#394 Setup wizard usability suggestions

[Roland Illig]

setup-wizard-1.png

((1)): This paragraph does not contain useful information. Users can be expected to know how a wizard works, and even if they don’t, the “Next” button provides enough assistance.

((2)): Make that text shorter. Users don’t read text. The link to the website is useful, though, as is the possibility to directly email you.

((3)): The first sentence is unnecessary. The second sentence should only be shown when the wizard is run during the first installation.

((4)): This is needless.

setup-wizard-2.png

((1)): I cannot guess what “whenever possible” means. The explanation in the summary is much clearer: “Encrypt if all recipients have valid keys”.

((2)): The effects of each mode should be explained below each radiobutton, not in the text above.

((2)): When I “encrypt all messages by default”, what does it mean to recipients who cannot handle encrypted mail?

setup-wizard-3.png

((1)): The word OpenPGP may be too technical here. At least it should be explained like this: “an OpenPGP-aware mail program (e.g. Enigmail)”. Otherwise this term has no connection to what the user is experiencing here.

setup-wizard-4.png

((1)): The button must not be called “Next”. This violates the general rule that clicking on a “Next” button does not do any persistent change. The button must be called “Finish” instead.

Leave out the “Thank you” page. It is not necessary. After clicking on “Finish”, the wizard should do its action and then just close.

General Remarks

When I click on “Cancel” in the wizard, I am asked whether I really want to cancel. When the wizard is called from the menu, this is unnecessary. When the wizard is called during installation, there should be a hint where to find the wizard in the menu.

Apart from all these comments, I like the wizard. It just poses simple questions and describes in small steps and simple words what’s going on. That’s nice. :)

[Patrick Brunschwig]

Most of this is already implemented in current nightly builds. Many of the pages you are referring to do not exist anymore