Improve the location of review apps in an MR so they are more noticeable
Release notes
Problem to solve
Based on the JTBD validation research completed in https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/ux-research/-/issues/1557, we were able to obtain additional feedback around the usability testing category as a whole, including review apps and visual review tools.
A common learning that came out of the sessions was that the review apps are inconsistent in when they will appear in a given MR and where.
After further research and related issues (related issues widget below), we found that users cannot always find the MR widget because it is not obvious enough. In order to figure out the reasons attributing to this, we investigated further in https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/ux-research/-/issues/1884+. We found that review apps are not located in the ideal spot for developer workflows when reviewing MRs. Other insights can be found in the research issue.
Intended users
User experience goal
The user should be able to easily view a review app when reviewing an MR.
JTBD
When I review a user interface change before it goes live, I want to test various flows of where the change appears, so I can evaluate how it performs in different circumstances.
User story
As a review app user, I want to view the changes in a review app, so I can quickly evaluate the impact and accuracy of the change.
Proposal
- Add a
Open in review app
item to theCode
menu in the MR header only if the project has a review app enabled. - Add tracking to the menu item
👆 -
Open in review app
should be disabled in the menu when:- The review app is deploying
- The review app needs to be manually deployed
- Update
View app
button on the MR widget to beView review app
.
Further details
Permissions and Security
Documentation
Availability & Testing
Available Tier
Feature Usage Metrics
What does success look like, and how can we measure that?
We should see more review apps used to review MRs. We can measure this by tracking the number of clicks this menu item gets overtime. We'd compare the previous number of clicks (just from review app widget) to the new combined number of the review app widget and this menu item.
What is the type of buyer?
Is this a cross-stage feature?
Yes, with groupcode review
Links / references
This page may contain information related to upcoming products, features and functionality. It is important to note that the information presented is for informational purposes only, so please do not rely on the information for purchasing or planning purposes. Just like with all projects, the items mentioned on the page are subject to change or delay, and the development, release, and timing of any products, features, or functionality remain at the sole discretion of GitLab Inc.