Insights from testing the web app

On this page, I try to summarize my impression from testing the alert issuing functionality of the ​SAMBRO web form. This is more of a loose review to provide insights how to -- and how to not -- design the mobile application.

General comments

• Throughout the form, it cannot be distinguished whether an entry field is a combo box or a free form text input
• Having all the fields in one page is massive and maybe too overloaded for non-experts or new trainees. In particular, fields change after choosing a template. I would suggest showing the fields only after a template is chosen
• The help texts are often not too helpful.

Going through the form

This should help to identify how the mobile client should be structured, i.e., which fields are necessary, important, etc.

• Template - Choice of a template for alerts. Actually, there are too many too choose from. Should be the first question, then proceed from there. If there are specific different templates (different kinds of floods), the right template should be chosen in a multi-question process.

• Identifier - should be hidden. Only becomes important after finishing. Can't be edited anyway.

• Sender - the sender is me, right? I should not be able to send as someone else anyway, so this should rather be hidden.

• Status - fine as it is, especially as it shows explanations along with the choice

• Message Type - confusing. This is to superseded earlier messaged, but those cannot be chosen. If an action is required to supersede an earlier message, this should be the very first message (if this would be clear from the start) or, even better, the last step after finishing the alert.

• Source - I think there should be pre-defined choices

• Scope - confusing to me. It shows dedicated recipients even for public scope, looks like a bug to me. For private scope, the choice of recipients is not clear to me, and neither is the free-form entry field for "restriction".

• Codes - okay, seems rather internal... like a agreed on "tag"?

• Note - seems to be the general free form entry, but help suggests to use it for exercize and error. Not clear to me yet.

• Incident - seems to be the most important field, but comes at the end. In general, it's already being chosen by choice of the template, and does not make much sense to change after filling out the whole template beforehand.

After the form - entering geo information

• Location - This is extremely confusing. There are predefined areas. I would expect to be shown a map (a bigger one, this one, if it is shown is way too small), to be able to choose from different predefined areas on the same screen, or draw an own one. As this is extremely relevant information, it should not be able to finish an alert without specifying the location.

• In the information tab, after clicking "open", comes extremely relevant information about the alert. What is the reason this is hidden so deep, including all those mandatory fields? Is this the information only the authorized alert issuer has to fill out (step 2 of the mobile app workflow?)