GNOME Bugzilla – Bug 731973
make it clear what Software is
Last modified: 2014-07-16 11:43:14 UTC
To many users, the idea of a local app store is a bit of a foreign concept (especially from Windows, where the convention is to download apps from the web). As a result, we've had some user testing results recently, where a number of users couldn't figure out what the Software app actually is. One obvious way to fix this would be to show a dialog on first run, which explains the primary function of the app. https://raw.githubusercontent.com/gnome-design-team/gnome-mockups/master/software/version2/wire-first-run-dialog.png
Can you actually buy apps in the Software app? If not maybe the "Let's go shopping" line might be misleading?
Maybe improve Gnome-shell to display some descriptive information for applications. Right now it only says "Software" (and that is not the worst, Darktable - what does that do? You have to open it to find out). Maybe a mouse over or something, possible an additional line showing the begining of the description with a "more" label to expand... Also improve the word used for searching, I searched for "install" and did not get a hit on Software.
Also, in the overview, if I type "install", it doesn't even offer me Software.. Software offers me to install "gnome packages" instead..
(In reply to comment #3) > Also, in the overview, if I type "install", it doesn't even offer me Software.. > Software offers me to install "gnome packages" instead.. This should already be fixed by https://git.gnome.org/browse/gnome-software/commit/?id=0e0653e that added search keywords to the desktop file.
Just asked my wife "What would you think an icon on your desktop labeled Software would do if you clicked on it?" She thought about it for a while, then said "Maybe it's a play on words that I don't get? Or it's a fake icon that's hiding your pr0n stash?" I asked her if she would click it, she said "Nope, I don't click things I don't understand." I showed her Gnome Software and she immediately said "Oh, it's like the app store." She then flipped open her gnome netbook and started downloading games, exclaiming "I had no idea there were more games for this thing!" Here are my takeaways: * Non technical users don't "try things" * Thus, many may never see first-run dialog boxes * If they do see the first-run by accident, they may click past it and close the app without looking at it (watched my wife do this with a different app). Effect lost and/or forgotten. * Like it or not, users understand what a "store" on a computer is for. Apple/Google/Microsoft have defined the term. * Users know they can get free apps from stores. It doesn't matter if there are for-pay apps in the catalogue or not. Given all that, I would either name the Software app the Store, or name it something completely unrelated a la "Google Play". Desktop file keywords should include "app", "store" "software" "program" "install" "uninstall" etc.
(In reply to comment #5) > Desktop file keywords should include "app", "store" "software" "program" > "install" "uninstall" etc. Thanks, added the missing ones in https://git.gnome.org/browse/gnome-software/commit/?id=9654f43f
Why not make the title "Get Apps"?
A name and icon can only communicate so much information. Providing an explanation of what Software does on first run should help people to orientate themselves, irrespective of what we call the thing.
I always thought that "Install/Remove Software" was a great and clear name in MS Windows, to find were I managed my applicaitons. However, the implementation sucked. I agree with the comments suggesting a more clear name than "Software", "Install Applications" or something would be much clearer. And I agree with Allans comment above, that a name and icon can only provide a limited amount of information. But having to run the application to get more information is maybe not optimal, since many people are reluctant to run random applications they dont know what they do (I know since my mom calls me quite a lot about that kind of things). Would it be possible to find some way to display more information about an application without having to run it, making it show when people browse for applications? Maybe some info area in the gnome-shell applications view, where info are shown for a applicaiton on mouse over, or on keyboard navigation? The information could be taken from the AppsData files, or something? Just brainstorming.... However, I agree that a clear startup info for an application still is a good idea.
Allan, I agree that a name and an icon convey limited information. That's why it's so important to get them right. In the case of GNOME Software, if a user doesn't already know that they have clicked on something that will allow them to download and manage their GNOME applications then something's wrong. When my wife taps "App Store" on her phone, she doesn't need help orienting herself. GNOME users shouldn't either. The "fix it with a first-run dialog" idea seems like a symptom of a problem rather than a solution. Some questions worth thinking about: * When is a first-run dialog ever called for, in a general sense? * Why doesn't every moderately complex application have a first-run? * Do users actually read/absorb walls of text in unexpected dialog boxes? * Are users likely to run programs whose purpose cannot be trivially inferred by glancing at a name and icon? If the problem this bug is trying to solve is "a number of users couldn't figure out what the Software app actually is", I'd say that we have 2 problems: 1. People aren't getting enough information before they run the app. 2. Once in the app, it's not apparent to a layperson what they can do. This could be partially addressed by fixing #1 - if someone is thinking "I'm visiting the Store to get some apps" they are going to be looking for a way to do just that when they run the Store, rather than trying to figure out "what can I do here?" with no context. These issues are of course not limited to GNOME Software; they are more general problems that would be best addressed in a consistent way GNOME-wide. Thanks for reading, I appreciate your work.
