Help me out: anything missing?

[Mario]

We all know that making the first steps with a new application can be complicated, even daunting.
So much we don't know, so much to learn. How to get this and that done with the new application?

This is often referred to as onboarding in IT speak.
While onboarding is often simple for smartphone apps, due to their usually rather limited/focused feature set, it is way more complicated for powerful and feature-rich applications like IMatch.

Over time, I have simplified the onboarding process for IMatch, by reducing the number of questions/options shown during the first launch etc.
I have hidden advanced settings (for new users!) behind the "Expert Mode" switch.
Added more tip tooltips when features are used for the first time, and the cool The 'Did You Know?'' App with tons of tips & tricks.

But as I often say, I am spoiled. I can never see IMatch in the way a new user sees it.

So, especially for users who have come to IMatch over the past couple of months (and of course all old hands), are there ways to improve the onboarding?

• When IMatch runs for the first time, the user is lead through the database creation process and IMatch then opens this help page: https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/after-creating-a-new-db.htm
  Do you see anything missing, something that could be explained better?
• The first contact with the IMatch Help system is often via the portal page: https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/welcome.htm
  Any suggestions?
• New users then often click on "First Steps" (with the baby icon): https://www.photools.com/help/imatch/base_firststeps.htm
  Do you see anything missing, something that could be explained better?

Of course I'm fully aware of the fact that different users have different needs and backgrounds, and that is virtually impossible to make things optimal for everyone. But it is worth to try!

IMatch will never be "easy", like Photoshop will never be "easy". Or any complex application out there, from DTP to video editing.
But I always try to make things easier to use, without crippling the feature set or dumbing down things.

Users don't like complex. And often choose to the software that looks easy - at first.
Only to get let down by buggy features, crappy metadata management, instability, problems handling larger image collections etc.
So, naturally, their choice should have been IMatch 

Let me know what you think below.

[Jingo]

Just some ideas....

1 - Maybe consider pushing the MEET IMATCH help topic up to the front someplace... I think it is very well put together and brings the user a very nice overview of the system.

2 - Push the community forums early too and maybe add a new "Welcome Aboard First Time Users" section where folks can introduce themselves and ask "newbie" questions that us "oldtimers" can help answer?

3 - more of a software change to maybe make things simpler: perhaps moving some of the preferences that are "expert/advanced" off the main pages - things that shouldn't be changed unless you "know what you are doing".  It can be confusing to review all the preferences and know what to change from default the first time through - especially the metadata and metadata2 settings.  behind another menu?

[Mario]

3 - more of a software change to maybe make things simpler: perhaps moving some of the preferences that are "expert/advanced" off the main pages - things that shouldn't be changed unless you "know what you are doing".  It can be confusing to review all the preferences and know what to change from default the first time through - especially the metadata and metadata2 settings.  behind another menu?

This is what the Expert Mode does. It is off by default for all new users and hides many Application and Metadata options.
You can disable it for your installation to see what it does. Edit > Preferences > Application...

[Jingo]

This is what the Expert Mode does. It is off by default for all new users and hides many Application and Metadata options.
You can disable it for your installation to see what it does. Edit > Preferences > Application...

You know.. I've been using IMatch for so long and had it turned on from long ago - I didn't even realize that option existed..