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51<link rel="sitemap" type="application/xml" href="/sitemap-index.xml"/><link rel="alternate" type="application/rss+xml" title="Bricolage" href="/rss.xml"/></head><body><div id="___gatsby"><div style="outline:none" tabindex="-1" id="gatsby-focus-wrapper"><style data-emotion-css="988ru7">.css-988ru7{min-height:100vh;border-top:1.0875rem solid #c5484d;}@media (min-width:420px){.css-988ru7{border:1.0875rem solid #c5484d;}}</style><div class="css-988ru7"><style data-emotion-css="1co3zzk">.css-1co3zzk{min-height:1.45rem;}</style><div class="css-1co3zzk"><style data-emotion-css="1u2pigu">.css-1u2pigu{float:left;margin-top:1.0875rem;margin-left:1.0875rem;font-size:1.31951rem;line-height:2.175rem;}</style><div class="css-1u2pigu"><style data-emotion-css="1unrqcp">.css-1unrqcp{color:inherit;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}</style><a class="css-1unrqcp" href="/">bricolage</a></div><style data-emotion-css="vahjkf">.css-vahjkf{float:right;margin-top:1.0875rem;margin-right:1.0875rem;font-size:1.31951rem;line-height:2.175rem;}</style><div class="css-vahjkf"><a class="css-1unrqcp" href="/blog/">blog</a>,<!-- --> <a href="https://blyg.bricolage.io/" class="css-1unrqcp">blyg</a>,<!-- --> <a class="css-1unrqcp" href="/about/">about</a></div></div><style data-emotion-css="1lxn75b">.css-1lxn75b{padding:2.9rem 1.0875rem;max-width:31.9rem;margin:0 auto;}@media (min-width:420px){.css-1lxn75b{padding:4.35rem 1.0875rem;}}</style><div class="css-1lxn75b"><h1>Social Objects: Definition, Examples, and Design Guide</h1><h2>What is a social object?</h2><p>A <strong>social object</strong> is a shared person, thing, idea, event, or activity that gives people a reason to interact. A project, photo, game, class, or tradition can become the point around which a group forms and talks.</p><p>The object is not the goal by itself. Its value comes from the conversation, shared action, and relationships that form around it.</p><h2>Examples of social objects</h2><ul><li>A project shared by a team</li><li>A photo or video that people discuss</li><li>A class, game, event, or group tradition</li><li>An issue that brings an open-source community together</li></ul><h2>How to design around social objects</h2><ol><li>Define the objects people will gather around.</li><li>Name the actions people can take around each object.</li><li>Make the objects easy to find, discuss, and share.</li></ol><p>The two essays below explain the theory, then turn it into this practical design method.</p><h2>Read the series</h2><style data-emotion-css="fxo0dl">.css-fxo0dl{margin-top:1.45rem;}</style><div class="css-fxo0dl"><style data-emotion-css="1iegx2i">.css-1iegx2i{margin-bottom:2.175rem;}</style><article class="css-1iegx2i"><style data-emotion-css="r1v93l">.css-r1v93l{margin-bottom:0.3625rem;}</style><h3 class="css-r1v93l"><a href="/what-are-social-objects/">What are Social Objects?</a></h3><style data-emotion-css="1shwfa0">.css-1shwfa0{color:#666;display:block;margin-bottom:0.3625rem;}</style><small class="css-1shwfa0">February 22, 2009</small><style data-emotion-css="gx0lhm">.css-gx0lhm{margin-bottom:0;}</style><p class="css-gx0lhm">Social objects are the reasons people talk to each other. They bind us together and shape our behavior.</p></article><article class="css-1iegx2i"><h3 class="css-r1v93l"><a href="/how-design-social-networking-site-using-social-objects/">How to design a social networking site using social objects</a></h3><small class="css-1shwfa0">February 27, 2009</small><p class="css-gx0lhm">Define the objects, name the verbs, network the objects: a framework for designing social networking sites.</p></article></div></div><style data-emotion-css="9im8kz">.css-9im8kz{max-width:31.9rem;margin:0 auto;padding:0 1.0875rem 2.175rem;color:#777;font-size:0.87055rem;line-height:1.45rem;}</style><footer class="css-9im8kz">Collections:<!-- --> <a class="css-1unrqcp" href="/ai-agents/">AI & agents</a> · <a aria-current="page" class="css-1unrqcp" href="/social-objects/">social objects</a> · <a class="css-1unrqcp" href="/local-first/">local-first</a></footer></div></div><div id="gatsby-announcer" style="position:absolute;top:0;width:1px;height:1px;padding:0;overflow:hidden;clip:rect(0, 0, 0, 0);white-space:nowrap;
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