In 2007, I worked with Ilene Chaiken, the creator and executive producer of the Showtime series The L Word, to create a social network based on the central theme of the show — the intertwined love lives of a group of women in West Hollywood.

Alice, one of the main characters, documented the complicated layers of friendships, relationships, and hookups on a continually-updated whiteboard chart that served as the visual inspiration for the site

The site itself, built in Drupal, consisted of three main parts: a full-fledged social network, a comprehensive content offering, and the chart itself — which was a fully interactive visual representation of the social network.

The content was a mix of entertainment and lifestyle blogs, behind-the-scenes features, podcasts, a weekly video series — called GirlTrash! — and a scripted soap opera that played out entirely on Twitter. The site was launched during the season 4 premiere of The L Word, and was actually written into that season’s plotline as a startup founded by characters on the show. Its launch was presented onstage by Jennifer Beals and Les Moonves at the 2007 Consumer Electronics Show, and covered covered in both the entertainment and tech press, including The New York Times.

OurChart built a dedicated member base during its first 18 months of operation, and was ultimately eclipsed by the rise of Facebook. Branding and visuals were by Albertson Design.