Add "Available Devices" Homepage Widget

kzadrozny commented 7 years ago

Available devices data needs to be pulled from catalog: @johnjung Widget functionality needs to be added to standard page template: @bbusenius Styling for widget needs to be added: @kzadrozny

Mock-up of TechB@r "Available Devices" can be seen on this page mock: https://kzadrozny.github.io/LibPattern/regkiosk.html

kzadrozny commented 7 years ago

Full List from Jose

Below is the list Jose gave us of items he would like displayed on the TechB@r page:

TechB@r Page

I am hoping we can show a table with these individual "available" counts on the full TechB@r page.

Translated to homepage widget

Since we decided to leave out chargers due to the specificity of need, we have two options:

1. Combine data from TechB@r and PAWS

Laptops Macbook Airs and Dell XPS (combination count)

Tablets iPads

Desktops Use @jej's "Available computers" code to show a count of desktops that are not being used.

2. Show only TechB@r items

Macbooks Macbook Airs

PC Laptops Dell XPS

iPads iPads

Input

What are your thoughts on these options and the taxonomy for these linked icons? (cc: @ecboettch and @dbietila )

ecboettch commented 7 years ago

I think it's fine not to separate laptops by type: I wouldn't think it matters to someone who needs a laptop whether they get a Mac or PC (sure, many people prefer one over the other, but I don't know that the preference is strong enough to make PCs useless if no Macs are available, e.g.).

I have no preference as to whether we refer to the tablets as Tablets or iPads.

My reservation with showing available computers is as I mentioned earlier today that measuring logins isn't necessarily going to measure "this is a computer available to me right now that no one else is sitting at", but I'm not sure how widespread that issue is - if people specifically come to the all night study space to use computers, for example, or if not wanting to ask someone to move from a computer they aren't using is one person's experience or a larger phenomenon.

two stress cases for TechBar data: How often will the widget show that nothing is available? It's helpful information, but it could be frustrating/negative for someone to see that every time they open the library homepage. I'm also going to give more thought as to behavior when the Techbar is closed, since upon further thought, advertising that X number of laptops are available when the Techbar is closed seems inaccurate.

happy to take any/all of this to users.

kzadrozny commented 7 years ago

@ecboettch What to say or display after hours (for closed TechB@r or Late Night) is an interesting issue. I would like to see what testing says–one solution to get feedback on is displaying a line that states when the TechB@r opens the next day.

Additionally, since @jej had the original code separate the workstations by floor, it may be possible to only display available workstations on floor 1 after X time. That would be a more expensive widget.

Although, who is to say we need three icons? We could have this be TechB@r specific and only show available Laptops and Tablets, with our solution for the after hours. That way the inaccuracy of the PAWS machines, due to humans or time of day, is removed from the problem.

uchicago-library / library_website