When people first learn about Common Craft, one of the first questions they ask is where we get ideas for new videos. Our answer usually has three parts.
Member Suggestions
Our best and most reliable source is Common Craft members, who have inspired over one third of the titles in our library. Members have a simple tool for suggesting and voting on video titles. As suggestions are made and bubble to the top of the list, we often choose to work on those videos. And as you might expect, member suggestions frequently become our most popular videos. Some examples:
If you are a Common Craft member, I encourage you to suggest or vote on video titles.
The Zeitgeist
From the earliest days of Common Craft, Sachi and I have discussed what emerging subjects needed explanations. In the early days, social media was new and confusing to most people. We could see this was a problem and explainer videos could help. Our videos on topics like wikis, social media and twitter helped millions of people understand why these new ideas mattered.
We are constantly on the lookout for subjects "in the zeitgeist", growing in relevance and in need of a clear explanation. Examples of these include:
Filling Gaps
And finally, we choose to create videos that fill gaps in the library. Our videos are organized into seven categories and those categories become guides for choosing new titles. For example, our Net Safety category covers videos related to being aware and safe online. We are always looking for new titles that make the categories more complete.
Of course, we also love hearing suggestions from fans. If you have ideas for videos you'd like to see us produce, contact us or leave a comment below.