users do not find the login link -- ThiloPfennig 2005-10-18 21:25:21

Observation

I have seen a user going over FindPage and finally leaving my wiki and the search of the "Login" link.

Task

I think the Login link should be more prominent, bigger ors something like that

Users

• new (Windows) user but knows computers well.

Context

• we are working together in a big office and I showed him twice how to log in. He than asked me another day, after he seemed to have searched ofr 1/2 an hour (what I could see from the browsing history)

• An internet wiki: KielWiki

• MoinMoin Version Version 1.3.4 [Revision 1.3.4 release]

• standard Debian stable version

Discussion

Do we talk about the modern theme as also shown in this wiki? "Anmelden" is about the first text at the very top of the page. Maybe we should see it as feature if users who don't find that, also don't edit (if login is required to edit).

Try a simple test with those users, ask them to login to WikiPedia, which have a similar (maybe little better) login link. Report if they had more success there.

I just confirmed this with my sister. She is not technical user but have lot of experience on the web, have a blog etc. She is also a heavy wiki user, but in the wiki she visit regularly, there is no concept of "login". A use set a name in the comment box, and it is kept in a cookie.

I opened the FrontPage for her, and asked here to login. She started to scroll and clicked HelpOnBeginners . At this point I ask her what she is looking for, and she said "register". After I told her to try "login", she did not find it. When I gave her a hint "look at the top", she finally found it.

I expected her to scan the page from the top, and find the link in the header, but she started by ignoring the top of the page

In MediaWiki, the login link is also at the top of the page, but it has an icon of a person, and its much bigger, saying: "Create account/log in". Also, it is the only link at the top.

The test was harder because I asked her to login in Hebrew, and the interface language was English, but its not a language problem, she is fluent in English, Italian and French .

I also made the same test with another sidebar theme I develop where the top of the page contains a search box in the top of the header and a login link in the bottom of the header, much better then current modern layout - but it did not help to find the tiny login link. In this case, she started to scan the sidebar, which have colorful icons for pages and actions. -- NirSoffer 2005-10-28 16:04:35

Fixes

• Add a colorful person icon that is hard to miss
• Use "Create account/log in" or "Register/log in" instead of that tiny "Login"
• Change the layout so it not hidden by other items, somewhere in the middle of the header.

As of moin--main--1.5--patch-487 there is now a Login macro - you can place it on your front page if you usually want or require your users to login. There is also a Login link at top border and it directly goes to a simple "login only" page.

CategoryUsabilityObservation