Logon homepage upgrades coming soon - perhaps as early as August 8

[Stan Suchan]

A notable upgrade is coming soon for everyone who uses the iCarpool/RideshareOnline platform. The logon homepage – the page every user sees immediately after they log on to the system – is evolving. Your comments and ideas helped inspire the upgrade, which could launch as early as August 8.

A small work team gathered information from a variety of sources, including a network administrator survey, Web analytics (which provide data about how people are using the tool), the matrix/issues log, usability testing and small group conversations with network administrators. Dozens of people participated, including many of you. The outreach confirmed that network owners and users have a variety of reasons for using the system. While there is a lot of common ground, priorities and interests sometimes differ. Here is my take on some of the key things you and others want from the logon homepage:

• strongly encourage users to take action (e.g. start or find a carpool or vanpool; get transportation assistance from their local agency or employer; and/or log their trips, see their results and earn an incentive)
• foster a sense of connection for users by making the page more personal and social
• help users find the features they need and clear out clutter
• help networks connect with users
• make data presented on the site (miles and gallons saved, etc.) easier to understand and relevant

If you want to learn more about the input and ideas, check out the attached summaries of the usability testing, administrator survey and small group discussions.

How to meet competing needs is one of iCarpool’s biggest challenges on this project. I am eager to see the solutions they are developing. After the upgrade launches, we’ll start gathering feedback, conduct more usability testing and gather ideas for the next evolution. I am confident that this upgrade will be a big step forward. We will be asking network administrators to conduct a fatal flaw review on the test server as early as the first week of August. Thanks to everyone who helped. Your input and ideas were invaluable.