(In reply to comment #10) ... > In the case of GNOME Software, if a user doesn't already know that they have > clicked on something that will allow them to download and manage their GNOME > applications then something's wrong. ... This is a bit too black and white. People explore, they try things out, and they might do things that they are a bit uncertain about. The first run dialog is there to provide reinforcement and elaboration - so people know they are in the right place. Considering that many people aren't used to the idea of having an app store on a desktop, this is no bad thing. The user tests did not examine the effectiveness of the icon and app name as a navigation point. This bug is solely about setting the scene once the app has been launched.
Hi. I'm the person who facilitated the usability tests. In the tests, I started Software for each tester, then did a brief interview where I asked for their initial thoughts and impressions. (The users did not have to find and run Software themselves.) Then I started with the scenario tasks, and gave the test the first scenario. There was confusion to what Software did for them. I think having some kind of startup/first-run text to explain the program would be helpful. Evolution has a similar first-run introduction & setup assistant, for example. Not all testers immediately recognized Software as an app store. The featured app that day was Paint, and people saw that as a kind of "banner" that advertised what Software did - they thought they were in a paint program, not something that let them install applications and programs. Some typical comments from people who didn't recognize initially Software as a place to install apps: * "it’s got paint ... shows thunderbird ... shows things you can do with it [the categories] .. must be a database of some kind" * "this kinds of reminds me of paint for macintosh and also looks like some microsoft photo viewer, maybe adobe. I don’t use Adobe. the name software doesn’t really mean anything, software is software" Of the users who participated in the usability test, most were Windows users. And of those, most were running Windows 7. And Windows 7 does not have an app store, so they did not recognize Software as a kind of app store. But some comments showed other users recognized Software as similar to an app store, although the name "Software" wasn't always suggestive: * "looks like a bland app store" * "looks like Office, combination of stuff, but not really office productivity as it is music, whatever, games. probably a utility program. the name “software” suggests everything, but not helpful" * "looks like an app management or an app store where I can find programs to do various tasks, I’ve used an android store, so does windows 8 and chrome" * "looks and sounds like some program like an app store, it has categories and names"
Agreeing with Jonas, maybe the button on the first-run screen should say something like "Let's get started" rather than "Let's go shopping"
Also: I think renaming Software to "Install New Software" or "Install/Remove Software" would provide more clarity to what this does.
(In reply to comment #12) > Hi. I'm the person who facilitated the usability tests. ... > * "looks like a bland app store" > > * "looks like Office, combination of stuff, but not really office productivity > as it is music, whatever, games. probably a utility program. the name > “software” suggests everything, but not helpful" > > * "looks like an app management or an app store where I can find programs to do > various tasks, I’ve used an android store, so does windows 8 and chrome" > > * "looks and sounds like some program like an app store, it has categories and > names" Thanks for the additional background, Jim - that's really helpful. Bug 727997 and bug 727998 should both help with some of the observations here, both in terms of making the landing page more engaging (less dull!) and also to provide some additional visual cues that this is in fact an app store (star ratings, more sections with suggestive titles, like "Editor's Picks" or "Recommended Games").
I went ahead and implemented the first run dialog, thanks for the ideas and feedback everybody. Screenshot: http://kalev.fedorapeople.org/gnome-software-first-run-dialog.png commit 2bff0633449d0536f2e603306efb2fa2660727de Author: Kalev Lember <kalevlember@gmail.com> Date: Sat Jul 5 22:31:37 2014 +0200 Add first run dialog https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=731973
> Install New Software Doesn't cover update/management features. > Install/Remove Software Weird/technical, specialy the slash and the length of the name, it won't even fit in the Shell captions (another problem of its own) (imagine in different languages). Rename it to App Store, case closed. At least Software Store. "Noooooooo, let's add an annoying first run dialog!" Uh! What a dumb conclusion! If people don't know what it is how do you expect them to click to see the dialog in the first place?
(In reply to comment #17) ... > Uh! What a dumb conclusion! If people don't know what it is how do you expect > them to click to see the dialog in the first place? "dumb" is insulting. If you have a point to make, please make it, but don't be rude.