Jake, 

Thank you so much again for sharing these. It's valuable to see that these results are matching up with the stats about this version of Getting Started (https://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Research:OB4) and our previous usability tests. 

On Thu, Apr 11, 2013 at 7:19 PM, Jacob Orlowitz <jorlowitz@gmail.com> wrote:

Honesty, I'm a little confused. It tells me that as of having an account I have established that these are three things that I can do, but I don't know what the 3 things under the icons are [the article links]. I still don't know what the [article titles] are. I would have to click, I assume they're blue so I can click on them."


Yes, the two step choice of a task and an article is too much for brand new folks. 
 

Clicked through to MC Shan article. "I forgot what I was supposed to do and the articles had changed in the list Getting Started list when I went back." Used browser forward button to return to MC Shan article. "Now I see that these are articles that have the copyediting tag. It appears to me now like it's randomly giving pages that have a need for the heading [fix grammar & spelling, but the link is not clear.


This is fascinating, because this is the kind of reminder that the guided tours help out with. Clearly reintroducing those would make a difference.
 

I wish the green pencil link was also present on the article [but the citation template does not use that icon]. The graphics and the language don't match between Getting Started and the article cleanup templates. I want to see the same icon and language.


Interesting. Seems like an argument for carrying the task icon and description forward in to the tour following. We've also been prototyping a navigation bar which could carry that, as well as solve the problem with "back and forth" to the getting started page. 
 

I don't want to have to keep clicking back and forth to the getting started page. I want to participate but make the edit button more inviting. I'm kind of shy, but I'm close. If you just give me a little push I might participate. The Getting Started icons I like, they're great map markers. Make the 'you can assist by editing it' be green and have the same Getting started green pencil icon, maybe at a 45 degree angle like 'here, take it, try it'. Further suggestions: Have the user sandbox upfront on the Getting Stared page, and also the watchlist. "Those are engaging. Make them very easily accessible."





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Steven Walling
https://wikimediafoundation.org/