Importance of Social Media Apps - Case Study Example

8th July 2020

Walkthrough App Method: Analysis of Zangi Private Messenger

Have you ever imagined living a life without social media? A research conducted by Baumer (2015) showed that it was difficult to stay off social media, where a group of volunteers was put into a test for 99 days; however, a large percentage kept returning to social media. According to Greg Swan, a vice president of public relations and innovation at Minneapolis advertising agency space150, there are three major reasons why people find it difficult to stay off social; the need to connect with other people, the need of a method to share your voice and the need of a means of getting news.

Therefore, social media has a great influence on our social and cultural values. To understand the idea behind the creators of these unresistable social media applications. A method proposed by Light, Burgess, and Duguay (2018) is used. The walk-through method proposed by Light, Burgess, and Duguay (2018) involves interacting directly with an application interface to evaluate the design technology and how designers have integrated the social and cultural aspects to help in usage and make users experience amazing. The salient features behind the light method are the stage by stage monitoring and documentation of the applications screen features, movement of features, and menus exploration. To understand the walk-through method from a practical aspect. We evaluate Zangi Private Messenger using the walk-through method approach(Light et al., 2018).

Zangi Private Messenger is a modern-day social media mobile application whose social function is to allow its users to experience fast messaging and file transfer, conferencing. Low data usage in Voice and HD video calls even in noisy networks(Zangi.com, 2020). This app is designed for people or organizations which need a fast, encrypted, and reliable instant voice and video calls to anyplace, regardless of the poor internet conditions.

Like any other free app, you can download the Zangi app from either a google play or an apple store for free. The current app version is 5.0, which was released on 26th June 2020 and comes with increased security, improved video quality (new protocol for video), and conference call functionality(Zangi.com, 2020).

This paper seeks to evaluate the Zangi application through the walk-through method approach. The paper evaluates Zangi Private Messenger;

• Vision
• Operating model
• Modes of governance
• App registration and entry process
• Everyday usage
• Discontinuation of use

The following features were observed through the technical walk-through analysis; a colorful blue descriptive logo, descriptive and image embedded statement on its main features, user-friendly registration steps (mail or phone) embedded with guide instruction, both email and message verification option, video and voice call option, fast connection, group creation option, phone contact synchronization, chat background, low data usage modes (cellular and WiFi), Privacy settings (online status, typing status, last seen, block a contact, delete account), change of language, invite friends, change of text size, personal messages, original stickers, and call forwarding. The sections that follow will highlight the walk-through.

Zangi Messenger Environment of Expected Use

In this section, we analyze the social, cultural, and economic aspects of Zangi Private Messenger. The section analyses the vision, operating model, and modes of governance to understand how designers/owners of Zangi Messenger integrates the aspects of social, economic, and cultural practices into Zangi.

Vision

The vision of any app is mainly communicated via its organizational material. The organizational material entails its target market, the application's role, and cases of use(Light et al., 2018). The vision tries to explain the application's goals, what the app does, how it can be used, and by whom(Light et al., 2018). The organizational material of the Zangi website presents it has a mobile application that enhances users' experience by providing them with modern messaging features for android and IOS (figure 1). The app representation in-app store (figure 2) provides a colorful phone image. The app store representation name also emphasizes on its enhancement of secure and safe communication. The company name "secrete phone,Inc” (figure 1) informs its uses of privacy in their communication.

Moreover, the app provides its users with high-quality video and audio calls at extremely low bandwidth. Therefore, Zangi targets users who need a safe and secure means of communication. The app integrates the same color themes in all areas.

Operating Model

This entails means an application makes its income from(Light et al., 2018). The methods of generating revenue may include in-app purchases, payment for application, selling of personal data, access to extra features, unlimited access, and more others. According to research conducted by Van Dijck (2013), “most applications grant access to their features in exchange for personal data which they sell to advertisers and data miners.”

Zangi's business strategy and revenue source are through in-app purchases. The app only allows free download for personal use, which comes with limited features(Zangi.com, 2020). The app offers three premium versions; Team Version, Pro Version, and Pro On-Premise Version. All three premium versions offer different features, with the pro-on-premises offering the most advanced features.

