Community Architecture 

Community is the buzzword of the moment—everything 'should' be social, organized around friends, connecting new networks of people and smatterings of shared objects and vibrant conversations. Not suprisingly, few organizations have been able to reliably crack the code of how, exactly, to create community spaces—much less sustain them.

Community Architecture is the practice of designing a container for community to occur and evolve. Schools, parks and churches are all community spaces stimulating interaction—engendering an opportunity for strangers to become friends, and providing tools to invigorate and strengthen existing relationships. Facebook, the most common example of online community, has carefully engineered their set of features to create a space which feels simultaneously shared and safe.

Causeit works with those who have (or intend to create) social spaces. We ask questions like, "Why will someone want to interact with you and the community you hope to create? What does it offer that they don't aready get from their existing social spheres, such as their Facebook friends or their co-workers? How will you manage conflict, competing interests or apathy?" As we begin to understand the intent of the community you are creating, we work with you to design a space, online or offline, which supports meaningful connections.

Community Architecture is closely related to the field of community management. Distinctly, Community Architecture embodies the creative energy, effective social patterns, and design principles that govern interactive spaces, both online and face-to-face. Community Architecture also incorporates community management's standard role: responding to or avoiding negative interactions online. Together, the combination of Community Architecture and community management support vibrant online and offline spaces with clear and easy ways to connect people to the content and collaborators who inspire them.