Simple Mode needed

[Uwe]

Hi,
as a very longtime user and admin of the band's tech this problem strikes me again and again:

Bandmates who are not very tech savy won't use BH even knowing there is anything (text, mp3, vids, chords etc.) already prepared from me for them to use.
They simply don't get it how to use the website or even more the app.

It would be of really great help to have a simple noob user mode that starts in the right database with the songlist to select (or even jump directly into a specific songlist) and automatically selects a layout, that was preselected by me for the user.

And perhaps a tiny little button to go and see the rest of BH.

I am really annoyed that I have everything in BH, but the intro level is so complex that I still send setlists and mp3 per email and doubles or triples my chores.

So my question is:
How do you cope with this (I believe common) problem?
Can there be (or is there?) a simple mode?

Thanks for your time
Uwe

[arlo]

Can you get them to watch this 6 1/2 minute video, "Getting Started for Bandmates"?

https://youtu.be/OQyf3hEaWbQ

[Uwe]

Hi Arlo

Sort of...
The vid is in English.
I tried to show and explain the very basic functions to them.
But... If tap one false button, they never make it back.
After two or three tried they are frustrated and give up.
And want their paperwork back.....

It's so annoying.
I can't believe that there are not a lot of people here having the same problems.

In my last name there was a split in two groups.
One used BH more and more and one who refused and never made it.

Most of the time the complex handling of the app make them refuse to use it.
It's too much effort and they don't see the profit for everybody.

[Sonnyboy666]

Hello Uwe,

you are not alone!
In my band it's the same problem.
We are seven bandmembers. I am the "technical" leader and begin using BandHelper at the beginning of the year.
Everybody was very enthusiastic about this: No more paper, easy synchronizing, and so on.
With me there are only two bandmembers, who are really using the App, or the web.
A third one looks at rehearsals on the tablet of the second one, cause he is too lazy to print the songs for himself.
The others installed the app and sometimes they look into it, but they all still use their papers.
You are absolutely right. This is really annoying!-

I think an easy mode is not a bad idea at all.
But the biggest problem is, that they are too lazy to learn something new.

[arlo]

Good point about the videos being English only. I wish I had the resources to offer all the documentation and marketing materials in other languages. Maybe you can still use the video as a guide to give your bandmates a tour of the app?

I personally find it hard to accept that clicking Repertoire > Set Lists > [set list name] > Big Lyrics is too much for someone to learn. I too have bandmates that use the app minimally or not at all, but this has more to do with "I already keep all my stuff in a notebook and I don't want to change that" or "I've never downloaded an app and I only use my phone for text messages." When we had simpler tools, like a private web page listing all our charts, the same people didn't use those, either.

On the other hand, I had a bandmate who was always clicking Repertoire > Songs at home and didn't realize there was a set list function with a special view for practicing songs. So I was thinking about rearranging the menus to put the view-oriented items first in each module (Repertoire > Set Lists, Schedule > Calendar, Finance > Totals). One approach to a "simple mode" would be to take this idea further and only show those items.

If we locked users out of everything but the set list view, people would say, "I want a simple mode that also lets me see upcoming events," etc, and the simple mode could end up more complicated than the current app. Even saying "I want a simple mode with a button that lets me see the rest of the app" would create a significant design challenge.

I do agree with the concern. I see plenty of subscriptions expire because only the band leader uses the product and the rest of the band doesn't see the value. I just wonder if this can be solved solely through design updates, or if we also need to give band leaders more support in selling the product to their bandmates. That has been one of my priorities this year, with more documentation, tips emailed to new subscribers, and the comics series highlighting various app benefits.

[Uwe]

Hi,
Thanks your responses.

I try really hard to 'sell' BH to my bandmates.

My main problem:
1. getting them To start using the app
2. Avoid frustration

The first will be solved when we are able to handle the second problem.

Most often the problem is not getting into the skirt and prepared layout.
It is when they get lost because they pushed some buttons and get somewhere else or they do not remember how to get back and so on.

This is very common behavior.
I would not try to make several restricted misses but one that has what most people need:
To see one setlist in one layout for rehearsal (before you are a self confident user you don't enter a stage using BH, do you?).
Let them get the experience that is better than paper.
Then go to the next level with the full app.

Jm2c
Uwe

[Uwe]

Hi
Another way could be a ,favourites page' in BH web and app where every user could set up direct links to certain pages.