The Team version features unlimited users, management panel, statistics, full control of users, push notifications, end to end encryption, low data usage, modern messenger features, SIP Trunk integration. And HD Voice Transcoders. On the other hand, the Pro version features all the team features that will add features such as your own branded apps, and keep your apps incognito or publish them. At the same time, the Pro on Premise features all the Pro features with an additional feature on the host on-premise or your cloud. These extra embedded features are the main sources of Zangi revenue(figure 4).

Governance

This involves the restrictions and regulations that an app owner puts into place to regulate how users use certain services or carry out certain activities in the app to achieve their mission and operating model(Light et al., 2018). The app owners provide the rules and regulations in the app's rules and guidelines. The Zangi app enforces its user to allow access to their data during the registration process. The application also provides several means of verification during account registration. It provides email verification and mobile verification, therefore restricting it’s users to that.

Zangi Messenger Technical Walkthrough

According to Light, Burgess, and Duguay (2018), the technical walk-through method is "a central data-gathering procedure." The methods require the user to engage with an app's interface through tapping buttons and exploring menus while walking through its screens. The method is mainly analyzed using three steps; app registration and entry, everyday use, and discontinuation of use. In this section, we shall evaluate the Zangi application based on the three technical walk-throughs.

Zangi App Registration and Entry

This is the initial stage of a technical walk-through. This section highlights how a user registers and sets up an account. Zangi app registration screen (figure 5) starts with stating its vision statements. The app lets the users go through 4 stages of vision statements before proceeding to the registration screen(figure5,6,7 and 8). After four welcome screens, the app prompts you to open a registration screen(figure 9). This screen is the verification screen. In this screen, the app requires you to key in a valid email address or phone number, in which the app automatically sends a four-digit verification code to the keyed number or email address. Once the code is received, the verification code is keyed, and the app takes the user to the next registration screen(figure 10). This screen allows users to set up their profile. The app then takes you to a final registration screen(figure 11), which requires you to accept or decline app access to your data.

Zangi Everyday Use

This section describes the activities users participate in regularly. Zangi app allows its users regularly to be able to send text messages, use original emoji, make voice and video calls, and also upload and share files of unlimited sizes.

App Suspension, Closure and Leaving

This section describes the process involved in login out, hiding your profile, and how to delete your data and account. Zangi app does not offer a method for login out. So long as you have installed the application and have a cellular connection, it will always be active to receive and make calls. However, the application offers a method to hide your profile, last seen, and typing. Since the Zangi app does not store data on any server, it allows its users to delete their data and account. This feature erases all the information linked to a given account.

Conclusion

Social media applications are of great importance because their enable people to connect and share thought/opinions. This apps reflects our social, economic, and cultural behaviors. Therefore, understanding the walk-through method is of key importance in understanding the cultural influence of social media applications.

Referencing

Baumer, E.P., Guha, S., Quan, E., Mimno, D., Gay, GK, 2015. Missing photos, suffering withdrawal, or finding freedom? How experiences of social media non-use influence the likelihood of reversion. Social Media+ Society 1, 2056305115614851.

Light, B., Burgess, J., Duguay, S., 2018. The walk-through method: An approach to the study of apps. New media & society 20, 881–900.

Van Dijck, J., 2013. The culture of connectivity: A critical history of social media. Oxford University Press.

Zangi.com, 2020. Zangi Private Messenger [WWW Document]. URL https://zangi.com/defaultRoute (accessed 7.9.20).

Zangi.com, n.d. Zangi Pricing [WWW Document]. URL https://zangi.com/pricing (accessed 7.10.20).

Appendix

Figure 1: An example of Zangi website Screen Snip Showing Zangi Vision Statement

Figure 2: Screen Capture of Zangi Playstore Download Screen

Figure 3: Screen Snip of Zangi App WebPage

Figure 4: Screen snip of Different Premium Versions of Zangi App

Figure 5: Screen Capture of Zangi Initial Welcome Screen

Figure 6: Screen Capture of Zangi Second Welcome Step Screen

Figure 7: Screen Capture of Zangi Third Welcome Screen

Figure 8: Screen Capture of Zangi Final(Forth) Welcome Screen

Figure 9: Screen Capture of First Registration Screen

Figure 10: Screen Capture of the Second Registration Screen

Figure 11: Screen Capture of Final Registration screen