Some Insights Regarding Web Applications

 For this discussion I have chosen my employers app, Venus.com. The application overall is user friendly and works on both Android and iOS, the simplification of the UI/UX was the main goal when the app was developed. There have been several versions deployed since the first implementation, primarily based on consumer feedback and what they were looking for in terms of usability, the way categories were laid out and the way images were being displayed. When the app is initially opened, the first thing a consumer will see is any promotional offers that are currently available, if we are not running a promotion, a pop-up window appears advising the customer they will receive 15% off of their first purchase if they sign up to receive SMS messages or email offers. Customers can then navigate to the main category page, choose the category they wish to view, I have chosen clothing and the subcategory of dresses. At this point, they can choose their item and proceed to the checkout page. Here, they can view their shopping cart, add, remove or save items for later purchase, choose their shipping method and payment options. There is also an option to add an alternate promotional offer code should one not be immediately available. The application also provides photos of real consumers and influencers wearing our products at the bottom of the homepage of the site so consumers can get an idea of what the item would look like on a "real" person as opposed to a professional model.

The application offers the capability for consumers to leave reviews of the items as well. In my own experience, when you see consumer reviews on sites like retail sites, a majority of them will only post the positive reviews. However, being that we are an extremely customer-centric organization, we will post the good and bad reviews as we rely on this feedback to not only improve our customer experience, but also use this feedback to look at ways we can enhance the application itself. In recent months, we have added a feature to our UX that allows customers to return items and instead of simply issuing a refund, we give them the opportunity to store that credit in what we call their " Venus wallet." this essentially stores their store credit for them, so they no longer have to try to keep track of it. One of the downfalls of this program at this time is that in order to use these credits, customers would still have to call our customer care center to have them applied. The improvements that have been suggested and are in development is to allow the consumer to apply these credits at the time of checkout on the app and website, they will also have the ability to view any remaining credit they may have so there is no need for them to try to keep up with it. Another improvement is to make the viewability a little easier, we have been advised with some of the promotional banners, the pixelation for Android and iOS can vary, which can cut off some of the images or blend them together. The final improvement would be to elevate the timeframe that items are held in consumer carts, it has been expressed that consumers will save items, and if they have not logged in for several days, the items are removed, and their carts are empty when they decide to come back to purchase them.  Overall, we tried to keep the app as simple as possible and there are more advancements coming, but due to our main demographic in the age group of 35-60, we wanted our consumers to have a user-friendly experience, but also allow them the sense of security of using the application without reservation about putting personal information on it. 

Some Applicable Thoughts On Applications

 

The Functions of Applications

            Applications such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint can be used for various tasks, from business to personal to entertainment purposes. Word processors are primarily used to write and revise documents, allowing users to edit, format, and change text layout. They provide the ability to output text to a printer or file and have other features such as grammar and spell check and the ability to add charts and graphics to documents. Word processors are the most commonly used applications in business, education, and personal document creation.

            Excel is an electronic spreadsheet application designed to allow users to enter, store, manipulate, and calculate data. A spreadsheet is extremely useful for accounting purposes as formulas can be written for addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Spreadsheets such as Excel are also used to create various types of graphs and charts. PowerPoint is primarily a presentation software for creating slides that can be integrated with graphs, charts, pictures, animations, and text. PowerPoint allows the user to use different templates to customize their presentation to their needs.

Advantages and Disadvantages

There are many advantages to using these applications; the first is convenience. Word processors today are much more advanced than previous methods, such as typewriters. Modern word processors allow documents to be easily and quickly corrected, shared, and stored. One disadvantage would be security. Word processors are typically used online; if a document requires the utmost security, using a typewriter may be an option. Excel provides the ability to calculate and manipulate numbers, text, and various types of charts in an orderly manner quickly. This ability provides an advantage over previous methods like using paper and pencil with a manual calculator to perform these same calculations or manually draw a chart. Applications such as PowerPoint provide the ease and convenience of putting together presentations that can include text, animations, and photos in a slide format that can be shared and modified by more than one user; some of the advantages of using PowerPoint are the flexible use, for business and education, the ability to make engaging presentations, the customization capabilities and the ease with which beginners can use it. A few disadvantages are the possibility of creating a presentation that is not engaging by putting unnecessary elements in that may distract viewers from the practical points of the presentation. Other disadvantages may be technical problems, such as corrupted files or compatibility issues which may cause the presentation not to operate properly.

Most Appropriate Recommended Application

            Although I found Word the easiest to use, the application that seemed to be the most useful in terms of readability, adjustability, and the ability to show the hours and percentages of how my day breaks down, using Excel is the most visible way to plainly view what tasks take the most and least amount of time during my day to accomplish.