In the design and implementation of user profile UI, the following questions seem unavoidable:
- What is the benefit to the user of completing a profile page?
- What is the benefit to the site?
- Why not just stick with a username? i.e. lose profile pic, bio, etc.
The example closest to my heart is the intranet at my company. One in four users have a profile picture and fewer still have contributed any more information than that. Here on ux.stackexchange, my at-a-glance tally of the question-askers on the front page as I write this question, shows that less than half have done more than create a username.
If users are so naturally disinclined to the complete profile, then what is the benefit that will supposedly be experienced if they do fill in all the blanks? Why do we go to all the trouble of creating user profile interfaces, if most people ignore them?
I have an intuitive answer, in that having e.g. profile pictures makes the experience more personal, and relatable, possibly increasing engagement. And in the case of this site e.g. the 'location' aspect of the profile helps in understanding (literally) where a person is coming from with their argument. Is English likely their first language? Do they come from a different culture?
But I'd like to know if there's any research, evidence, or significant findings that suggest it's a good thing to have completed user profiles, and if so, why?
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