One of the great things about developing web applications is that the app is never finished and we can always work to streamline, optimize and improve our applications from direct and indirect feedback from users. Here’s an example.
In 2003, we launched a web application on our campus that allows users to send us web changes and initiate new web projects. Here’s the first screen users see when they want to send us an update. Other than a new field or two, it hasn’t changed at all since 2003.
For 6 years, this form has worked just fine. Campus users who have used it since its launch have had no problems at all.
But for people who are newer to campus who need to send us updates, we’ve noticed something interesting. If you enlarge that screenshot above, you’ll see we ask for a field called “Title.” Our web team interprets this to be something like “Update Orientation Dates” or “Post a new picture.” It’s a title to the project they are sending us. Newer people on campus were putting in their job titles in there and our team was getting projects with the title “Secretary.”
After a rash of them the last few weeks, we made a simple change. I changed “Title” to read “Project Title.” It’s a change that took about 15 seconds and involved no changes to code or other functions behind the scenes. Here’s the new form:
I also took away the “reset form” button that had been there since launch. It was in the way and could potentially cause confusion.
In the end, I think this will save some confusion and give our web team a bit more information on the projects we’re being sent, that’s a good thing.
Do you have any examples of quick fixes that you’ve made to an app? I’d be interested to hear about them.
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