Simulate feature is confusing

[Nekhelesh Ramananthan]

During user-testing, users found the simulate feature confusing. Do note that users found the feature useful! Its just that its presentation was confusing. The main reason for the confusion was found to be the icon. We need a better icon/text to describe that feature.

[costales (costales)]

Or a better tutorial?

[Nekhelesh Ramananthan (nik90)]

I think we shouldn't rely on the welcome tutorial too much. You have to understand that the welcome tutorial is shown *once* and realistically speaking how many users read through it and actually remember every little feature?

Imagine a scenario where you install a app which has several features. Do you honestly think you can remember every feature available and also how to use every feature just after looking through the welcome wizard? That's the issue we face here. It is not that the tutorial is confusing or that the user doesn't spend time looking through the tutorial.

The ideas of the top of my head are,

1. We improve the icon/text of that feature. May be we can take inspiration on how other map apps handle this for ideas?

2. We add "Show Welcome Wizard" settings option. This way users can go through the welcome wizard again to learn about these features if they are unsure/unclear about how to use a certain feature.

3. Ask the community for ideas on how to fix this issue.

However this definitely needs to be fixed. Every user (including me) was not sure how to use the simulate feature when we first starting using uNav.

[JkB (joergberroth)]

Hi,

an additional thought, that would give that feature even more touch:

Let's put the function to an general set start/set end behavior and let the user decide in the panel by adding an additional button
if s/he wants to "start" navigation or just "simulate" the route or" cancel" operation for any route.

Than the thing is clear.

[Sam Bull (dreamsorcerer)]

I was just about to register this bug based upon my own use. It took me several minutes and attempts to actually work out what that mysterious button does.

The first issue is the uplink/downlink icon which suggests something to do with network data.

A designer should be able to come up with better icons, but you probably want something like:
 - a map marker with a path trailing to the right, as the start icon
 - a finish flag with the path trailing to the left, as the end icon

The second issue is the lack of feedback on what is happening. I clicked the icon, and the only thing that happened is the marker's menu disappeared. This made me think that nothing happened, and promptly caused me to reselect the marker and press the icon a second time. At this point, it says simulating route, but gives some bizarre routing information. It would either give a route from/to the same point, obviously displaying nothing, or it would seemingly give a route to a random location around 100 metres away.

A potential solution for this, is to popup a notification on the first button press that says something along the lines of 'start point set'.

Another detail: If I select the same marker after setting the start point, the icon should still show the start icon, and the icon should be disabled, so it is not possible to set the same start/end point.

[costales (costales)]

Hi,
After Nekhelesh convergence I'll work on this. I have an idea on mind for fix this.