Last modified: 2012-04-21 17:37:12 UTC
I've tried the new UploadWizard. On my first try i thought it was broken because i couldn't find an 'upload' button anywhere. I was thinking that maybe it was my browser so i tried Firefox. Same effect. I started clicking on parts of the cartoon (maybe that starts the upload process?) It was only after i looked at the page more carefully that i noticed the small 'Next' button at the complete bottom right. I think this won't help in getting new users on Commons. Bounce rate on the page will probably be high because there's no visual clear interaction clue on the page. I would recommend changing the first page like this: 1) Remove the cartoon from the first page. Replace with a big 'Upload' button. 2) User clicks button 3) First time? Show the cartoon in a lightbox with the 'Don't show again' checkbox at the button. 4) Not the first time? Proceed immediatly to 'Upload'
In seven tests with a total of 26 testers, not a single one failed or canceled at the first step. You can see the test results for yourself here, in chronological order (the first ones show lots of other issues that were fixed in later iterations). http://www.usertesting.com/TestResults.aspx?v1q0a6j7q7t2j5t8 http://www.usertesting.com/TestResults.aspx?o2a0t1o1m6r0c1s4 http://www.usertesting.com/TestResults.aspx?j0w2m1y7v4e5n0y6 http://www.usertesting.com/TestResults.aspx?s5w3p4d8e7k8n3a8 http://www.usertesting.com/TestResults.aspx?w7f0e1j0l2i8x5m3 http://www.usertesting.com/TestResults.aspx?q2t2m5i3x0n7k2p5 http://accounts.usertesting.com/TestResults.aspx?m4y4l7y0t2m1h7q7 The "Next" button is deliberately below the cartoon to make it clear that the information is a required part of the upload process.
In addition to the description by Hay, I would like to add that this problem repeats itself on the next screen; namely the screen to release rights. It was seen during a session I had with an elderly user, who also had trouble with the first button "Select a media to donate" button. At this time the storyboard cartoon is no longer shown (Please note that all test users had to scroll down to get to the end of this cartoon). The only visible thing in the middle of the screen is the "Select media to donate" button. Though large, this button does not scream "Click me!". I feel a better text on this button would simply be the word "Upload", since that is the text on the corresponding "arrow step" that is highlighted in the toolbar above that. After getting the file uploaded, the next hurdle was this invisible "Next" button that as Hay reported, indeed was no where in sight, having dropped off the screen in the lower right. In this short video created by the Romanian Wiki Loves Monuments team, the problem is apparent, because you can easily see that the user scrolls down to find the 'Next' button (which is called something else in Romanian, but that doesn't matter). It wasn't until I saw the video that it occurred to me that only people who are familiar with Wikimedia Commons know intuitively to scroll down for more! http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Incarcare-foto-wikilovesmonuments.ogv
Marking as invalid since it's an intentional design decision and user studies don't show any major unintended consequences.
I am disappointed that this is the conclusion. I will be so bold as to assume that virtually all user studies were executed with new users aged 40 and under who tend to use a much higher resolution on their computers than the elderly user of 50+ who is one of our target audiences for uploading photo's of historic sites. When using a low resolution, the upload button is nowhere in sight.
No - it's not in sight because it's right below the tutorial which we want users to read. And that tutorial takes more than one screen, even on high resolution screens. Users are expected to scroll, and they do, after some initial recognition of "Oh, I guess I can't just make this thing go away immediately".
