I really enjoy the ease of use of the Recargo Iphone App and it's graphical interface which is pleasing and simple.
...even though I believe in what OCM is doing with it's dry almost 90's text look.
With that in mind I went to openchargempa.org site with the intention of giving critical feedback.
I am going to speak frankly from a narrow minded CA, US perspective. I am not as narrow as this but I often do have to wear the "narrow goggles" in the course of my work sometimes presenting to the US common denominator citizen. (I will also make suggestion and comments in parentheses)
Bottom left box says “London, UK”. That turns me off (as an egocentric American.) (I suggest “Place city here” or “Zip code” or “State/Province” I suggest box titles such as the three shown “LOCATION” “WITHIN” “UNIT” )
What country shape is that? I want to see the USA so I can click on my state.
(Show at the start screen the globe like Google Earth does. Be sure that North America is in the center.) (alt suggestion is to show one of those cut up pie shaped earths that shows the whole planet at once)
The green circle Plug Logo does not look like a plug, it's some weird thing from Denmark or something. (more generic artwork)
I don't want to read. I want to find a place to plug my car in. (Put the user stuff (map) at top and info stuff at the bottom.)
What's it called?
(Openchargemaps is a functional name but not a catchy one. I keep forgetting it. A catchier name is needed. OpenEV.com? EVHeaven.com? AllEV.com EVeryplug.com? JuicEVs.com?
There are still a lot of url's that have not used the EV much so it is ripe for harvesting. If the user owns an EV they know that acronym and EV fits quite well at the front of
EVery which you are certainly trying to list.)
(This next one one bothers me as an advocate for EVs., We all know the these sites are not actual chargers but merely plugs and cables coming out of boxes directly connected to the grid (mains). With this name I think you are perpetuating the problem of people thinking you need to find a charger to fill up today's EVs when any plug will do since the chargers are now built into cars. -And yes high powered chargers are the exception, and you need to carry adapters but those are exceptions and the very name of the site should not bow to the few. Something that does not say, "Here's where the "
chargers"
that you need are located". Plugs are
EVerywhere, (
http://everywhereplugs.com/ , evplugs.com )
these are just the easier , faster, better ones. ) (easyplugs.com)
(Dot com is real. Dot org is forgettable. Glad you are covered there.)
That gets the big ones off my chest. Thank you for indulging me.
eric
