Comments on: Experiment: Twitter Usability – A new users first experience http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/2010/01/26/experiment-twitter-usability-new-users-first-experience/ Thoughts on tech, entrepreneurs, startups, sales and other idea's du jour Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:47:05 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: duncan_m http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/2010/01/26/experiment-twitter-usability-new-users-first-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-29 duncan_m Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:46:50 +0000 http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/?p=113#comment-29 Definitely and some people build stuff specifically so that novices can't use it and don't bother to reduce support or because it's just not needed.. But if your goal is fast growth then you want to be thinking about how you can make it as easily adoptable for all. Definitely and some people build stuff specifically so that novices can't use it and don't bother to reduce support or because it's just not needed.. But if your goal is fast growth then you want to be thinking about how you can make it as easily adoptable for all.

]]> By: linojon http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/2010/01/26/experiment-twitter-usability-new-users-first-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-28 linojon Sat, 06 Feb 2010 22:28:17 +0000 http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/?p=113#comment-28 At some point (if not very first) you have to say, "who is my target market?" At some point (if not very first) you have to say, “who is my target market?”

]]> By: duncan_m http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/2010/01/26/experiment-twitter-usability-new-users-first-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-27 duncan_m Sat, 06 Feb 2010 21:05:30 +0000 http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/?p=113#comment-27 Hey I thought I'd add some thoughts becuase you've made some good points.<br><br>-User uses Facebook<br>-Definately think that Mice and cd-rom drives (cup holders) could have had a better explination to the user as to their use. They still could. There's an assumption that a user knows what a trackpad on a laptop is. Take your $100 laptop and send it into a remote community where they've never seen computers (I'm assuming they have power) and when they turn it on for the first time it would be nice for them to get an explination of how they might go about using it. So far most and I'm pretty sure all versions of Windows assume the user has this knowledge. <br>The user is also a primary school teacher and so has to educate her classes on how to logon to computers for the first time and how to use mice, start menus and so on. If Microsoft designed first time users into the UI say perhaps a button for I'm a first time user then these users would have a better chance. <br><br>I think the best way to think about it would be to imagine an alien family have just arrived. Lets assume they have hands and ressemble one of the regular startrek charactersm, strange they all seem to be around 5-6ft :). What do they need to know in order to get to Google and find out more about the human race. Does the system recognise that they are a first time user and what could it do to make their experience easier for them. Essentially a child who has never used a computer is this person and needs to learn how to use a mouse, cd-drive.. There are obviously plenty of warmers these days tv being one of them but I think it pays to think about it, at least a little. Hey I thought I'd add some thoughts becuase you've made some good points.

-User uses Facebook
-Definately think that Mice and cd-rom drives (cup holders) could have had a better explination to the user as to their use. They still could. There's an assumption that a user knows what a trackpad on a laptop is. Take your $100 laptop and send it into a remote community where they've never seen computers (I'm assuming they have power) and when they turn it on for the first time it would be nice for them to get an explination of how they might go about using it. So far most and I'm pretty sure all versions of Windows assume the user has this knowledge.
The user is also a primary school teacher and so has to educate her classes on how to logon to computers for the first time and how to use mice, start menus and so on. If Microsoft designed first time users into the UI say perhaps a button for I'm a first time user then these users would have a better chance.

I think the best way to think about it would be to imagine an alien family have just arrived. Lets assume they have hands and ressemble one of the regular startrek charactersm, strange they all seem to be around 5-6ft :) . What do they need to know in order to get to Google and find out more about the human race. Does the system recognise that they are a first time user and what could it do to make their experience easier for them. Essentially a child who has never used a computer is this person and needs to learn how to use a mouse, cd-drive.. There are obviously plenty of warmers these days tv being one of them but I think it pays to think about it, at least a little.

