My Review of Github

 

A web/mobile app that I use daily is GitHub. Github is an open-source program that allows users to create an open-source program and share to publicly.  In order to  share my thoughts on its usability, design, and functionality. I've used my personal account to underline key features. Let's get into it!

 

Usability

First off, GitHub can be a bit intimidating for beginners. When I first logged in, I was overwhelmed by the interface. There's a lot going on, from repositories to branches, and it's not immediately clear how to navigate these if you're new to coding or version control. However, once you get the hang of it, it becomes a powerful tool for collaboration and version control.

Here's a screenshot of the main dashboard:

 

 

As you can see, it's pretty packed. You've got your repositories front and center, but there's also a lot of other info like recent activity, which can be distracting.

Design

The design of GitHub is clean and modern, but it can feel a bit sterile. It's very much designed with functionality in mind, which is great for experienced users but can be off-putting for newbies. The repository pages are well organized though, with code, issues, pull requests, actions, and more all easily accessible.

 

To better illustrate some features of GitHub I used "EduTrendsLinks to an external site." from my data science portfolio on GitHub, where I utilized machine learning algorithms to identify students who are the most statistically to be academically disadvantages based off their parents socioeconomic status.  

Here's what a typical repository page looks like:

 

 

 

Everything's there, but it could definitely be more welcoming and intuitive for first-time users.

Functionality

Functionality is where GitHub really shines. It's incredibly powerful for collaboration, allowing multiple people to work on the same project without stepping on each other's toes. The version control is top-notch, and features like branching and pull requests make managing changes a breeze. However, for someone just starting out, this complexity can be a bit much.

Recommendations for Improvement

1. Improved Onboarding for New Users: A more guided experience for first-time users would be a huge help. Maybe a step-by-step tutorial or an interactive guide that walks you through your first repository creation, commit, and pull request.
   
   2. Customizable Dashboard: The ability to customize the dashboard would be great. New users could opt for a simplified view, while more experienced users could choose to see more detailed information.
       
   3. More Engaging Design: While the clean design is functional, making it a bit more engaging and less intimidating could help new users feel more at ease. Perhaps a more colorful interface or customizable themes could make the platform feel more personal and less like a corporate tool.
       

    

Overall, GitHub is an incredibly powerful tool, but it definitely has a bit of a learning curve. With a few tweaks, especially in terms of usability and design for new users, it could be even better. Can't wait to see how it evolves!