One of Frank Lloyd Wright’s great concepts was Organic Architecture, probably best illustrated by the famed FallingWater house in Pennsylvania. Well ahead of his time, many of his principals apply just as well to constructing online social spaces. Eco-Architect David Pearson describes Wrights principals in New Organic Architecture.

“Let the design:

• be inspired by nature and be sustainable, healthy, conserving, and diverse.
• unfold, like an organism, from the seed within.
  exist in the “continuous present” and “begin again and again”.
• follow the flows and be flexible and adaptable.
• satisfy social, physical, and spiritual needs.
• “grow out of the site” and be unique.
• celebrate the spirit of youth, play and surprise.
• express the rhythm of music and the power of dance.”

This is an incredibly powerful way to think of web design and how to incorporate social elements. I distill this to three core tenets, as follows:

• Conversations and interactions should be simple, natural and adaptable
• Respect and understand your market and audience in your interactions
• Continue to grow and evolve at a natural pace

While these may seem obvious and simple, we too often get caught up the in the glitz of technology and loose focus. The focus: organic approaches (in architecture and in social sites) are focused on the environment, goals and the people – a wonderful recipe for success!