Something similar that annoys me for the same reason is the "there is an update! update now?" popups you get on launch. I want to use the product right now, not wait for it to update before I use it. I wonder if it would be better to get those popups when you try to close the product, it'll say "there's an update available. Do you want to update, or just close right now?". Then it's not getting in your way when you're trying to use it. Or the steam method of just updating things when you're not using them, though that does require a separate launcher program

I think it can be summarized: Don’t push a map on an explorer, they wanted to explorer, a map is not what they are looking for.

It’s a great article, thanks!

i don't think it's an either/or or "best". highly dependent on industry and application. if you're application is complex no amount of "good ux" can replace a good overview/tour (watch people, they will go in click around to get the lay of the land then be confused usually).

after that its determining how people to digest info, some like docs (me), others want to sit thru a video, others NEED a person to guide them in person, some like tooltips, checklists, etc.

i'm not saying you need to litter your app with this stuff, but i don't think there is some magical UX pattern that always works.

I swear, if you haven't opened an app for a week there will be some such popup you have to close.

Instead of spending time making product tour, add a info to each button or show the detail when user hover for 2 seconds. Most product miss that and I don't know what exactly the button does until I click on it. I don't know what "hide" and "past" does in HN even after being here for years.

I just created (yesterday) a product tour I'm pretty proud of:

https://www.writelucid.cc

It's a writing reviewer app, and the landing page is the product. It's literally a document with a critique. You can write in it, use the editor, even delete the whole page.

I always skip tours, but I think this kind of thing (if your product can support it) is much better. Then again, this isn't so much a "you've logged in, now let us teach you how to use this product" as a "welcome, here's what this product does".

The kind of product tour that the article says it works seems very similar to most video game tutorials.

... which incidentally always have a skip button.

> Why most product tours get skipped

Because I want you to leave me the fuck alone.

> If they cannot find it in about thirty seconds, they leave.

Sorry but in many startup cases it's by design. See: got a KPI increase (email is collected), but as the user left there's no AWS resource usage! Profit!

Why most GDPR cookie consents get randomly clicked away

Why most ads on Youtube gets get skipped

etc etc