

[Ask HN] (function(){ return new Feedback('The Scholar App'); })(); - jmathai
http://screenr.com/Gi0

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placer14
A few remarks:

\- The Scholar App sounds like a great idea, however I see a large hole in
your business model. Your landing splash screen shows the differences between
Bill (the average student) and Ted (the above-reproach student). You show the
value proposition for a user like Bill (which, I assume, is getting help from
students like Ted) but really don't provide incentive for a student like Ted
to get involved. I would try to make this aspect more obvious in your screen
cast. (Or change your somewhat misleading splash screen.)

\- Don't make us watch you type directions. It really breaks the rhythm of
your presentation and makes me want to fast forward (missing important info?)
or close it altogether. Instead, have the information pre-copied and paste it
from the clipboard (the low-tech way) or edit this out of the video.

\- An important part of a screencast demo of an application is to give the
user a brief experience of the application in action. I noticed in certain
portions of your screen cast where you provide generic placeholder information
(clearly for the purpose of the demo) however the placeholder data you used
doesn't provide any idea of what information you mean to convey there. The
example that was very obvious to me was the screen title of the Class "Demo
101" which read "Demo 101 - The Scholar App Demo". This is probably the Class
Designation followed by the Class Title, but it's difficult to tell (at least
for me) when it sits next to your app's logo.

This might seem like a small gripe, but you might as well make the most of the
attention your screen cast is getting and give the clearest possible
experience your users might benefit from when using your app. So instead (if
my assumptions were right about the type of info you intended to display) you
might display "Demo 101 - Example Class Title". Your users will recognize the
"Demo 101" as the name of the course and the string "Example Class Title" will
convey that they will know which course they are currently viewing (an
important UX feature which someone might appreciate). You don't convey any
LESS information than you did before and if you influenced at least one person
to try your product then it was worth the change.

\- It feels as though you haven't really practiced the presentation. It's
noticable in your delivery. Nothing to do here but practice more. :)

Cheers!

~~~
jmathai
Awesome feedback.

\- I understand your point about Ted not having a value proposition! Ted does
benefit from using the service but as you said the text is misleading.

\- I'm thinking of getting someone off craigslist that can do the voiceover
better than myself for cheap.

\- Let me review the "placeholder text" and make sure all of it conveys
something.

\- That is a small gripe but this is the type of feedback I was hoping for.

\- It's my 3rd screencast and each time it takes me about an hour because I
mess up over and over. I realized that I should lay an audio track over the
video because doing both things at the same time is difficult for me. Or my
craigslist idea above :).

Thanks again!

