SSO (Single Sign On): Why Does It Suck So Often? – SxSW 2012
William
In Information Architecture, Interaction Design, Philosophy, SxSW, Usability Posted March 16, 2012
The more information you need, the worse off you are – users only want you to have the data you really need.
Flow is important to gaining traction in small apps – every button, field, etc. is a new risk of losing a potential user.
Build on networks people are already using. Facebook, Google +, and Twitter have all solved the security authentication issues for you. Use the SSO that fits the info you’ll need from the users – i.e. Twitter doesn’t offer you email. Network distribution improves user sign up and therefore interactions
The SSO promise was to make the system easy to use, asking for little info, and allow users to be autonomous. In reality, it’s difficult to implement and recognize all the new use cases.
How do we resolve difference in UX, data needed, and platform complexities? Transparency will guide the best experience for the user. Layer on useful data such as pseudonyms, asking the right questions of users, and being involved in building the type of community you want.
Identity versus Permissions is a huge balance act: Users have different concepts on different networks, each network has nuanced privacy approaches to think about each time, and it’s good for short term boosts.
Take Home
SSO is difficult to implement, but users are comfortable as long as you ask for the right data (that is, only what you need). More users will sign in if they trust the social network to authenticate them. Use the SSO that will help promote the type of community you wish to build but be cautious about what data you receive from that network.
See Also
#sso
Survey Shows Majority of Consumers Prefer Social Sign-In
