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Navigation
Navigation is not always clear. Starting from point X, it's not always clear where else you can go, making browsing more difficult.
The 'Connect Share Create. ...' bar at the top looks like a set of menus but, surprisingly, isn't.
One of the best features is the way it emails changes - this is what pulls me in. Within the email, though, are three links that are initially confusing (which do I click?).
Thanks for a great resource,
Dave
Navigation: we're prioritising that as an improvement
Thanks, David. That's immensely helpful. Several members have commented on the navigation. It's a priority for improvement.
LINKS IN EMAILS
Will look at that link issue you mention in the emails that The Hub sends out when something new is added to the site and try and simplify it down from three links to one.
RED FAKE NAVIGATION BAR AT THE TOP
That is confusing, isn't it. We did have links behind them, but the navigation options we had sitting behind the links were a bit overwhelming, according to the feedback we had. So, we are rejigging them.
OVERALL NAVIGATION ISSUE: EMERGENCE
There is a broader navigation issue, which is that in The Hub, members create links that grow horizontally across The Hub. It's a structured versus unstructured thing, to some extent. A pattern of connections within the Hub will emerge through usage - the principle of emergence. Strong links will forge across some areas; weaker ones across others.
And traffic (people moving around The Hub to talk to other people and interact with each other's content) will create a network of links. This is a bit demanding on the user as The Hub is only ten weeks old (opened from Beta testing end September), so there aren't many 'cut' trails yet: it's like cutting your way through long grass and creating trails that other users then follow. But, as pathways open up, the 'shape' of The Hub becomes clearer. And it becomes easier to find things and people.
CONTENT AND CREATOR ARE ALWAYS LINKEDÂ
I guess we have been trying not to force a shape, but at the same time signpost where people can go eg to create a special interest group or join one or ask an expert or post a Group Coach problem or connect with a member. New navigation links in the red bar at the top, plus a series of navigation tips we are working on should help that, as we haven't got the balance right yet.
I was demonstrating The Hub to a big American organization interested in having an in-house version, last week, when they said "If you are reading a comment from someone on your post and that person says 'Private message me and we can take the conversation offline' for private information exchange, how, exactly, do you do that?" I explained that the content and the content creator are always visibly connected in The Hub. You can always see their head and name next to the content. So, just click on the head or name to go to their page, where you can leave them messages four different ways.
That kind of community interaction is a form of navigation that we probably need to make explicit with a series of navigation tips: you reach people by clicking on their heads, which takes you to their page, etc.
NAVIGATION IMPROVEMENT TIMETABLEÂ
We'll put some changes in by end of December, then ask the community if it's any better in early Jan. We're still not happy with the Member Search, for example, which is why we've supplemented with an extra Google search bar at the top of each page (that searches within The Hub) to help people navigate. We should have improved that by January, too.
Thanks again, David, for helping shape that. Any other navigation comments very welcome, as it is an area that needs work. The Architect.
Site feedback
Having just gone through and "properly" set up my details, there are a couple of things that are, frankly, just a pain in the posterior. What I fear is that they would put off some people from using the hub, which would be a shame.
The main thing is in setting up details. The different sections are fab but as you complete each, you go back to square 1 rather than onto the next - so forever back to "Edit details" and then the next link. So you really do have to persevere to get all the sections filled in.
For some reason on my IE7 browser the nice text editing boxes generally appeared with a single line, if that, and it would be good to see them somewhat more prominent as it took a little bit of effort to work out that you can stretch them to make things grow.
And the restrictions on photos are a pain. I resorted to the back door route of sending my pic by email, which can't be ideal for the Hubmeisters.
Some sites that IMHO do these things rather well are LinkedIn, Ning and blogger, so maybe there are some ideas to look at "out there". Not that I am advocating direct copying :-)
The other comment I have is that in featuring the "improved" search so prominently, it's easy for newbies to miss the more useful links such as "Whats (sic) new" and "What you can do"
Positively - there is some good content and interesting links, in fact my challenge this afternoon is to stop browsing and get on with writing a report for an NGO who I think could really use what you have here!
Pat
Thanks, Pat - update on Hub Re-design, form-filling, navigation
Hey, thanks, Pat. That's really useful. FYI The Architect is halfway through re-designing those signup forms as we've hated them for ages, and are aware that people who manage to join The Hub are only a minority of those who start filling in the form (about two out of three give up, according to the stats). We've hated the sign up form for ages, but I haven't had any money to pay The Architect to re-design them until recently, so he's working on that now, and a lot of, but not all of (some will have to wait till I've earned some more money), the many clunky bits in The Hub. A cleaner, tidier, less clunky look overall for The Hub, should be complete by the end of the UK summer (end August). (Architect! Are you reading this? End of summer! Right???!!! It's public now, so get on with it. Lol, as the young folk say...) Phil