Plangr – Geo-social Planning Tool

9 thoughts on “Plangr – Geo-social Planning Tool”

1. – Visit https://www.plangr.com/. What is your initial impression of what you see? Are you immediately drawn to click any of the buttons? Why or why not?
   First looking at the site I felt like there needed to be something loading on the left hand side of the screen but then I realized the main content of the page was off center. I would suggest centering it so the users won’t become frustrated or confused. However, I do like how the information is laid out into steps and how clicking through the steps is somewhat interactive. The layout is clean and the color scheme is coherent. I would also suggest making the top header span the entire length of the page to better fit with the site.
   – Create an account. Was it easy to create an account or did you have issues?
   I didn’t encounter any issues. I did find it a bit off putting when I first created the account, I was never told an activation email was sent to my email address so I assumed my account was already active. I would suggest saying something like “Activation link has been sent to email address.” Just for a courtesy. Other than that, the sign up process was easy!

   – Do you have any problems using the software? What’s missing?
   The style of creating each event is really pleasing to the eye. Everything looks very clean and professional!  For inputting the time and date, there should be an option to go from a 24-hour time stance to a regular 12-hour time for those who aren’t exactly time savvy. I had troubles with the search field. Anything that I would input it would give me the same “We couldn’t find the page you’re looking for.” error. Even when inputting the event I created.
   – How do you think the site compares to other social planning tools?
   Being as this is the only social planning tool I’ve used besides the options on Facebook.com I’d say it’s pretty unique. It’s sole purpose is the bring people together through local events and happenings rather than a social network based on a persons profiles and likes. Makes the website personal, but not to personal.
   – Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have. Thank you!
   As suggested before, maybe try centering the content on the main page, log in page, and the create account page. Other than that, it’s a Plangr is a well thought out and put together site! I hope it catches on:)

2. Thank you for your well thought feedback, we will try to fix all things you mentioned earlier. And if you like plangr, please tell your friends about it.
   regards,

3. 1) Visit https://www.plangr.com/. What is your initial impression of what you see? Are you immediately drawn to click any of the buttons? Why or why not?

   When I first arrived at the site it was very pleasing to the eyes.  Nothing’s really overwhelming, which is what I love.  I was immediately drawn to the slide show buttons displayed under the picture.  The captions are really helpful in understanding the capabilities your service provides, but I feel like its missing something.  It’s very simplistic, which may be a good and bad thing.  I get the general idea of what you guys are pitching, but nothing really draws me in.  I would love to see a short video showing me how it works and why I should use it. 
   2) Create an account. Was it easy to create an account or did you have issues?
   My account was extremely easy to create, I had no issues and I see that you added the “Verification Email Sent” requested in the previous post.  I was thinking maybe a follow up email with the username and password I signed up with could be added.  I was halted for a second wondering if I was supposed to use my email address as my username when logging in.

   3) Do you have any problems using the software? What’s missing?
    
   The software works flawlessly; I’ve had no hiccups with browsing through events or searching my area.  The integration of Google maps is great, the only thing I would like to see is the ability to double click on the map in order to create an event.  Another thing I noticed is when I click on “Create” there’s a submenu listing three genre’s and I had no idea what they meant.  In my opinion, there’s no need for that.  Just a simple click of the “Create” should take me to the event planning page.  Or maybe you could add that feature as a selection on the next page.

   4) How do you think the site compares to other social planning tools?
    
   I mainly use Google Maps for my event planning trips, but I like some of the extra features you’ve added to personalize the experience and importance of each event.  I see potential here and it’s a great idea.
   5) Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have. Thank you!
   I know it’s way early in the development process to consider this, but you’re idea would do great as a Mobile application rather than just a website.  I see a lot more potential if you streamlined your idea and made it available on mobile platforms.  That way I could plan on the go!

