Help GetHelp! :: why i think it might not have made it big

I think it's rather cute that the case study we're supposed to do is Get Help! makes it rhyme with the help Get Help! haha

Overall, I think the whole project idea is very good though I do suppose they would have to put in more time into designing their applications and make sure that it is easy to use it to accomplish their goals : Get help outside of those you know, higher chances. Though i do have to mention that while the idea is good, it has a huge competitor, search engines like Google. Most people, when they want help they'd just search the internet and have instant answers at their finger tips. They might to want to post at Get Help! Perhaps, also one of the biggest reason why they might not have made it big, there're already established forums out there to solve different needs, help sites everywhere, just a keyword and enter away. As this is not spontaneous help and people have to check each day if someone replied which i might add, might be days or weeks before you even get one comment, it is not as attractive as search engines.

That aside, on a first glance, the whole application looks pleasing enough, the graphics are nice, it was aesthetically pleasing to the eyes. However, this problem and question keeps stumbling me throughout my journey to help create Gentoo. Is aesthetically nice graphics always enough to sustain or make a successful application. More often then not, the answer smacked me back straight in the face (quite hard I must add), no. I learnt it the hard way the first time round. Yes, I agree that good nice user interface is a deciding factor and is needed but definitely not a must or a will lead to success factor. Just take a look at facebook, many of the most popular applications out there don't really have the aesthetics. Fancy stuff don't always work if it's not user friendly with the stickiness factor, especially on facebook. With so many appliciations out there, fancy graphics alone will not help keep the users, cause i'm sure when they use an application, they stay because the application is fun and useful to them, not just because it's fancy.

That being said, Get Help! graphics is really nice and pleasing on the whole, however, I do believe that there can be improvements done to make it simpler, or rather, more focus as well as more user friendly.

For one, I feel that the diagonal tabs was rather placed in a very awkward manner. Firstly, i have to tilt my head to look at what it is about. It makes me feel, out of balance with the tilting of the tabs. The stats 3D model idea was nice but admittedly doesn't quite fit in nicely. for one, the like the tab, it's slanted and is a top-down view that i have to consciously take closer look to make out what it is about. Furthermore, the different slant between the icon in the tab and the actual one when in the stats place slants different direction and while i don't think it does make a great impact on the first glance, it does subtly put the user off balance, especially when the other icons are not as solidly 3D. It some how put user off balance in a subtle way.

That aside, I think the words for the tabs could have been bigger or at least more obvious, since when i win+left the browser, the words are meshed together and rather hard to read. I do recommend for the profile icon to be simpler in design since it's rather complicated and not as focus.

As for the shield, i do believe that the outline could be bold (standardise with the rest of the tab icons and the shape more defined) with the middle picture a obvious design, of perhaps a medal so that it will stand out? The actual badge is rather cute as well though I'd suggest different design for perhaps, different categories of medal, perhaps, colour code it like a real medal, bronze, silver, gold e.t.c. it might entice the user to want to get a nice medal~ nice idea to have nice nicknames for that goes hand in hand with the medal as well. Another suggestion could be that the user can "pin" their medal on their facebook profile with perhaps and optional personal description at what their area of specialties are so that 1) acknowledge user's contribution, makes them proud 2) spread the word 3) allow the user to want to create an image that they can provide very good quality help. You might want to create ratings for how well each help goes as well.

A little side note on the invite icon, the guy looks rather fierce and if i didn't see the invite, i'd have thought that it was for perhaps complain or something like that. A more friendly icon would be preferred in my case, or a simple icon.

There're also a little thing that some people have noticed, the inconsistency of interface. For one, if the tags are there as navigation tags, then i suggest all major navigation should be there, there're missing elements like the projects page. When all the tags are in monochrome, it makes me wonder, where's the tag that's supposed to be in colour? that is one thing that i think should be noted. Moreover, the tags should be consistent, either overlap or be overlapped at all times, or if you want, on the active one is overlapped. The disparity can be rather unpleasing.

Regarding the user interface, i do think the Project Page was rather badly designed since i have no idea what the whole page is about. (I believe a good application user interface should allow the user to use the application without even looking for instructions, i myself am working hard towards it for penguin >w<) The layout is rather cluttered and as mentioned above, i have no idea what to do about them. I would suggest a clean and need page with perhaps a divider between one's projects or rather their own help needed (btw, why is it called project, it's rather odd considering that this is about getting help) as well the general list of all the help out there. One question that i have in mind, how do i know if others need help, from what i can see, you'd have wait for people to ask you. I believe that an additional structure feature that could be added is perhaps common area for all the projects to be placed at. One thing, it makes getting help easier, secondly you can also take a look at topics that interest you, something like that of a forum. The Project page, in my opinion, should be clean cut with just 2 area, one dedicated to your own need and other to those that you're helping. That said, new interface would have to be created instead for contacts (that upon clicking the person will show the links of all the help he's provided or required) as well as a general help area.

