This page describes Stages (or also called "phases") and how they are used to structure the Questions and Answer Options of the Advisor Process into different steps.
Table of content:
Introduction
Stages are used to structure the Advisor Process. In most cases, a Stage addresses a specific topic of the Product Guide. Every Stage can contain one or several Questions. All created Stages are accessed in a sequence (1, 2, 3 ...) until the Recommendation Stage is reached.
Example
A Stage name in the "Bike Advisor" Product Guide could be "Person" and it would contain Questions about the person who will ride the bike.
Creating a new Stage
- Click the "Add Stage" button in the Concept Board.
- This generates a text input field with the input prompt "Enter the Stage name".
- Enter the Stage name, e.g. "Person".
The Stage name should contain one or two key words. That serves as title for the underlying content and helps to navigate easier through the Stages. - After entering the name the card representing the Stage will look like this:
Stage Card Structure
The Stage card includes the following elements:
- A number at the top which signals the position of the Stage in the Product Guide.
- the Stage name
- A "Reuse existing Question" dropdown element which clones already existing Questions into the Stage (see Reuse Existing Question).
- An "Add new Question" button at the bottom. The button creates a Question card in this Stage.
- A preview image (left side). The preview image is only visible if the "Show Images" toggle is activated.
- A clickable arrow (pointing to the right side). Click on the arrow to open the Stage Properties where you can edit all parameters and the explanation content of the Stage.
Reuse existing Question
With this dropdown element, it is possible to select an already existing Question and display it in this Stage too. This can be used e.g. for allowing the user to refine respectively change his selected Answer Options from the original Question. This initially changes the product recommendation result list.
Typical Questions to show or repeat in the Recommendation Stage are Questions that have a strong impact on the result list. Thus answering them and testing their effect on the visual product recommendations can be a nice feature for your clients using your Product Guide.
Example Questions: Price, manufacturer, size or colors.
Example of a Stage with 2 Questions
This is how a Stage can look like once you have entered 2 Questions with corresponding Answer Options:
Stage Properties
Clicking the arrow of the Stage card (marked with yellow in the screenshot below) opens the Stage's properties dialog:
The Stage properties dialog contains all Stage-specific properties and the explanation content (see screenshot on the right side). It is divided into the followiong two sections.
General Properties
The general properties of a Stage allow to configure the following:
- Stage name:
You can change the Stage name in the text input field "Name".
Note: All fields update immediately once you set a value and/or leave them. They don't require a "save" action. - Stage ID:
The Stage ID is used to identify the Stage without needing the label name. This is useful for a better understanding of the tracking. Note: If the Stage name is empty the Stage ID is shown in the concept board (recognizable by a thinner font weight and italic design). This is just a feature for an easier Stage identification. The ID is not shown in the Advisor. - Decoration Image:
Next to the Stage name it is also possible to upload a decoration or background image for a Stage. For an image-based client theme this feature could be useful for a better user experience. An uploaded image is also displayed on the left hand-side of the Stage name in the Stage card as a preview image. - Delete Stage:
The "Delete Stage" button removes the Stage from the Concept Board. Upon clicking the "Delete Stage" button, the Stage and all containing Questions and Answer Options are irreversibly deleted.
Visibility
The underlying settings allow the user to decide when the corresponding Stage should be visible in the Advisor (see Set the Visibility).
Explanation Content
The explanation content is configured in the "Explanation Content" section and should enhance the user experience of your Product Guide. This section is described in the Explanation Content article because the containing elements are equal for Stages, Questions and Answer Options.
Read on: Recommendation Stage or Questions and Answer Options
Example of Stage properties dialog:
