Our Channel – Product Specification & Proposal - saayam-for-all/docs GitHub Wiki

Our Channel – Product Specification & Proposal

1. Summary

This proposal introduces a new “Our Channel” feature to provide users with quick access to Saayam For All’s official social media platforms across the homepage and communication channels (e.g., email templates).

The purpose of this feature is to:

  • Increase community engagement
  • Improve visibility and credibility
  • Encourage users to follow, subscribe, and stay connected

This feature is informational and promotional in nature and does not affect core Help Request workflows.

2. Problem Statement

Currently, the homepage does not prominently display Saayam For All’s official social media channels.

As a result:

  • Users may not easily discover our YouTube, LinkedIn, or other platforms
  • Community engagement opportunities are reduced
  • Donors and partners may find it harder to validate activity and outreach

We need a clear, visible section that directs users to our official communication channels.

3. Goals

Primary Goals

  • Add a visible “Our Channel” section on the homepage
  • Provide clickable social media links
  • Encourage users to follow and subscribe

Secondary Goals

  • Improve brand trust and transparency
  • Increase subscriber growth across platforms
  • Strengthen donor perception of active engagement

4. Non-Goals

This feature will NOT:

  • Embed live social feeds (initially)
  • Add chat or messaging functionality
  • Collect user social data
  • Track individual user behavior beyond basic analytics

5. Proposed Placement

Recommended location on homepage:

  • Below the About Us section
    OR
  • Above the Footer

The section should be:

  • Clean
  • Minimal
  • Fully mobile-responsive

6. UI/UX Requirements

Section Title

Our Channel

Subtitle (Optional)

Stay connected with Saayam For All across our official platforms.

Display Format

  • Social media icons (center aligned or grid layout)
  • Each icon clickable
  • Opens in a new tab
  • Consistent spacing and branding

Supported Platforms (Initial List)

  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn
  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • Twitter (X)
  • WhatsApp Channel (if applicable)

7. Functional Requirements

  • Each icon must:

    • Open in a new tab
    • Use official Saayam account URLs

  • Icons must include accessibility labels (aria-label)

  • Fully responsive layout

  • No auto-redirects or forced pop-ups

  • Optional: Track click events via analytics

8. Technical Considerations

  • Implement as a reusable React component
  • Store social links in a configuration file for easy updates
  • Use trusted icon libraries (e.g., FontAwesome / Material Icons)
  • Ensure no impact on homepage performance

External links must use:

  • target="_blank"
  • rel="noopener noreferrer"

9. Security & Compliance

  • Only verified official Saayam links are allowed
  • No third-party embedded scripts in MVP
  • No collection of social login data
  • Maintain privacy-first principle

10. Email Template Integration

Purpose

Provide consistent visibility of Saayam For All’s official social media channels in outgoing platform emails.

Scope

  • Add social media icons/links in email footer templates
  • Display official channels (YouTube, LinkedIn, etc.)
  • Consistent branding with website homepage section

Requirements

  • Icons must be clickable
  • Links must open official Saayam accounts
  • Mobile-friendly email layout
  • Compatible with standard email clients
  • No tracking pixels beyond existing email analytics

Benefits

  • Improves outreach visibility
  • Strengthens brand consistency
  • Encourages engagement beyond platform usage

11. Future Enhancements (Optional)

  • Display subscriber/follower count
  • Embed YouTube preview section
  • Add WhatsApp “Join Channel” button
  • Add dynamic social feed
  • Integrate Donation CTA near this section

12. Acceptance Criteria

The feature will be considered complete when:

  • “Our Channel” section is visible on homepage
  • Social media links available in email templates
  • All social icons are functional and verified
  • Fully responsive on desktop and mobile
  • Accessibility labels added
  • Reviewed and approved by Product before production merge

13. Release Positioning

This feature:

  • Homepage section and email template integration can be included in 1.0 MVP as a lightweight engagement enhancement

This does not introduce risk to core system functionality.

14. Success Metrics

Measure impact through:

  • Increase in YouTube subscribers
  • Increase in LinkedIn followers
  • Social engagement growth
  • Homepage engagement metrics