So everybody could find simply his way to the needed page directly.
If someone gets lots, just go back to favs and select again.

Cheers
Uwe

[Wilhelm]

I second that. For me BH is a perfect tool. But Im tech-affine. The ,,ordinary" musician is used to a sheet-folder. Open it and play...
When BH has been closed you need to click
Project, Repertoire, Setlists, 2018, setlist, layout to get there. Maybe a Fav or default option would make it easier.
As admin it would be helpful to have an option like ,,see what xyz sees" without logging out and Login in again using xyz account. This could help to support xyz to get his BH setup optimized.

Greets and thx for the great work

[Chris]

I normally am a fan of the shortest way possible to get to my final destination, especially in software.
But I need to say that a simple mode seems to me similar to someone trying to learn the guitar but would like to only have 5 frets first so he does not get overwhelmed with all possibilities.

Don't get me wrong: I am not saying your idea is bad but I rather think that the guys not willing to use BH are rather used to the "old way" it worked. And we all know it takes a lot of personal effort to get over those borders.

We are talking about very few steps here: Project -> Setlist -> Gig -> Layout -> BAM, you are there.
I appreciate that setting up layouts and the basic database is what prevents some from using BH but this is not due to the app

My way of getting my bandmates to using Bandhelper was to offer uploading their sheets to the database and making sure that everything they need is in there. Then giving them a first run-through of the app so they know what to focus on.
This was actually done directly at the day of the gig when we were sitting backstage (apart from uploading the documents that is though).

In general: if they miss a click -> close the app and start over again. As if they are lost in the app, I assume they will not find the favorites anymore either.

There is always a way to make it as easy as possible for everybody but the advantages of BH also require some effort of each user
And bringing in effort always includes appreciation for what was actually achieved.

Just my two cents.

[Uwe]

My way of getting my bandmates to using Bandhelper was to offer uploading their sheets to the database and making sure that everything they need is in there. Then giving them a first run-through of the app so they know what to focus on.
This was actually done directly at the day of the gig when we were sitting backstage (apart from uploading the documents that is though

Tried all that, no use.
They simply get lost to often when trying, then give up.....

[arlo]

When BH has been closed you need to click
Project, Repertoire, Setlists, 2018, setlist, layout to get there.

If you're needing to click 2018 to get to your set list, you can either assign the set list to a future event, or to no event. Then it won't get archived into the year folders.

I'm curious about the comments saying users get "lost" in the app. Do people not figure out that you can click the Back button in the top left corner repeatedly to go all the way back to the main menu if needed? The only places this wouldn't be available are in popup windows, where a Cancel button is in the top left corner instead, or the full-screen document view. I'd love to eliminate the full-screen view because it's hard to support and I think it prevents people from fully using the layout capabilities.

I have considered adding a Bookmarks function, and wanted to do it for the last big update, but it's quite difficult to combine this with the sequential navigation with a back button that my apps have.

[Uwe]

I can only tell you what happens.
It's really frustrating sometimes.

But what can you do but but lower the entry step......

[arlo]

Can you say more about what happens when people "get lost"? Where do they go and what do they try to get back?

[Uwe]

Hi Arlo,
most often they simply cannot find where they wanted to go.
say: I want listen to a song to rehearse in private and memorize the lyrics.

So, there a layout and a songlist where you have to and select the song.
That already is too much.
The answer I get is: couldn't find it, too complicated, whatever.....
Then they use youtube and listen to a different recording and, well.....

or

they push an unknown button and are not able to go back (or do not care)
because. yes! it's complicated.....

thats what i hear every rehearsal.

BH is great, but its way of getting around is for tekkies, who are able to think in structures.
most musicians are thinking otherwise. and stick to their paper.

another thing I could think of is a feature reduce app.
just one songlist, one layout (preselected by the admin).
click and you're done.
thats what they want.

[arlo]

BH is great, but its way of getting around is for tekkies, who are able to think in structures.

I'm sorry to learn that only techies can think in structures! 

Actually I would think that would be easy for musicians ... but some musicians don't know music theory, which is very logical and structured.

Anyway, I am considering this; in fact, I was thinking about it before you started this thread. The main issue I see is that people will want the simple mode but then they'll want exceptions made for this or that, which leads to even more complexity than we started with. But perhaps we can start with something truly simple and then beta test it and see if it has the desired effect.