navidocs/USER_TESTING_INSTRUCTIONS_CLOUD.md

NaviDocs User Testing Instructions - Cloud Sessions

Status: Ready for Production Testing Created: 2025-11-13 Target Users: Boat owners (non-technical, first-time users) Test Duration: 45-60 minutes per user Devices: Desktop + Mobile

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Welcome to NaviDocs Beta Testing!

You're about to test a new app that helps boat owners organize and find boat documentation. Please act like you know nothing about software development - test like a regular boat owner would. Your honest feedback will help us make this better.

Important: This is a USER PERSPECTIVE TEST, not a developer test. We want to know:

• Is the interface intuitive?
• Can you accomplish tasks without asking for help?
• Does it feel slow or fast?
• Would you actually use this every day?

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Part 1: Setup (5 minutes)

Before You Start

1. Find the Test URL

   • Desktop: https://digital-lab.ca/navidocs/
   • Mobile: Same URL (it's fully responsive)

2. Create a Test Account

   • Click "Create Account"
   • Email: Use your real email (for notifications)
   • Password: Something you'll remember (write it down if needed)
   • Boat Name: Use any boat you know (or "Test Boat")
   • Note: This is just for testing - your data will be deleted after

3. Check Device

   • Make sure you're testing on BOTH:
     • Desktop browser (Chrome, Safari, Firefox - pick one)
     • Mobile phone browser (iPhone Safari or Android Chrome)

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Part 2: What You're Testing (3 Features)

Feature 1: Smart OCR (Fast Document Processing)

What it does: When you upload a PDF, the app reads text from it and makes it searchable. This should be FAST (under 10 seconds).

What we're testing:

• Does the upload button work?
• Does the progress indicator show anything?
• How long does it actually take? (Time it with your phone)
• Can you search for text from the PDF afterward?

Test files to use:

• Try uploading a real boat manual PDF (if you have one)
• Or create a test PDF with text like "Engine Serial Number: ABC123456"
• Test document should be 10-100 pages

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Feature 2: Multi-Format Upload Support

What it does: You should be able to upload 6 different file types:

Format	What It Is	How to Test
PDF	Boat manuals	Upload any PDF manual
JPG/PNG	Photos of documents	Take a photo of a receipt, upload it
DOCX	Word documents	Create a .docx file with boat info
XLSX	Spreadsheets	Create a .xlsx with maintenance dates
TXT	Plain text	Create a .txt file with any text
MD	Markdown (formatted text)	Create a .md file with content

What we're testing:

• Can you upload each format?
• Does the app show what type it is?
• Does text get extracted (searchable)?
• Any format that fails - which one?

Test Plan:

1. Gather these files (or create them):

   • 1 PDF
   • 1 JPG or PNG (photo)
   • 1 DOCX file (Word)
   • 1 XLSX file (Excel)
   • 1 TXT file
   • 1 MD file

2. Upload each one and answer:

   • PDF uploaded and searchable?
   • JPG/PNG uploaded and searchable?
   • DOCX uploaded and searchable?
   • XLSX uploaded and searchable?
   • TXT uploaded and searchable?
   • MD uploaded and searchable?

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Feature 3: Timeline Activity Tracking

What it does: The app tracks what you did (when you uploaded documents, when you deleted them, etc.) and shows a timeline.

What we're testing:

• After you upload documents, do they appear in a timeline?
• Do the timestamps make sense?
• Can you see which documents you uploaded?
• Is it clear what happened and when?

Test Plan:

1. Upload a document
2. Wait 5 seconds
3. Look for a "Timeline" or "Activity" section
4. Answer:
   • Timeline visible after uploading?
   • Shows correct upload time?
   • Shows your username or "You"?
   • Easy to understand what happened?

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Part 3: User Scenarios (Real-World Testing)

These scenarios mimic what actual boat owners would do. Test each one and pay attention to how easy or hard it is.

Scenario A: "I just bought a boat, need to organize 50 manuals"

What you would do in real life: Buy a new boat, get a stack of manuals (engine, electrical, plumbing, hull, etc.), need to organize them so you can find things later.

Your test:

1. Create 5-10 test documents representing manuals:

   • Engine_Manual_2024.pdf
   • Electrical_System_Guide.pdf
   • Plumbing_Specs.docx
   • Maintenance_Schedule.xlsx
   • Hull_Warranty.txt

2. Upload all of them (over a few minutes)

3. Answer these questions:

   • Easy to figure out where to click to upload?
   • Can you upload multiple files in a row?
   • Does the app feel like it's hanging or is there feedback?
   • How long did 5 files take to process?
   • Would you do this again if you had to?

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Scenario B: "I need to find the engine serial number quickly"

What you would do in real life: You're at the marina, the mechanic asks "What's your engine serial number?" You need to find it in seconds.

Your test:

1. Create a document with engine details:

   • PDF, Word doc, or text file
   • Include text like "Engine Serial: ABC123DEF456"
   • Include model number, year, etc.

