GetHelp! Case Study

GetHelp! is a pretty cool idea aimed to help people with their doubts by crowdsourcing yeah? Looking at the general layout of the app, I actually think its a pretty simple and easy-to-navigate app. Without reading much information on what it does, i could guess the use of the app from the several screenshots provided. However, the initial design definitely has room for improvement:

Usability vs Aesthetics

I think the app has good functionalities. Users can do these few main tasks: 

1. Add post to call for help --- with the choice of adding details

2. React to a post --- offer help OR refer friend

3. Check out stats and badges

These 3 main functions are pretty easy to understand but their UI will easily make users somewhat confused coupled with misleading/unclear copywriting. 

Overall design:

This app is not attractive enough and does not have a design feel of its own. It looks like any random facebook iframe app that has standard fb features = no fun. I think the app uses way too many icons also. Some are appropriate some are really redundant for example the ones in Add post page >> add more details. The icons are not serving any purpose other than complementing the words 'deadline', 'estimated time' and 'location'. Those icons can be taken out to reduce the clutter of info and can probably align the text fills to be neater and more presentable. 

I guess the designer was trying to make the design more unique, but the 4 slanted tabs on top do not serve much purpose! Slant =/= nice. I suggest it should be rotated to 0 degree. If they want to make it more creative and special, they could employ specially shaped icon holders that suits the theme. Also, is there a special meaning of having 3 tabs on the left and 4 tabs on the right? 

Add post page: [Options/freedom when posting a need]

Good to have the title 'I need help with' and the button 'call for help!': clearly emphasizes what to input into the text area. However, I don't understand the rationale for separating the below section for inputing details and 'who do you want to ask?' from the main call for help title by using different coloured background. I would think for every post, users should have the option of choosing who to ask and which social network to post because it's the most fundamental mean of communicating a message to people. 

So this should probably be directly below the title within the darker background area and the 'call for help!' button should be placed below these selections. As for the other details about a post, it can be designed as a dropdown style where once a button named "add details" is clicked, a form containing additional options will appear below. If i'm not wrong, this should be able to using AJAX? 

The options given under 'add more details' are misleading. What exactly do 'deadlines', 'estimated time' and 'location' refer to? Of the object/project/task? No one knows.. But i like the 'description' option, posters are free to include whatever extra info they about the task.

Overview page:

The layout looks okay for this page. But the colour red is overly used! I think 'help him' and 'refer a friend' can be in a lighter shade of red perhaps as red is not exacting soothing to eyes and it may cause users to be irritated by the repetition. 

Individual 'need' page:

The comments portion is not pretty! Centre alignment makes all the comments and post time and name of poster messy. The use of 3 red rounded square icons is actually not bad. The cartoons seem appropriate for what each icon does but RED again... lol. Try to change to a lighter shade of red to lessen the impact would be good. 

Cycle of interaction & incentives

I think the very concept of the app is engaging. True enough, many times we have requests and questions that even Google can't solve. So when it's time to turn to friends or friends' friends, it would be efficient to have this app. But, it is not the most easy app to use for question and answer. Even though it has game elements like rewards and stuff, it might have neglected the very key fact of people wanting an answer or help desperately, and thus the need to publicize it in an efficient way. It may have too many functions and lose focus on the key driving factor of this app.

Compare GetHelp! with Facebook Questions now, which do you prefer? I would say fb questions. Based on its simple and intuitive featureless features. see screenshot below. :)

Step 1: Type a question

Step 2: Add options or wait for friends to add

Step 3: Wait for friends or strangers to vote or add options.

I mean this is a really simple feature of fb. GetHelp! has nice ideas of increasing connectivity by linking to twitter or even SMS which is awesome. But probably the developers can try to learn from the simplicity of fb questions? hee.