]]> By: linojon http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/2010/01/26/experiment-twitter-usability-new-users-first-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-26 linojon Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:04:03 +0000 http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/?p=113#comment-26 random thoughts<br>- your user needed a conceptual model of social networking; if someone's used facebook they'll understand twitter much easier<br>- i'm old enough to remember when we had to teach people how to use a mouse<br>- twitter can also be used to follow news feeds and notices, so its not just social networking<br>- hashtags and lists are a mystery even to "regular" twitter users random thoughts
- your user needed a conceptual model of social networking; if someone's used facebook they'll understand twitter much easier
- i'm old enough to remember when we had to teach people how to use a mouse
- twitter can also be used to follow news feeds and notices, so its not just social networking
- hashtags and lists are a mystery even to “regular” twitter users

]]> By: duncan_m http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/2010/01/26/experiment-twitter-usability-new-users-first-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-25 duncan_m Mon, 01 Feb 2010 22:27:31 +0000 http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/?p=113#comment-25 I think it could although I'm not sure if I agree 100% with that particular video as it seems to be heavily weighted towards people following people they know whereas interestingly the people I know who have started using twitter outside of tech land are using it to follow celebs and people they don't know..<br><br>If you do have a video unless you're a music site I think it also makes sense to subtitle it as there are still plenty (most) office pc's which don't have sound.<br><br><a href="http://www.soundcloud.com" rel="nofollow">www.soundcloud.com</a> is a good example of a site with video on the front.. I think it could although I'm not sure if I agree 100% with that particular video as it seems to be heavily weighted towards people following people they know whereas interestingly the people I know who have started using twitter outside of tech land are using it to follow celebs and people they don't know..

If you do have a video unless you're a music site I think it also makes sense to subtitle it as there are still plenty (most) office pc's which don't have sound.

http://www.soundcloud.com is a good example of a site with video on the front..

]]> By: Kartik Gupta http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/2010/01/26/experiment-twitter-usability-new-users-first-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-24 Kartik Gupta Thu, 28 Jan 2010 23:33:26 +0000 http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/?p=113#comment-24 Interesting article that highlights the ambiguities in the resulting user experience of Twitter. Was wondering if a screen-cast demo or a video like this <a href="http://tr.im/LUkA" rel="nofollow">http://tr.im/LUkA</a> on the home page/sign-up page would help the first timer? Interesting article that highlights the ambiguities in the resulting user experience of Twitter. Was wondering if a screen-cast demo or a video like this http://tr.im/LUkA on the home page/sign-up page would help the first timer?

]]> By: duncanmalcolm http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/2010/01/26/experiment-twitter-usability-new-users-first-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-22 duncanmalcolm Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:50:31 +0000 http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/?p=113#comment-22 I don't know anyone at Twitter but if you do point them in the right directions.. I don't know anyone at Twitter but if you do point them in the right directions..

]]> By: duncanmalcolm http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/2010/01/26/experiment-twitter-usability-new-users-first-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-21 duncanmalcolm Wed, 27 Jan 2010 22:50:18 +0000 http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/?p=113#comment-21 I had the exact same experience.. I had the exact same experience..

]]> By: Girl Startup http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/2010/01/26/experiment-twitter-usability-new-users-first-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-19 Girl Startup Wed, 27 Jan 2010 15:27:00 +0000 http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/?p=113#comment-19 I think it's a usability/design problem to be honest, but I guess there is some natural lingo that not everyone will grab hold of at first. But it would be nice if they sort of had an intuitive help area, where you type something in and it comes back with a breakdown.<br><br>It really breaks a lot of rules in usability and yet it is one of the most popular applications available...so what do I know ;) I think it's a usability/design problem to be honest, but I guess there is some natural lingo that not everyone will grab hold of at first. But it would be nice if they sort of had an intuitive help area, where you type something in and it comes back with a breakdown.

It really breaks a lot of rules in usability and yet it is one of the most popular applications available…so what do I know ;)

]]> By: duncanmalcolm http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/2010/01/26/experiment-twitter-usability-new-users-first-experience/comment-page-1/#comment-17 duncanmalcolm Wed, 27 Jan 2010 14:45:12 +0000 http://www.duncanmalcolm.com/?p=113#comment-17 Do you think that's because of a design problem or just a lack of explanation of what Twitter is? I was stumped when I first joined and their strapline was 'Say what you're doing now' only after talking to a bunch of other people did I go back and give it a go.. Do you think that's because of a design problem or just a lack of explanation of what Twitter is? I was stumped when I first joined and their strapline was 'Say what you're doing now' only after talking to a bunch of other people did I go back and give it a go..

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