The word “viral” comes from the fact that digital things spread across the internet in the same way that actual viruses spread through groups of people in real life. Therefore, by understanding how real viruses are “designed” to get the job done, you can make your designs more “viral” as well.
Epidemiologists, who study viruses, measure two key things (among many others) to give them a sense of how a virus is spreading and behaving. Today we will learn the first one:
Incidence Rate
When we compare digital viruses to actual viruses in nature, it may seem weird to discuss the feelings our “virus” gives people. Viruses don’t have emotions! No, but they do hijack the natural behaviour of the organisms they infect. So today we learn about:
Viral Emotions
Every day this week we are going to learn something about the ingredients that make one design more viral than another. But what do we mean by “viral”? Well, that’s actually the first lesson:
The Difference Between Virality and Popularity
