Consolidate features in user drop-down, UCP, profile

[crabpaws]

This is so confusing -- the links in the user drop-down, the different areas of the control panel, the profile section.

There should be ways *other than the drop-down* to get from one place to another.

Are all features available to the member going to be consolidated in 3.2?

[Matt]

What do you suggest?

[crabpaws]

Right now, the user drop-down is the only way to get from one area to the other.

It's really a jump menu to different places in the UCP/Profile. It's very disorienting that they are hidden away in the system and you can't get from one to the other. Design and labeling are inconsistent, too.

E.g. settings for Profile -- completely separated from Profile? In different places, the same thing is called Personal Messages, Messenger, and My Conversations?

All of these things cause usability problems. I dread having to explain it to my users. But you folks probably have heard this a thousand times.

I would include navigation, maybe via tabs, within the UCP/Profile area below and consolidate all the settings under the user's control in that navigation.

Profile could be the default page visible to visitors and the UCP nav tabs visible only to the user who owns them. Tabs could be Profile, Settings, My Content, Messages, and Friends.

But surely you folks have already given this some thought?

[bfarber]

But surely you folks have already given this some thought?

Of course, it's our job. Just because we've thought about area x, however, doesn't mean we'd have the same thoughts individual customers do, hence why Matt asked what YOU were thinking.

[crabpaws]

My thoughts run to much, much more detail than that, bfarber. :D

[Rikki]

I sort of disagree, and sort of agree.

I agree to the extent that I don't think things such as My Content, and My Watched Content should be in the UserCP - nor should the 'edit my profile' settings (which should be attached to the profile itself). Our aim eventually is to move these to their own areas where they do not have to live within the confines of the UserCP. The UserCP, imo, needs to be simplified and kept for settings and configuration only. It's something we've identified as an issue, but it's not an easy thing to do, though. It requires a big upheaval to implement, and it's not something to be taken lightly - so it won't be happening in 3.2 other than a few tweaks to certain items.

I disagree about removing the options in the menu. The dropdown is where users find everything relating to them. Honestly, we haven't heard any feedback that this is a difficult concept until now.

[crabpaws]

...I disagree about removing the options in the menu. The dropdown is where users find everything relating to them. Honestly, we haven't heard any feedback that this is a difficult concept until now.

I guess what concerns me is that "everything relating to them" has no front end other than the drop-down.

The drop-down items lead to places that look and act entirely differently, but do similar things. Why are the Manage Friends and Manage Ignored Users separated from My Settings, where you manage other things?

The link My Settings leads to a page called My Options -- disorienting. Having two things called Profile (Profile and Profile settings) in two different places is also confusing.

Then, in Profile, there are Topics and Posts which look like My Content and My Watched Content, while My Content and My Watched Content are someplace else. It takes some thinking to distinguish between these things, while "don't make me think" is the usability objective.

There's no way to grasp user-defined functions as a whole. They lack a sense of "place."

I understand this is not a small change. Well, we both agree Profile settings should be associated with Profile. ;)

PS You may not hear of this because it's on the user side. How many of your customers are crazy enough to put in the kind of effort it's taken me to report this?

To capture this info from users, you put them in front of the application, give them a task to accomplish, and ask them to think out loud. You can see where they're stopping to figure something out. It helps to videotape user testing.

[rastaX]

It's also difficult to articulate "feel". The label differences you point out are classic. I never put those things into a conscious thought, but I have on occasion arrived at a certain destination only to wonder what I was looking for. The difference between what I clicked on and what I was greeted with upon arrival can be a little disorienting. Of course after a few goes at it, you become accustomed. It is hard to put ourselves back to that place of original "newbness".

I have said in the past, it is difficult to pinpoint what exactly turns a visitor into a member. There are so many places the process can go wrong or right. A momentary feeling of "being stupid" is all it takes to make most people run for the hills. And while I have never been able to put my finger on anything specific, I think it's good that someone is dissecting all the little things that may be creating a user experience that is less enjoyable for some that other software provides. "God is in the detail"

[crabpaws]

Thanks, rastaX. User experience is all details.

Three things users should never be saying to themselves:

"Where the heck am I?"

"WTF am I looking at?"

"Did I click on the wrong thing?"

They get irritable and distrustful.

[Mat B]

To capture this info from users, you put them in front of the application, give them a task to accomplish, and ask them to think out loud. You can see where they're stopping to figure something out. It helps to videotape user testing.

Harder than you think over the Internet ;) Thats why well thought out detailed feedback is so helpful.

[crabpaws]

Harder than you think over the Internet ;) Thats why well thought out detailed feedback is so helpful.

You can bring in non-techie friends and family to your offices and observe them there or, better yet, observe them in their homes with their system set-ups, clutter, and distractions.

Go To Meeting can also work.

Bolt Peters does remote user testing, they're good people: http://boltpeters.com/

[7SiN]

I agree with crabpaws. If we come up with a better lay out, will it be highly considered? I don't want to waste my time if it's thought that the current system is perfect (which it is far from it) and anything suggested will be looked at and said "oh thats neat" and then carry on with your usual business...

[Luke]

I'm not sure if I understand some of the comments made above, but I do think the drop down and UserCP is really confusing and hard to navigate. I think it's better than 2.x, but still a bit hard to find things. I'll list some things I think would improve the software:

1) Dropdown: I use "My Content" all the time. I never use "View New Content" like others do. I'm interested in knowing what's going on with topics that I started or posted in. This helps me keep track of what's going on. "My Content" should be as prominent as "View New Content" (shouldn't be buried in the menu).
2) Profile: I often get "Settings" and "Profile" confused. I think these two areas should be merged together. More often than not I want to be in "Profile" anyway. "My Settings" should be "Edit Profile".
3) I almost never view "My Profile", and when I do I click my own photo.
4) With the improvements to notifications and personal conversations having their own icon in the open "Messenger" is useless as you can click on the inbox in 3.2.
5) "Manage Friends" should be part of the UserCP just like "Manage Ignored Users" is. Perhaps instead of "My Settings" or "Edit Profile" we can just have "Control Panel" with all these things (remove "Manage Ignored Users" and "Manage Friends" if they are in UserCP).
6) "Manage Facebook" and "Mange Twitter" should be merged into one area. Possibly some sort of login center or something.
7) Many of the areas start with "Manage", "My", or "Change". I think this is given. Should be "Ignored Users", "Friends", "Signature", "Photo" (if in the UserCP).

Those are my ideas so far which kind of go together so some don't make sense without the others.

[crabpaws]

I think those are all valid observations, Luke.

I agree with crabpaws. If we come up with a better lay out, will it be highly considered? I don't want to waste my time if it's thought that the current system is perfect (which it is far from it) and anything suggested will be looked at and said "oh thats neat" and then carry on with your usual business...

Thanks for agreeing! :))

I feel like I've been givin' it away here....