The Research Of The User Stickiness In Mobile Social Applications Based On Flow Theory

With the increasing development of technology, China has undergone a rapid development in Internet technology. In the process of the Internet development in China, Mobile Terminal Device and the popularization of 4G lead to an explosive growth in mobile Internet. Among these, social networking, as the revolutionary application in the process of Internet development, has changed people’s communication style and the information dissemination channels, and the mobile social application becomes indispensability consequently. However, the phenomenon of homogenization in mobile social application is increasingly serious, it is hard to ensure a high and steady user stickiness when the function and user interface become similar. Due to the user stickiness has a direct influence on the survival and development of all applications, it is a urgent need to improve the user stickiness.As a kind of emotional experience which one person puts all his/her energy into a certain activity, flow has a widespread application in many aspects and has been approved of influence in the individual emotional experience by scientific experiment. So it has an extraordinary value to introduce the flow theory into the analysis of the user stickiness in mobile social applications. Based on the phenomenon of homogenization in mobile social application, this thesis takes flow theory as a starting point and exploring the user’s potential demands in order to put forward a series of theoretical and systematic design principles to improve the user stickiness in mobile social applications and create rich and comprehensive interactive experience.This thesis has four parts. Firstly, this thesis makes definitions of the mobile social application, the user stickiness, flow theory and so on, as well as the important research value of flow theory in mobile social applications. Secondly, this thesis analyses user’s behavioral requirements and elements resulting in flow. And then, summarize the relationship between flow and user stickiness through many research methods, and build a cause and effect model between user, flow and mobile social applications. In the meantime, this thesis puts forward relevant design principles and comprehensive design methods, as well as the definition of gaming tasks. At last, use the design methods and principles from models into specific project to testify and reach the conclusion that gaming social methods can help user have full flow experience. It can not only improve the user stickiness, but also show directions for existing mobile social applications.