X, formally Known as Twitter: Documenting Group Development Through Storytelling In Design

Abstract

In 2006, Twitter launched as a novel social media platform characterized by its succinct 140-character limit with bright, bubbly branding. The site attracted people around the world from all walks of life, and by 2022, the renowned company boasted over 200 million active accounts and became a well-known name within the media landscape. That same year, the social media company would undergo new private ownership, leading to significant transformations for users. Now rebranded as X by entrepreneur Elon Musk, numerous changes have taken place, sending shockwaves to users with each new transformation. This paper uses Tuckman's model of group development stages to examine the long-term impacts of leadership and user-interface changes on the community and cultural dynamics of the platform formerly known as Twitter. In addition, a timeline created in Adobe Illustrator used various design methods and principles to tell the history of Twitter, X, and the transition between them in a unified design.