Placecard · Tester walkthrough

Test Placecard as a student

About 40 minutes. Do each step on the live site, then answer the short questions under it. Your answers email to Brian at the end.

WoodBirch

0 steps done

Thank you for testing. Placecard plans small dinners of 4–6 on class weekends, so we get to really know classmates we haven't met yet. You'll use the real site with a real class, so please be yourself. Nothing you do emails anyone, and nothing here is graded. Honest answers help most, especially what doesn't work.

Before you start

The site: placecard.y-emba.org. Use the personal link in Brian's email the first time: it sets up your sign-in, and you pick your own password (10+ characters, with a capital, a number and a symbol).
Your two test dinners are already on your Dinners page, with other testers (the dates are in Brian's email). They're for testing only: no reservation, nothing to attend.
Two tasks are waiting on your Home page.
What Placecard is, in 10 slides: the pitch deck (arrow keys to move).
Dan is the assistant: the Ask Dan button at the bottom right.
A phone, a computer, or both all work. This page saves your answers in this browser as you go, so you can stop and come back.
Please keep what you see private: it's a real class's bio book.

·About you

1Sign in and fill in your card

Your card

Your link from the email → choose a password → My card

Open your link and set your password. You land on your card, filled in from the class bio book.
Check the photo, title, company and hometown. Add a Phonetic name and Pronouns if you like.
Set your usual nights: the class-weekend nights you're usually free for dinner.
Add a few Interests, any Food allergies / dislikes, and edit your Bio. Press Save my card.
Optional: gear menu (top right) → Give me a tour.

2Classmates

Classmates and private notes

Classmates · Home

Open Classmates. Search, and filter to people you haven't met yet.
Open a classmate's card. Write a short private note (only you ever see it, never the person or the program).
On Home, find your still to meet count.

3Your tasks

The two tasks waiting for you

Home → To-dos from your dinners

Find the two tasks. Each comes from one of your test dinners and names a classmate.
Open the classmate's card from a task: the task shows there too, under what you promised.
Check one task off, then undo it.

4Find restaurants

Restaurants, with walk and drive times

Restaurants · Ask Dan

Open Restaurants. Try the filters (private room, outdoor seating, price). Each place shows its walk and drive time from Evans Hall.
Open one restaurant: hours, website, directions, and member ratings.
Ask Dan: Which restaurants are under a 10-minute drive? and Which are within a 20-minute walk?
Ask Dan to Look up a ramen place we could try (or any kind of food). What it finds is added to the shared list for everyone.

5Set up a dinner

Plan a dinner of your own

+ Dinner (top of the page) or Dinners → Plan an upcoming dinner

Pick a class-weekend night other than your two test-dinner nights. Look at who's free that night, and try Suggest a table to see who Placecard would put together.
For the guests, please pick only testers who are free (Brian and the people on your test dinners), so no one else in the class ends up at a test dinner.
Choose a restaurant from the list and a time, and save. Open the dinner page.
Optional: ask Dan to plan one for you, e.g. Plan a dinner on Dec 10 at Olea with Brian. It asks “Shall I?” first.

6Before a dinner

A quick briefing

Dinners → the first of your two test dinners

Answer the RSVP (I'm in or Can't make it). It's a test dinner, so either is fine.
Press Brief me: Dan sums up who's coming, from their cards and your own notes.
Press 💬 Write conversation starters, and read the Quick refresher.
Optional: Add to calendar, or the directions link.

7After a dinner

Debrief the dinner you planned

Dinners → the dinner you planned in step 5

On its page, press ⏩ Demo: pretend this dinner ended 2 hours ago (only the person who planned it sees this; it's for testing).
Home now asks how dinner went. Press Record it.
Give the evening stars and a price. Fill in what you ate, drank and talked about (mention a guest by name).
Under Promised anyone anything? add a line, e.g. Send Brian the article by Friday. Press Save recap.
See where it went: the guest's card (Dinners together), the restaurant's page (You ate here), and your to-dos on Home. All of it is private to you.
When you're done, you may Remove this dinner from its page.

8Ask Dan anything

The assistant

Ask Dan (bottom right)

Try Who haven't I met yet?, Who's in town Friday that I haven't met? and What do I owe people from my dinners?
Then ask something of your own. Each answer shows what it cost: about a tenth of a cent.

9On your phone

Placecard on a phone

Safari or Chrome on your phone

Open placecard.y-emba.org and sign in.
Add it to your home screen (Share → Add to Home Screen on iPhone; the install prompt on Android). It opens like an app.
Look up a classmate and open your next dinner there.

10Overall

Send your answers to Brian

The button opens your email app with everything you wrote, addressed to brian.morelli@yale.edu. Press Send there. If your email doesn't open, use Copy or Download and email it yourself.

See my answers