4. ) Visit https://www.plangr.com/. What is your initial impression of what you see? Are you immediately drawn to click any of the buttons? Why or why not?
   My initial impression of what I saw was, “neat.” I found the color scheme calming. However, I was sure, from the first glance, just what this site was about. I saw the map and thought it must have something to do with locations. Then I keyed in on the catch phrase “the easiest way to social planning” and thought it must have something to do with planning to meet up somewhere. I was immediately drawn to click the arrow to the right of the map so I could see what other things that site featured. I like the sliding images that sites have because they offer me a quick way to digest important information.
    
   2) Create an account. Was it easy to create an account or did you have issues?
   I had issues. I used the facebook option, as it’s quicker than entering all my information. Things seemed to go okay until the allow screen. After I clicked allow, I got the following message:
   “Incorrect authentication service”
   I then went back to the sign up screen and tried to sign up the long way. It wouldn’t accept my password because it was too short. If I had known it had to be 8 characters long in advance, I would have created a password that was that long.
   I then was able to register, and had to wait for the activation email, which I always find annoying, but it worked okay and I was able to log in.

   3) Do you have any problems using the software? What’s missing?
   I was able to interact with the software easily. What’s missing is a short tutorial on how to use plangr and what it offers. A really short video or screen that offers simple instruction (and that can be skipped for those uninterested) would be really, really helpful.
   4) How do you think the site compares to other social planning tools?
   I like the simplicity of its use and design. However, it seems similar to other sites like foursquare.

   5) Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have. Thank you!
   The only other feedback I have is that the site copy needs to be edited and proofread. I do that for a living, and so when I see little errors (words not capitalized) I cringe!  Very interesting site!

5. Feedback sought:
   1) Visit https://www.plangr.com/. What is your initial impression of what you see? Are you immediately drawn to click any of the buttons? Why or why not?

   At first glance, I liked the slides since we are all used to that with Apple, tablets, phones, etc. 
   I did go through all the slides to see what exactly this site did.  I feel like there could be more info or examples around the pages as you go through to give you a better understanding.  The pictures to the right of each of the 6 pages however were not easy to see and not very clear.  I didn’t understand what a few were even.
   2) Create an account. Was it easy to create an account or did you have issues?

   the form was short and sweet. I did not, however, get my email promptly.  When something makes you verify your email to activate, I immediately go to my phone with my email, activate it and then go back to my computer to continue using the site quickly.  I could not do this because I did not get the email after refreshing quite a few times.
   3) Do you have any problems using the software? What’s missing?

   I was not able to test it out because I never got the activation email. I would have liked to have seen how exactly it works. Is this offered as an app for phones for easy access and constant account login?
   Speed is everything to get people to use.
   4) How do you think the site compares to other social planning tools?
   This is the first time I have heard of anything like this besides of Facebook checking in.  I love the idea of going to a new place or vacation and being able to ask what to go do.  I love the idea of moving to a new town and being able to find the activities you used to do in your old town.

   5) Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have. Thank you!

   The only reservation I have with using it is that you are checking in constantly with where you are what you are doing. Some people do this with Facebook but really it is exhausting unless you just have nothing else to do.  Creating an event that you are planning with friends is awesome and I think that is brilliant. I also thought first thing, would this be a way for someone to stock you really really easily since you are putting your entire agenda and life for the world to see? Allowing some things to be public and some private or just to the friends you invited is nice. I was unable to see if you have this feature.

6. Hy,
   Thank you for your feedback. We have an issue with the email system that we are trying to fix. and you will receive a verification email as soon as possible.
   For your concern with the privacy of your plans, you should know that plangr comes with a permission system allowing users to create private & public events, plans and tasks. It also allows users to set customizable permissions, which means allow only some users to view and/or edit.
    
   thank you again for your feedback!

7. Upon entering the site it has an eerie similarity as well as familiarity to Facebook, to me. The site needs to be their own, not a partial replication of another social site.
   I did create the account but am yet to receive my confirmation email; it was not hard to open the account. The create button was a bit confusing, to me, they should possibly put the questions somewhere else on the site?
   The arrows that leads you through what Plangr can offer was a cool idea along with the buttons at the bottom that allow an individual to read the information that way as well.
   The site is a great site that offers a lot of things some social butterflies will find useful, world travelers as well.
   The site will have a lot more work to do to compete with Bing, Google and Yahoo users in getting them to use Plangr instead of the more popular sites already on the web.  With some tweaking the site will be a contender in my opinion.

