Web/Mobile App Critique

 The application I chose for this weeks discussion was the YouTube Web App.

Usability

Once a user loads the web app, he/she quickly notices a search box with a search button where one can search videos they want to watch. The search tool makes it easier and simple for a user to find a video of their choice without going through all the videos uploaded in the website's database. Additionally, it provides a microphone, an alternative to the search box, which can be very useful for physically challenged persons.  Besides, it has a user-friendly menu where users can click and view trending videos, browse the history of watched videos, liked videos, and your videos. The app allows users to create a list of videos to be watched later.

  

The app also provides a platform where users can create personal accounts using their email addresses to subscribe to videos they like and get notified whenever new videos are uploaded. This reduces the time and complexity, and saves data bundles for users accessing content they love giving users ample time to enjoy themselves.

Design

The search box has been placed at the top of the page where it can be timely noticed when the user opens the website for ease of accessibility. YouTube provides a clean layout of videos, fewer in number per row, and provides a detailed description of what the video is about. There is a provision for watching a minimized window to the corner of the page, a new feature that kicks out the need to close the application to open another application. The video will keep playing provided the user does not quit the app.

The three bar menu on the top left of the window has been designed to hide and unhide the menu when the user needs to use it and when not. There is an icon that displays the user's profile pane on the top right side, providing details such as location, language, and email address used to log in. It also has a button in which the user can select and set the theme they want for their appearance on their devices.

    

Functionality

YouTube is generally designed to store videos uploaded by individuals, groups, or organizations and make them available for viewers who access them using a data bundle. It also capable of hosting live event coverage, and users stream content from the respective channels. Those who want to upload a variety of videos are provided with a create channel feature and can monitor their channel's progress in terms of the number of views it has gathered, comments (if allowed), and subscribers to the channel.

YouTube also allows its customers to share the videos' links with friends and colleagues, inviting them to view the content one has uploaded. It comes with several resolutions giving the user the ability to choose which quality they can afford to watch, or the one they are using is capable of showing.

Below the search button, there is a row that displays content often searched by a user. An automatically generated grid of commonly watched videos is always displayed once the user logs in to his/her account. This functionality reduces the time used when a user either wants to view a newly uploaded video or continue viewing the other videos that had not been considered previously, improving the app's efficiency.

A negative drawback fto YouTubes='s And additional item that caoudl improve yout tiubes fuctinalityt is The most prominent feedback I received from this rveiews was the ability to remove  What I have seen, is that when you click on a mix that they put together for you, based on what you regularly listen to, they don't let you remove anything from the playlist. This bothers me as there are some songs I just don't want to listen to, if you just had it out of the playlist, you can remove that no problem though.

 

  

Recommendations

1. The web administrators should develop means of removing content that does not reflect what an individual requires. Some do not provide what they claim to offer, which is annoying and consumes database storage for nothing.
2. Developers should work on improving the quality of live-streamed videos.

  3. Introduce sending notifications to account holders directly to their phone numbers or emails in case of any potential privacy and security breach and advise them accordingly.

  4. Introduce the ability to delete content within the YouTube mix that was created for the consumer. When a user clicks on a mix that YouTube has put together for you, they don't let you remove anything from the playlist based on what you regularly listen to. After some time, there are some songs that users don't want to hear anymore. If you just had it out of the playlist, you can remove that no problem, though.

References

Vahid, F., & Lysecky, S. (2017). Computing technology for all. Retrieved from zybooks.zyante.com/