The internet once began with websites with simple designs which included
an image, a bunch of buttons with hyperlinks and possibly an animated image.
But as time went on, the internet grew and the users grew bored of these plain
sites. For this reason, the internet transformed in a way which gave sites the
'Wow!' factor to impress their users in hope that they will be loyal to the
brand. They do this by adding unique transitions, simple effects or by making
the site more interactive.
A site which offers a rich user experience would be...
The reason why Dropbox provides a rich user experience is because it
follows the correct practices and these include: (These headings can
be found here)
1) Combine the best of desktop & online experiences.
Dropbox allows users connect to their cloud storage through any device.
Users are able to install Dropbox onto their main computers and any file that
is moved to that folder automatically gets synced up to the cloud. Even when
the user is offline, they are able to transfer files to that folder and as soon
as they reconnect to the internet, the files will be uploaded. The same goes
for mobile devices. As soon as a picture is taken, it is automatically uploaded
to Dropbox where all devices are able to view the image as soon as it is
completed.
2) Usability and simplicity first.
Dropbox has a very simple colour scheme, blue and white. Everything on
their website is very clear and is just a drag-and-drop process when it comes
to storing files. For users, this means it is easy to use and are not
overwhelmed of the use of cloud storage.
3) Match the technology usage to the requirements.
Dropbox consists of a number of cloud-based services. They use a number
of programs including: Python and the toolkits wxWidgets and Cocoa, Go and
CoffeeScript for the browser.
4) Search over structure.
Many websites now use Dropbox as a means to upload files to their own
site. Since over 300 million people use Dropbox, it only makes sense that other
sites incorporate Dropbox's API for uploading.
5) Preserve content addressability.
Everything is stored on the cloud. If files were accidentally
removed, users are still able to backtrack and restore their Dropbox to a
previous format where the files still exist. So files are never truly lost. For
users, this removes the worry of accidental file deletion since there is always
support available to help backtrack and return files.
6) Deep, adaptive personalization
Considering this is
a cloud service, files uploaded to Dropbox are all dependent on the
user so there wouldn't be any type of recommendations. However, as an
incentive, Dropbox does give users a certain amount of space depending on what
actions were taken. Recently, I was given a bonus 2 gigs of data for using
their email service. On top of that, I asked my friend to use the same Dropbox
account as I and she lives in America. Altogether, Dropbox gave me a total 54.8
gigs for 2 years instead of me having to pay money for extra space.
When comparing
Dropbox to a similar site for example Google Drive, the experience may differ
depending on the user. Google Drive has a better browser and interface and it
looks much more empowering than Dropbox's basic look. Not saying that Dropbox's
browser looks terrible, it’s just a difference that some users may notice.
However, Google Drive does not have a feature to automatically upload photos or
files directly from the phone directly in their service. This may not seem like
much but you could lose/break your phone at any point and all those important
photos you've been taking will be lost forever. Dropbox does have this feature
and this is most likely the clearest comparison between the two competitors.
Dropbox and cloud servicing is continually expanding in different ways
as more users realize its necessity. A way Dropbox could improve
itself is creating an offline Dropbox where users are able to constantly upload
their files to the cloud without the use of internet. But that's something
totally different... Realistically, I think they should add a bit more to
their browser's interface. Just to add little bit more fun.
So who do you think is better: Dropbox or Google Drive and why?
Thank you!
You really made a good point when talking about the simplicity of Dropbox, because that's what interactive platforms should look for in order to give users a rich experience. Great post! Ah, and Dropbox is better! hahah
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment! Yeah, the experience from Dropbox in comparison to Google Drive is pretty nice. But Google Drive does have the advantage of allowing people to collaborate with others in real time and you are all able to edit documents. So the experience from both applications are highly different and they both have their strong points. Do you have a reason for choosing Dropbox as the better service?
DeleteAn informative piece of work, although there are soem points that are a bit brief its very clear and easy to understand. There are a few points that could be discussed in more detail, one of which is the usability and simplicity section. You mention the interface details but you dotn go into alot of detail about how it affects the user, also there could be some mention of how the interface is a bit sparce at times an example of this beign the llack of clear filepath. Altogether though your post describes all it needs reasonably well
ReplyDeleteIt is true how greatly the internet has evolved. From Web 1 to 2.0 and HTML 5 has introduced standards, guidelines for websites to abide by in order to address continuity, compatibility and most importantly, acceptability. HTML 5 has put web browers on equal footing with applications and this is a great example of how Dropboxes features have reduced the need to installed apps. I agree that Google Drive does have some very nice features but why does it still feel like Dropbox is the clear winner?
ReplyDeleteI think Dropbox is just better since it came out first and everyone likes to stick to the original. Sure Google created Drive in 2006 but it took them 6 years to release an official service. You can never replace the original especially when the services are very similar.
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