UX: Add App First-Use Message

[robi]

It would be nice to have some instructions or tutorials to give users on their first click of a new app that shows up in their dashboard.

Avoids setting up calls or training later if it's more self service.

EDIT: This is not the first use admin message, this is for USERS of the app after it's been set up, for things like instructions, tutorials, videos, and other relevant things for the organization and the app.

[jdaviescoates]

@robi nice idea, but oftentimes my uses don't first click on the link in the dashboard (if even really ever visit the dashboard at all) they just go directly to the url of the app.

[marcusquinn]

As Elon Musk says (I'm sure he's not the first, I say similar): "if your product needs an instructions manual, it's broken".

I'm a fan of in-line documentation, as in naming conventions, navigation, tool-tips.

I get that most people bookmark or just type the first few letters of a regular url to auto-complete from history, so the dashboard is more first use until then.

I think what you're suggesting is similar to the first-click instructions for the Admin's setup of an app - but for the users after that?

[robi]

@marcusquinn said in UX: Add App First-Use Message:

I think what you're suggesting is similar to the first-click instructions for the Admin's setup of an app - but for the users after that?

Exactly, thanks for helping clarify!

Supporting users who need this.

[thetomester13]

I believe this exists already? I think I recall seeing this message on certain apps that required some special start up instructions or had a custom login. And you can always view that message again by hitting the info 'i' icon on an app from your dashboard.

[marcusquinn]

@thetomester13 Yup, that's kinda an Admins message though.

I think @robi is suggesting a different one for users.

Might help with @d19dotca's explaining to webmail users to use a username instead of email address in instances where's that's an FAQ.

[Lonkle]

@robi As much as conveyance is one of my topmost priorities so I agree with @marcusquinn, it goes without saying that we will all have limitations when supporting an app that may not have as much conveyance as we want in the beginning, but is still a good app to have in the store. So, maybe this is something to consider.

But thinking out loud, based on @jdaviescoates criticism, I can't think of a way off the top of my head to send a message to users unless you invested a lot of time altering the app to show a new message based on the already custom LDAP integration.

Bsically, very hard work, very little gain. Do you disagree?

[robi]

@Lonk nah this is easy.

It's just a flag for first run message for users that are not admins. And adding it to the app Info menu in case they forget.

[Lonkle]

But then we'd have to block the site out from the public - or do you not mind @jdaviescoates caveat in this situation. That's the issue I don't know how to solve in an not-overtly-complex way.

[robi]

@Lonk said in UX: Add App First-Use Message:

But then we'd have to block the site out from the public - or do you not mind @jdaviescoates caveat in this situation. That's the issue I don't know how to solve in an not-overtly-complex way.

No that's not part of the use case. Only Cloudron dashboard users.. first use.

[Lonkle]

@robi Oh, I gotcha, the easy way to enforce this then is to create the LDAP connection user by user as each user clicks on the app inside the Cloudron dashboard. That way they can't get in from "the outside" without getting the message. And it won't block public usage if theres a public front-end.

[marcusquinn]

I hadn't thought of the direct to app URL first-use-case - but if that were an objective, I guess you could inject a Cloudron js into the header for all apps to show notification bars at the top of the page or something.

[girish]

@robi currently the message for admins comes from the package. For the users, are you thinking of something provided by the package or provided by the cloudron admin?

[Lonkle]

Yeah, what @girish said. That's what I'm curious about too.

[robi]

@girish said in UX: Add App First-Use Message:

@robi currently the message for admins comes from the package. For the users, are you thinking of something provided by the package or provided by the cloudron admin?

Cloudron admin.
org specific instructions of edu videos, etc.
how to get started basically.

Many users are lost until they're guided or shown something. Since not all apps have a wizard to show them the ropes, a nice first use message is needed.

[girish]

@robi Would this be on a per-app basis or when a user logs on to Cloudron the first time? The latter seems definitely like a very nice idea!

[robi]

@girish I'd say both..

My initial thought was for specific Apps, but having a general Cloudron one would be very useful as well.

[Lonkle]

@robi I still wish there was a way to make it mandatory. Like @jdaviescoates issue with this. I can only think to do so by LDAP syncing a user on a case by case basis as soon as they see the first login message to at least ensure all these admins of the site get the first use message before they jump into the app and start doing stuff because there login credentials won’t work unless they see that message first.

[Lonkle]

@marcusquinn said in UX: Add App First-Use Message:

I hadn't thought of the direct to app URL first-use-case - but if that were an objective, I guess you could inject a Cloudron js into the header for all apps to show notification bars at the top of the page or something.

The problem with this is, this isn’t a message we’d want anyone except Cloudron users (the admins) to see.

[robi]

@Lonk that's more of a sloppy admin issue.

The app should be visibility controlled via access control groups.

When set up and ready, the access control is added the the appropriate user group.

If interesting, I can do a sponsored writeup about how to do this properly.