2. Upload it

3. After it processes, search for:

   • Search for "serial" - does it find the document?
   • Search for "ABC123" - does it find it?
   • How fast does search return results? (Should be instant)
   • Can you click the result and see the text highlighted?
   • Does it feel faster or slower than using Google?

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Scenario C: "I want to see what I did last week"

What you would do in real life: You're trying to remember when you last serviced the engine, or when you uploaded a specific document.

Your test:

1. Upload documents over a 5-minute period
2. Look for timeline/activity section
3. Answer:
   • Is there a clear "Timeline" or "Recent Activity" section?
   • Can you see when each document was uploaded?
   • Is the order clear (newest first, oldest last)?
   • Can you click timeline items to view documents?
   • Would you use this feature regularly?

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Scenario D: "I need to share a document with my mechanic"

What you would do in real life: Your mechanic needs to see your warranty information, fuel system specs, or maintenance history. You need to share it somehow.

Your test:

1. Upload a document
2. Look for a "Share" button or similar
3. Important: If there's NO share button, report this as feedback!
4. Answer:
   • Can you find a way to share? (If no, just note it)
   • Does the share option make sense?
   • Would you trust sharing documents this way?

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Part 4: Mobile Testing (15 minutes)

Now test the SAME features on a phone.

Do This on Mobile:

1. Upload a document on mobile

   • Can you figure out how to upload from a phone?
   • Is the button easy to click?
   • Can you select a file from your phone?

2. Search on mobile

   • Is the search box visible?
   • Can you type easily?
   • Are search results readable?

3. View timeline on mobile

   • Scroll down - can you find the timeline?
   • Is the timeline readable on a small screen?

4. General mobile experience

   • Text is readable (not tiny)?
   • Buttons are big enough to click easily?
   • No parts of the interface cut off?
   • Scrolling feels smooth?
   • If you have to zoom in/out, it's annoying (note this)

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Part 5: Edge Cases (Try to Break Things)

These are unusual situations that might cause problems. Try them:

Edge Case 1: Very Large File

• Try uploading a PDF larger than 50 MB
• What happens? Does it upload or show an error?

Edge Case 2: Special File Names

• Try uploading a file with special characters: Engine#1&2 (Copy).pdf
• Does it work or cause an error?

Edge Case 3: Slow Internet Simulation

• On mobile, switch to a slower connection (or use phone's throttling)
• Does the upload still work?
• What happens if you close the browser mid-upload?

Edge Case 4: Empty Search

• Search for something that doesn't exist: "zzzzzzzzqqqqqq"
• Does it show "No results" or an error?

Edge Case 5: Rapid Uploads

• Try uploading 3 documents in quick succession
• Does the app handle it or get confused?

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Part 6: Compare to Competitors (Optional but Helpful)

If you've used other boat document apps, compare:

Competitor	Link	What Do They Do Better?
Boat Books	https://boatbooksapp.com	__
YachtCloser	(search Google)	__
Other apps you've seen		__

Just note: What would make NaviDocs better than what you've seen before?

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Part 7: Usability Feedback

Answer these honestly:

UI/UX Questions

1. First Impression (After 30 seconds):

   • Is it clear what this app does?
   • Would you continue exploring or leave?
   • Rate clarity: 1 (confusing) → 5 (obvious)

2. Navigation:

   • Can you find where to upload documents?
   • Can you find where to search?
   • Can you find the timeline?
   • Any buttons or menus that confused you?

3. Search:

   • Search results make sense?
   • Can you find what you're looking for?
   • Any results that seem wrong or irrelevant?

4. Performance:

   • App feels responsive or slow?
   • Loading times acceptable?
   • Any lag when typing or clicking?

5. Visual Design:

   • Colors easy on the eyes?
   • Text easy to read?
   • Layout feels organized or cluttered?

6. Overall Experience:

   • Would you recommend this to another boat owner?
   • Would you pay for this? (How much: $5/mo? $10/mo? $20/mo?)
   • What's the #1 thing you'd change?

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Part 8: Issue Reporting

If you found something broken, confusing, or slow, report it here.

Report Template

Create a file called TEST-REPORT-SESSION-[YOUR-NAME].md and fill in this template:

# NaviDocs Test Report

**Tester Name**: [Your name]
**Test Date**: [Date and time]
**Device(s) Tested**: [ ] Desktop  [ ] Mobile  [ ] Both
**Duration**: [How long you tested]

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## What Worked Well

1.
2.
3.

