topics, audiences, alphabetical, and chronological.

The labeling system involves using a simpler way to allow audiences to understand where to go in an app by adding clear labels to specific buttons or pages. When important parts of a website or app are labeled it draws attention and allows users to easily see where to go. Labeling also allows the work to look more cohesive. It gives a clean aesthetic to the website or app.

The navigation system involves a website or app including specific instructions throughout the structure telling the users how to properly navigate throughout the app. The navigation system offers techniques and goals that can help the user understand the content featured in the app as well.

In the searching system, it is typically used when an app or website offers a lot of information for users to comprehend. When there is a lot of information to take in you would have to search through the structure to find specific ideas needed by the users. The most common type of search structure is the search engine. In sites like Google and Yahoo, the search engine is the main function. Without a search engine on sites like those, it would be impossible for users to try to navigate through all of the information provided from the sites.

Overall, Information Architecture stands as the standard for if users will comprehend the work on a website or app. It is arguable that Information architecture is one of the most important components of User Experience. Without the structure of Information Architecture, it would be hard for someone to navigate through websites and apps. This is the reason why Information Architecture is vital to the learning process for User Experience.

User Experience Research

User Experience Research in tells going deeper with understanding your users. In order to make a great service or product for users, you have to understand them. You have to know their wants, needs, and expectations from the product or service. With user experience research you become the user to fully comprehend their point of view of the product or service. With User Experience Research the ultimate goal is to test the usability and accessibility of what you are providing to the public. It uses a more hands-on approach in research to see how well a user can navigate your service or product.

User Experience Research is important because it gives a new perspective of your product from the fresh eyes of users unaware and unexperienced of the product. By having these users test the product it gives insight on any conflicts, confusion, and details that can be worked on for the betterment of the product or service. It’s better to get through any kinks prior to publishing than having your target audience upset because they are unhappy with their experiences. You can budget successfully with user experience research because you save money by not correcting a bad design multiple times.

There are many forms of User Experience Research and different times to use them. The best way to determine the right time to use User Experience Research is to break them down into three categories to help determine when to use them. The three categories include Attitudinal v, Behavioral, qualitative v quantitative, and the context of use for the method. With Attitudinal v Behavioral it is used to help distinct the user’s actions compared to what they say. It is based on their beliefs and attitude towards the product as well. Qualitative v. Quantitative deals with measuring the how and why of something compared to the amount of something. When using the context of use method you are evaluating the different components of your product or service and comparing each component by its importance. With this method you can easily determine the factors of the product or service that are the most detrimental to its success.

When the time comes to actually implement User Experience Research, you can go about it in many ways. The different forms all can be categorized into the three methods of use previously discussed. For example, focus groups and interviews are good sources of quantitative research for determining the success of the user experience.

The best way to ensure efficient results during the User Experience Research is to provide a reliable platform to perform your research on to the users. The platform should he active and highly responsive with the results from the research. You should be able to compare different trends and data collected from the research and form a cohesive conclusion from the data all from the same platform. Some examples of platforms such as this will include Hootsuite, Google Analytics, Buffer, and Brandwatch. By utilizing these tools you can easily organize your results and draw conclusions from them.

Design Thinking

How often do you open apps on your phone and have a difficult time understanding how to use it? Was the app to high tech to understand? It could have been too simple to attract your attention. Aspects such as this play a huge part in User Experience Design. UX Design is vital to understand how well an audience will respond to your app or website. You have to know who, what, why and how of your audience. This will determine if the design is user friendly or not. The UX Design of an app or a website ultimately determines the amount of success you will receive from the public. If the audience can successfully utilize and have a pleasant experience while using the application, It proves a great experience to the audience.

The first step for a successful user experience is to determine the audience you want your design to attract. By knowing the target audience, you can determine the look of the design, the theme of the design, how much technology to include in your experience, and much more. The goal from this point is to ensure that the design for the app or website fits the audience best. The design thinking process is most important during this portion of the design process.

Some creative ways to help with Design thinking is to begin laying out diagrams and charts to help plan out ideas. One way would be to start a flow chart with how the app or website will be set up. This helps with having a visual representation for how the app will be navigated for the users. The flow chart is used to plan out the pages from the home page to the other links in pages that lead you to other pages. This allows the design to have a set organized plan to go with.

