UX Notes for Evolution's First-Run Assistant

Applications
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Here are some notes on the UX for Evolution’s First-Run Assistant. I have added them as issues but I thought it might be a good idea to post them in Discourse as well.

Welcome

UX: It is not obvious that the user is in a wizard. Adding text like “Welcome to Evolution’s First-Run Assistant” would be very helpful. Also, the user does not know that the Next button moves them through the wizard activities. Some text might be useful here: “Click on Next to proceed through the wizard” or something like that.

UX: It would be good to provide more information on what a “collection account” is versus a normal account.

Wizard Action 1: Restore Backup File

UX : The checkbox and field are not necessary. Replace them with “Restore Evolution backup file? (Y/N).” If the user enters “Y,” the wizard moves to the file navigation window. If the user enters “N,” the wizard goes on to the Identity section. If they want to go on to the Identity section, you could let users move onward by clicking Next.

Wizard Action 1: Choose a backup file

UX: Change the text to “Find backup file (with .*** sufffix):” where *** is the backup file suffix. The suffix would help the user find the backup file, and the verb “Find” lets the user know they are looking for something, which makes it easier for them to realize they are navigating the file system.

Wizard Action: Identity

UX: The sentence that begins “The ‘optional’ field” is not necessary. The user probably understands what “optional” means.

UX: The sentence next to the checkbox is vague. There could be more info, maybe. What users would want to uncheck the box and what would happen if they left it unchecked. Who would benefit from unchecking the box?

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I have added them as issues but I thought it might be a good idea to
post them in Discourse as well.

Hi,

well, duplicating places for discussion is not the best thing to do. Do
you want to discuss things here or in the GitLab? What if someone
comments on both places and someone on one only. Which one is “the main
source of truth”? Do you see? Duplication causes more trouble than
gain.

For the record, it’s:

Welcome

UX: It is not obvious that the user is in the Evolution configuration
“wizard.”

Are you sure? The text I see says “Welcome to Evolution. The next few
screens will allow Evolution to connect to …” Okay, maybe it’s not
straightforward, but it’s also not fuzzy.

UX: It would be good to provide more information on what
a “collection account” is versus a normal account.

Not much place to replace user documentation (which lacks the
information at the moment, but it’s only a detail).

Replace them with “Restore Evolution backup file? (Y/N).”

Questions inside wizard are not standard. I’d consider it bad as well.

UX: Change the text to “Find backup file (with .*** sufffix):”

The “open file” dialog is not a “find dialog”. You choose a file with
it, not search for a file in it. Yes, you move between directories in
the dialog, but it’s not like a real search thing.

where *** is the backup file suffix.

Backups can have two different extensions, know to the evoltuion’s
backup tool, but I agree the “open file” dialog could have the
extensions merged.

UX: The sentence that begins “The ‘optional’ field” is not necessary.
The user probably understands what “optional” means.

To be honest, it’s not obvious which fields are optional and which not.
The user will be informed when the mandatory field is empty, but the
text as such is kinda generic.

UX: The sentence next to the checkbox is vague. There could be more
info, maybe. What users would want to uncheck the box and what would
happen if they left it unchecked. Who would benefit from unchecking
the box?

I guess you mean the “Look up mail server details based on the entered
e-mail address” checkbox (which is the only one there in the 3.48.4).
What precisely is vague on it? That’s just an autoconfig attempt.
Writing ten-sentences paragraph into a wizard doesn’t help anybody. If
you’ve a better idea for a short text, then feel free to suggest it.

For example I like this checkbox. Comparing to Thunderbird, it does the
autoconfig attempt unconditionally, which is a disaster from my point
of view. People may know their server does not support autoconfig, thus
they can skip this step and get straight to the configuration without
wasting their time waiting on something what will fail anyway.

The above are just mine personal opinions. They can differ from the
wider audience.

Bye,
Milan
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