GoReact is a website based on pre recorded video lessons or presentations, where students can comment at different points of the videos with different types of media.
In talking with shareholders of GoReact, they had found that their main audience ended up being the deaf community. They asked we keep that audience in mind while designing the software. I was lucky enough to have a deaf cousin I’m close with to ask about what he would want to see out of the software.
In this conversation I found that a main issue he has with lots of software for the deaf community isn’t that it lacks features, or needs too much different than similar softwares made for those who can hear, but tha an outdated feel to the entire experience drags down how they feel about using it.
I decided to take that information and redesign GoReact with a modern feel in mind.
Here is the main interaction users will have with GoReact. On the left side users will see the video and have all the normal interactions of a video player, similar to Youtube. On the right is the meat and potatoes of what GoReact offers. With comments that are automatically timestamped, other users can see exactly what is being talked about. Along with a feedback graph along the right side of the screen for users to know where to look for an intriguing part of the video, as well as what types of media comments are being left.
In keeping with a modern feel, inspiration was taken from multiple chat tools, including Twitter, Google Messages, and Apple Messages. GoReact normally uses a block text field, an area with lots of open space and not much direction. The redesign uses a pill text field that is much lower on the screen. Above the field, are the multiple other types of media that can be used, much like Twitter.
These different media tabs show as little pop-ups for the user to interact with. The video tab was inspired by Apple’s Photo Booth, a lightweight video recorder. Since the video is only meant to be a quick comment, either for those with difficulty typing, or for the lesson provider to have better interaction with learners, the recorder only needs a volume monitor and a record/stop button.
Once the user is done recording, the video will automatically playback to them so they can be done with the interaction, or cancel and retry the video. The user will then be able to press done, and the video will move to the comment pill, much like Google or Apple Messenger. After which, the user can add supplementary text to accompany the video response.
The audio comment is very similar to the video, as one can expect. This type of comment will also move down to the comment pill for the user to add accompanying text.
Near the top of the screen, users will notice three more tabs, Comments, Downloads, and Feedback. Downloads is a quick overlay of all files associated with the video that the poster has uploaded. These can be worksheets, presentations the watcher can use along with the video, or any number of things the poster deems necessary.
Previously, all videos posted to GoReact had a download hidden in the header. To keep the clutter of the main page down, this was moved to the downloads tab. The file manager highlights what the user is hovering over and brings up the download option. The users are also able to download folders or individual files as needed.
Thee feedback tab, known as the Endnote in GoReact’s current design, is for watchers to drop general feelings, questions, and responses to the video as a whole. Currently they only offer a text field with a higher character count, but by adding text editing and formatting tools, users are able to better formulate their thoughts, and posters are better able to read and digest that information.
In this new design, users are able to fall back on common mental models built by industry leaders. All while making a software used heavily by the deaf community, come to the modern era and not have this audience feel like they were left behind.