Design thinking goes deeper than the thought or idea of the design. It deals with having a connection to the design that you are working on for a specific audience. It is using a solution-based technique to solve an issue dealing with the design. The steps for the design thinking process range from empathy, to ending with testing for the design on an audience. From then, you will define the problem, create an idea to help fix the problem, then create a protype to test out to the public.

Design thinking encourages UX Designers to acknowledge the changes in society that could affect a specific user experience. The experience can change from individually for a person as well as collectively over time as trends evolve. Each stage of the design thinking process if important to the entire design. The are more than just steps to follow in order. Each stage provides a complete part to the final results. If the design thinking process is completed correctly you will have successfully found a deeper understanding of the users, you are creating for. The design should ultimately reflect the solution to the product and problem.

Understanding social media literacy

Literacies among today’s society are important to know and understand. Most people do not know them which is a part of the problem we face when dealing with media and networking today. For me personally, I could use some more knowledge on the network awareness literacy. Network awareness is important in the field I am looking to go in. Social media management requires understanding of networks and knowing how and why to use each one for specific reasons.

Of all of the literacies I believe network awareness is the most important for everyone to understand. I understand attention the most because I find myself picking and choosing the content I want to look at the most. People will skip through snaps or scroll through posts on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook to see the content that gains their attention the most. Everyone will witness that from personal experiences. Publishers need to know what to posts to seek attention as well. Attention requires the audience and the people posting to know what the interest is. I struggle with collaboration because of how dependent I have become on social media. Today we use it as a crutch and it makes it more difficult to reach out to others when incorporating content with another content. I think the article is still relevant today. Although it is almost a decade later, people still have not found out how to use media and networks to the best of their abilities. People still need to be educated on how to work these literacies to benefit them.

Understanding media and networks whether on a professional level or not will help people in the long run because media has become a part of everyday life. People are always using technology and we have all become dependent on it. I think Rheingold was pretty spot on with his literacies. He talks about all of the areas that are included into dealing with media. People need to know the proper way of handling it without serious conflicts. Rheingold’s literacies could apply to audiences that are searching for particular content that they feel relates to them. Audiences could also incorporate the literacies when trying to understand which content to focus on when it comes to authenticity or not.

Live blog

March 25, 2019, and organization on the Middle Tennessee State University campus holds an discussion about Texturism and Colorism among Americans, especially Black Americans.

8:35 p.m. — As people leave some people are still on edge about the discussion. Some feel that they still weren’t heard. Some feel that a break through was made.

8:25 p.m. — The discussion begins to end as audience members begin to leave.

8:22 p.m. — Everyone agrees that texturism between hair types does exist in the community. Comes to an agreement that recent years have been more empowering of women of all hair types and color compared to past years.

8:19 p.m. — audience member says that with kinky hair people do not see their hair as “good hair” compared to black women with wavier or curly hair.

8:17 p.m. — Discussion on texturism begins with topics on hair curl types and the 4C hair.

8:14 p.m. — An international student from Africa explains how they view colorism in America, and compares it to Africa.

8:12 p.m. — Multiple lighter shaded women explain their experiences on colorism in America.

8:10 p.m. — Fair-skinned student stands up and says how light skinned women receive Colorist remarks from dark skinned women as well. conflicting viewpoints and expressions shown from the audience.

8:07 p.m. — An audience member makes a statement on how black women with dark skin receive a negative connotation, compared to lighter skinned women.

7:38 p.m. — Conflicting viewpoints on whether lighter skin tones still have the same privileges as darker skin tones occur. Audience member feels that all Black women are treated the same in America despite whether dark or light.

7:25 p.m.- Audience member states how lighter skinned black women have privileges over darker skin-toned women.

7:23 p.m. — Darker skin-toned women give their experiences on colorism in the black community.

7:12 p.m.- The event begins with questions on colorism and texturism. An audience member gives definition for each term.

Colorism, Texturism

6:45 p.m. — People begin to enter the parliamentarian room of the Student Union.