Online UC Agenda falls short for me - let's brainstorm improvements

[SteveGoldman]

The toughest thing for me at the Esri User Conference is making sure I'm using my time as best as possible, and hitting as many sessions as I can. Having easy access to the Agenda is key to this. I always go over it ahead of time, and mark a bunch of "possibles", but there are always multiple sessions in many timeslots that I'd like to attend, and it often comes down to other factors, like who I end up bumping into, and the conversations that ensue. I like to have some potentials marked, but I also like to have live access to the information so last minute choices can be made.

The current online Agenda is certainly better than no online Agenda, which was true only a few years back, but I think it has the potential to be much more useful without too much work. I'm not sure if this online version was new this year or not, but I don't recall it being available 2 years back when I last attended.

I'd like to have folks comment on if they liked it or not, and what ideas they have to make it work better for them. Hopefully, with some thought out discussion, Esri folks will then re-work it a bit.

My criticism is that this version is not very easy to use on either my desktop for pre-planning or on my iPhone for live access.

For one, they included a map widget in the agenda. We're all map geeks, so it's cool to have a map of the convention center room locations, but it shouldn't be an always-there part of the Agenda web page. For the most part, as you are going through the sessions and decided which to go to, location of a particular session is irrelevant as there is ample time between sessions to get from end-to-end. Maximize screen real-estate for the Sessions grid, and make the map an optional window to pop up.

Additionally, it has a scrollable area inside the main page. On the iPhone, this creates dual vertical scrolling, which is difficult to navigate. I think a single page list would work much better. There could be collapsable areas for the days, and then also for the time-slots. Then additionally, the full info for the session could be a collapsable area. This way, all content is on a single web page. No dual content areas, no popups, etc.

The Pocket Agenda is useful, and I'm glad they stopped printing the large Full Agenda to save trees, but the Pocket Agenda doesn't have the details on each session, which is critical for the paper sessions especially, since the session title offers little in the way of really understanding what the 3 presentations will cover.

An easy Search function is critical, and the existing site did fairly well here, but could be better.

What other ideas are out there?

[SteveGoldman]

Dave,

Truthfully, most of the difficulties I had with Search had to do with the dual-vertical scrolling areas, making it hard to get to the search tool and then back to the results. That addressed, I think the Search worked pretty well, and I did use the filters on my desktop, but I don't think I did on the phone. For me, the Search was especially helpful in looking up a paper session to get the real details.

Separate topic, but short of adding all of the details into the Pocket Agenda (not realistic), maybe look into printing small QR codes next to each listing in the Pocket Agenda that could be easily scanned with a mobile device and you'd be taken right to the detail page for that session? That would be pretty nice. Not sure if there's really space though, and that'd be a lot of QR codes to generate and manage!

[CamBarnard]

Here is a UX brainstorm idea. What about a hybrid solution allowing the paper medium and the device medium to work in collaboration?

Allow the paper pocket version to shine where it already does ... laying out the options in a given time slot clearly and easily to see.

Then for each item have a small QR code (or a ref# if there is no room for that) next to each session.

Then you can use the paper and your brain for the spatial analysis it is good for and your device as the 'more info' when you need it.

[RebeccaStrauch__GISP]

I too feel that a few changes, and bringing back a few options from last year in the browser app at least, would help.

i think last year's browser version was just about perfect.  It did have its issues of going to another page to add to my agenda, and then having to return (or was that two years ago?). So I think that was an improvement this year, including the selecting of other options on the popup. And they did bring back a print option for "my agenda", which was nice.

The items I found to be missing are 1) ability to print to PDF or excel (unless you have local software thru the print command), and 2) the ability to add your personal/private meetings to you schedule, with details. Last year this included adding scheduled tech support meetings, or any freeform entry you'ld like.

As for the mobile app, I agree with Steve about the map not always being needed.  It would be nice to be able to set an option in our personal settings as to turn on or off.  I would also like that option for the grid format.  With so many rooms, I found this view to be fairly useless on the mobile screen, especially when looking at "my agenda" which would make most of the grid empty.  Maybe if if empty columns were filtered out, it would be more useful.

i know my ios app would do strange things once in a while, such as have Monday and Tuesday both before and after Saturday and sunday, with different sessions; sessions within a day not being in order; and one particular SIG on Sundaywing up almost every time I refreshed my agenda, even after deleting it and saving.  Nothing that was too critical, but strange.

The "Update Conference  [ ]" each time I started up the app...I wasn't sure if the agenda was changing that option, or if it was just reloading my agenda.

I too do my homework before headin to the UC, and adjust things throughout.  I've very happy that I can search the full agenda and modify my personal selections on-the-fly, so I do appreciate the work that goes into it.

Thanks

[MichaelNorelli]

Thanks for picking up this issue, Steve Goldman.  I had a few of those frustrating moments with the app and desktop agenda, and hoped to get back with Esri about them, so I welcome this opportunity.  Thanks for your ears and brains, Steven Nelson and Dave Scheirer!

Using the web agenda on desktop, twice I got into a flow, madly adding sessions, then realized I wasn't logged in.  Instead of asking if I wanted to apply what clearly were saved sessions to my account after login, all that work was erased.  Shame on me, but Grr!

The Android app when looking at the time slots always started with Saturday, instead of the current day.  Couldn't it default to show the agenda for the current day?  Or at least expose a setting so the user could choose to do that?  That would be a nice feature on the web version as well.

In previous years, I could make a "personal appointment," a reservation for time not affiliated with an Esri session, like when the Dept of the Interior had an "all hands" meeting -- not on the Esri schedule, but certainly needed to be on mine.  Concurring with Rebecca Strauch, please restore that ability!  I couldn't add a personal appointment on the app; didn't try on the web.

And I second Rebecca's comments about printing to PDF.  Having the option would be good.

These comments are only possible because of Esri's continued efforts to make the conference experience easier and more to the point.  I really appreciate the work on this!

[Anonymous User]

Thanks for the continuing to submit comments about the User Conference online agenda.  The team is following this discussion and all feedback is helpful.