8. Visit https://www.plangr.com/. What is your initial impression of what you see? Are you immediately drawn to click any of the buttons? Why or why not?
   Plangr’s layout is good in theory: it’s clean, simple and easy to navigate, but right off the bat I notice a few things that could be changed. For one, the main graphic on your homepage looks like someone hit print screen and uploaded a PNG file (which actually loads slower than a JPG file). The image also appears fuzzy and unappealing. Something to consider would be using iFrame or simply placing a module there so that the image looks cleaner and more professional. I instantly want to click on the image, but that is not an option. My next instinct is to hit the arrow buttons on the left and right side of the site. I am drawn to these because they look clean and simple (like the main graphic should look). The only reason I am drawn to the graphic more, is because it is bigger. Something else that needs improvement is the site’s grammar. Too many words that need to be capitalized are not and as a writer this is very bothersome to me. Consider hiring an editor or proofreader.
   Create an account. Was it easy to create an account or did you have issues?
   It was easy to register and activate my account but once I tried to log in, I was asked for a Username which was not on the registration form. I tried to sign in with the name I used, but that did not work. I then tried my e-mail and that worked, but I feel that you really need to specify that users should type in their e-mail rather than a username because some people may become instantly turned off if they think it’s impossible to log in.
   Do you have any problems using the software? What’s missing?
   I’m not sure “software” is the appropriate term, but I could be wrong. In any case, it is easy navigate. Because I do not have any friends on Plangr yet, I do not think I can fully appreciate what the site has to offer. I’m not sure what is missing, but there isn’t much to do unless you have friends. I cannot figure out how to upload a profile picture or fill out a biography. This should be clearer for users.
   How do you think the site compares to other social planning tools?
   I think the idea for the site is one with potential, but as it is now, I do not see anything special about it that other planning tools do not already provide. Tell site visitors exactly why they should sign up with http://www.plangr.com as opposed to or in addition to other social sites. What does Plangr have to offer that other sites do not? I think a fun idea would be allowing people to contact their friends’ phone through http://www.plangr.com. This way they can instantly contact and plan a social event without having to wait for their friend to get to a computer and log on.
   Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have. Thank you!
   My biggest suggestion is to really spice up the homepage. You want this part to look GREAT so that people are willing to give your site a try. First impressions are everything. Consider hiring a graphic designer and editor to make sure there are no mistakes and that the homepage is of its highest quality. The feedback bar on the side is a great idea. One last complaint: I know blue is a calming and appealing color for many sites, but I am reminded way too much of Facebook. Plangr is far from competing with a social site as big as Facebook so it may not be in its best interest to look so similar to a site that is currently offering much more. Again, this is another issue where Plangr needs to set itself apart from the rest of the competition. I hope this helps, and best of luck!

9. 1) Visit https://www.plangr.com/. What is your initial impression of what you see? Are you immediately drawn to click any of the buttons? Why or why not?2) Create an account. Was it easy to create an account or did you have issues?3) Do you have any problems using the software? What’s missing?4) How do you think the site compares to other social planning tools?5) Please share any additional feedback/comments you may have. Thank you!

   The page looks very simple right off the bat.  Didn’t think it had much to offer, until signing up for an account and getting into it. After noticing the bullets below the image indicating how many pages there are, i looked for the right arrow to navigate to the next pages.  
   Creating an account was easy, the email confirmation link worked fine.  
   Without having any friends in the software, wasn’t able to really check all the features.  But it looks like a great way to check and see whats going on.   
   The site looks an awful  lot like facebook.  And i can’t decide how to pronounce the name “Plangr”  So when telling my friends, hey,, go to “Plangr” and sign up.  There’s some abbreviations that i have no idea what they mean.  the cal, forcal, withcal for example,  even after clicking them, i still don’t know what they are suppose to do.  
   This is the first social planning tool i have seen, so i have no comparison.

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