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## Issues Found

### Issue #1: [Brief Title]
- **Severity**: [ ] Critical (app broke)  [ ] Major (feature doesn't work)  [ ] Minor (confusing)
- **How to reproduce**:
  1. [Step 1]
  2. [Step 2]
  3. [Step 3]
- **Expected**: [What should happen]
- **Actual**: [What actually happened]
- **Screenshot**: (if possible, paste URL)

### Issue #2: [Brief Title]
- [Same template as above]

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## Feature Feedback

### Smart OCR (Document Processing)
- **Works?**: [ ] Yes  [ ] No  [ ] Partially
- **Speed**: [ ] Fast (<10s)  [ ] Slow (>30s)  [ ] Very Slow (>60s)
- **Comments**:

### Multi-Format Upload
- **Works?**: [ ] Yes  [ ] No  [ ] Partially
- **Which formats work?**: PDF [ ] JPG/PNG [ ] DOCX [ ] XLSX [ ] TXT [ ] MD
- **Which formats don't?**:
- **Comments**:

### Timeline Activity
- **Visible?**: [ ] Yes  [ ] No
- **Clear?**: [ ] Yes  [ ] No  [ ] Somewhat
- **Comments**:

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## Usability Ratings (1-5 scale)

- **Ease of Use**: ___ / 5
- **Search Quality**: ___ / 5
- **Design**: ___ / 5
- **Performance**: ___ / 5
- **Overall Experience**: ___ / 5

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## Scenario Results

### Scenario A: Organize 50 Manuals
- [ ] Completed easily
- [ ] Completed with some difficulty
- [ ] Could not complete
- **Time taken**: [minutes]
- **Comments**:

### Scenario B: Find Engine Serial Quickly
- [ ] Completed easily
- [ ] Completed with some difficulty
- [ ] Could not complete
- **Time taken**: [seconds]
- **Comments**:

### Scenario C: See Last Week's Activity
- [ ] Completed easily
- [ ] Completed with some difficulty
- [ ] Could not complete
- **Comments**:

### Scenario D: Share with Mechanic
- [ ] Feature exists and works
- [ ] Feature missing
- [ ] Feature exists but confusing
- **Comments**:

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## Mobile Testing Results

- **Tested on**: [Device and browser]
- **Readability**: [ ] Good  [ ] OK  [ ] Hard to read
- **Touch targets**: [ ] Easy to tap  [ ] Sometimes hard  [ ] Too small
- **Responsive**: [ ] Fully responsive  [ ] Mostly responsive  [ ] Not mobile-friendly
- **Overall mobile experience**: ___ / 5

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## Competitive Comparison

**If tested other apps, what did NaviDocs do better/worse?**

Better than competitors:
-

Worse than competitors:
-

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## Would You Use This?

- [ ] Yes, I'd definitely use this
- [ ] Maybe, if [features added]
- [ ] No, because [reasons]

**How much would you pay per month?**
- [ ] Free only
- [ ] $1-5/month
- [ ] $5-10/month
- [ ] $10-20/month
- [ ] $20+/month

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## Additional Comments

[Your final thoughts, suggestions, or anything else we should know]

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**Thank you for testing NaviDocs!** Your feedback helps us build something boat owners actually want to use.

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Part 9: How to Submit Your Results

Option 1: GitHub (Preferred)

1. Fork the repository: https://github.com/dannystocker/navidocs
2. Create a new branch: testing/[your-name]-[date]
3. Add your report file: testing/TEST-REPORT-SESSION-[YOUR-NAME].md
4. Create a Pull Request with title: Test Report: [Your Name] - [Date]

Option 2: Email

Send the completed report to: [Contact email - to be updated]

Option 3: Issue on GitHub

If there are critical bugs, also create a GitHub Issue:

1. Go to: https://github.com/dannystocker/navidocs/issues
2. Click "New Issue"
3. Use title: [BUG] Issue description or [FEEDBACK] Suggestion

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Timing Guide

Use this to plan your testing session:

Activity	Time
Setup (account, uploads)	5 min
Feature 1: Smart OCR	10 min
Feature 2: Multi-Format	15 min
Feature 3: Timeline	5 min
Scenarios (A, B, C, D)	15 min
Mobile Testing	15 min
Edge Cases	10 min
Reporting	10 min
TOTAL	~85 minutes

Minimum viable test (if short on time): Features 1-3 + Scenario A = 30 minutes

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Important Reminders

What We Want to Know

• Is this intuitive for a boat owner with NO software background?
• Would you actually use this instead of Google Drive or email?
• What would make you NOT use this?
• What features are missing?

What We DON'T Want

• Technical jargon ("The API response time..." - we don't care)
• Vague feedback ("It's slow" - TELL US WHEN and WHERE it's slow)
• Wishful features unrelated to boat docs ("Add a chat feature")

Act Like a Real User

• Don't overthink it
• Don't try to "be nice" if something sucks
• Don't assume you should know how something works
• If you're confused, that's important feedback!

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Questions During Testing?

If something is unclear:

• Take a screenshot
• Note what confused you
• Include this in your report

If the app crashes:

• Note the exact steps you did
• Take a screenshot of the error
• Report it (this is valuable!)

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What Happens After You Test

1. Your report is reviewed by the product team
2. We identify patterns (if 5 people report the same issue, it's a priority)
3. We fix critical bugs before launch
4. We thank you (seriously!)
5. You might be invited to test future features

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Thank You!

Boat owners deserve great software. Your testing makes NaviDocs better.

Happy testing!

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NaviDocs Test Version: v1.0.0-beta Last Updated: 2025-11-13 Test Lead: Product Team Feedback Deadline: [TBD - update after cloud sessions]