Experience

How do people join the community?

• Is this an open or a closed community?
• For open communities: what marks the difference between a member and a non-member?
• What is the onboarding process for new members?
• How are the people identified who should be part of the community?
• How actively does the community want to grow and add people?

How do members leave the community?

• Is there ever an end to the experience or does membership continue on indefinitely?
• Is there a separate structure or experience for people who have left the community (e.g. an alumni community)?
• How does the community handle inactive members?

What experiences do members share?

• How do the individual experiences connect to the community’s overall goals?
• Why are certain experiences more important than others?
• How are shared experiences organized: is everything organized top down for the members? Or do members organize experiences for each other?
• Do the shared experiences speak to a diverse group of members?

What rituals happen regularly?

• Which rituals deepen the bonds among members?
• Which rituals embody the community’s values?
• Which rituals mark specific milestones in the membership experience?
• Which rituals happen online?
• Which rituals happen in person?

What content creates value for members?

• How can the community tell the stories of its members?
• What content will create deeper bonds among members?
• How do members contribute valuable content to the community? 

What are the community’s rules? 

• What does the community expect from each member?
• What can the member expect from the community?
• What is considered “out of bounds” misbehavior?
• What are the rules for online interactions?
• What are the guidelines for in-person gatherings?
• How does the community deal with inactive members?
• What happens if someone doesn’t follow the rules?
• Which entity has the authority to create, change and enforce rules?

What roles can members play?

• Why do the different roles exist?
• What are the expectations for each role?
• What are the rules for how handovers and transfer of responsibilities happen?