Though I think the refer a friend! Help Her! Wish her Luck! thingy is a rather nice idea, it does create incentives to create the necessary network. An opinion of mine would be that helpers dun need to add the application, just be directed to a page where they can post comments and such. This will make things easier and people more willing to help out without all the trouble of adding the application and what not. When they need help, they just add the application, this might be a plausible approach in my opinion.

As for the overview and the statics page, I would suggest that it could be merged together so that it's more focused in one area and the layout should be simple to catch (perhaps the top few and if the user want, could expand it) so that it is easy on the eyes and to use too.

Now that we are on usability, I do believe that they can improve on it. For one the need help page is really cluttered and confusing. For one, if i want a help, I'm not sure if I should type it at the top column alone or need to fill in everything. It is rather tedious to post a help and might not be that user friendly. For one, I do think that the default image really needs to be changed because 1) i have no idea the link and 2) it's rather hard to decipher what it is since the star outline is not consistent and I have no idea what is the background image, is it a gun barrel? Perhaps a catching understandable icon could be used. A suggestion would be to create genres for the various different type of queries so that 1) it is easier to organise and 2) easy for other users to tell and pick the type of help they can provide instead of reading through everything. With the different categories, it's more focused and easier to get help. If i'm a programmer seeing if i can help, I won't really go read through all the help request to see which one i can solve will i? Though the idea of putting personal picture up there is a nice freedom given to user, i don't see how it'd help if im scanning through request using the pictures?

That aside, i do believe that the interface really should reduce on some optional stuff. For example, they could have adopted the library search structure. With just the main title there (at least the general genre as the caption) with the description and the specific type of help that they might require. The should placed in a expandable button or extra details. That said, i wonder what's the deadline and estimated time dong there together? I suppose the deadline (i personally would have prefer a nicer phrasing since deadline is like chasing someone for answer/assignment like that) would be when the person needs the help by (most won't bother, are they gonna take down the project once it's past the deadline?) I have no idea what estimated time does and why location matters (this is to get help over the internet through network isn't it) but I do believe that users should be able to create their own tags, if I'm mistaken then sorry. In this case, with all the options and what not listed out there, while it gives users wider choice, it also gives the impression that user cannot just post "express" query that's straight to the point without those fancy stuff.

Regarding the "who do you want to ask" I think it's a great idea to allow the users to choose who do they want to ask but I do believe that one of the choices would have to be put it up for all to see and help. Limiting the query to just friends is a nice way to get more people to join but i do believe that it can be rather restrictive in the sense where other non-friends can come see and help as well. Though that is accomplished by reference ( to friends of friends) it is not as efficient and user-friendly to ask everyone for help. One of the main purpose is to use facebook's network to get to know other people outside of your circle that might have just the right set of skills to help you. The max scope being posting to all your friends perhaps is a little restrictive in the sense. I am curious that if i click those contradicting choices, what will happen? How to the sms work btw, quite curious, pluck handphone numbers outta friend's profile and spam? interesting concept here but if it's just sms, I could have sent it to my friends myself using my phone which is more accessible unless you can provide me with the contacts i don't have?

Though the fact that they provide different modes of communication, i am curious as to how it will work. How do i reply to you if im on twitter and see that you need help or perhaps received an sms from you? convenient contact by my own means, perhaps msn, (what about strangers? how to contact them back) or open the browser, go to fb, then to the app then look at your request? what if i'm not on the list on the people that got your request through fb, what then, how am i to help? That is perhaps, 1 major loophole they've missed. In terms of freedom, i think they could've done better by allowing people the choice to pick and choose (something like the normal fb interface where you can check off people or things like that) and also allow them the privilege to create their own personal list and choose to allow which group of people to be sent the request for help in which mode. For example, if i have 2 groups of friends, first one to their profile page, perhaps the second to contact then through twitter, the user are restricted in this sense.

it is a very interesting and workable concept though i do think they need to put more thought into it's structural design and what not. A consistent platform for queries to be answered or made would be nice. I personally feel, these should come under the extra options portion, perhaps on another button for extra form of help (the call for help should linked to the general place everyone goes like in forum like that as well as to post help onto the walls of friends, though perhaps im missing something but I don't think they have (sizzling fires don't count). Talking about sizzling fires, i do believe that flame makers should change a name since when first read it, i interpreted it as those flame wars out like like those at jon's blog...

that aside, while these may be problems of the application have faced, I do not think they are as major as being faced with harsh competitions from search engines. Until they have found a way to get around or get better help then a few keywords in search engines like Google can do, they will face a rather hard time to make it big. just my 2 cent, or rather a lot of cents input >.<