data downloads from landing page

[JDWoodcock]

could we have the data downloads available on the landing page?

[Robinlovelace]

Sounds like a good plan to me, many people still don't know they are available.

[usr110]

@AnnaGoodman1 could you tell me where the rmd documents for national level datasets for both layers exist?
For the main page, I think we need to merge both layers in a single document

[AnnaGoodman1]

should we maybe just link to national datasets from main page? can't see how linking to all regional ones would easily work, though happy to see ideas

[AnnaGoodman1]

rmd docs at: pct-shiny\non_www\tabs\commute and pct-shiny\non_www\tabs\school

[usr110]

should we maybe just link to national datasets from main page

I think so. Regional data would be quite complex.

rmd docs at: pct-shiny\non_www\tabs\commute and pct-shiny\non_www\tabs\school

Thanks. I don't see any rmd docs there. Have they been moved somewhere else?

See for instance here: https://github.com/npct/pct-shiny/tree/master/non_www/tabs/commute

[nikolai-b]

We could improve the regional pop ups on the front page and put regional download links in them.

[AnnaGoodman1]

@usr110 , you are right - but those are the download page files I think. I guess html not .rmd...?

[usr110]

@usr110 , you are right - but those are the download page files I think. I guess html not .rmd...?

Thanks. I will work with html then.

[Robinlovelace]

Also just picked up on this. Sounds like you're onto a solution @usr110, let us know if you'd like to test/review any changes. Will make the data that bit more accessible, amazing how few people know the data downloads are there.

[usr110]

We could improve the regional pop ups on the front page and put regional download links in them.

Sounds lovely. However this new feature in the map, I think will increase complexity. Right now users just need to click on a specific region to start the app (and see the summary info in the top right pane). If we add an additional step, like right-click or pop-up, might not work smoothly, especially in small screens. What do you think? @nikolai-b

[Robinlovelace]

I think just a link to the national / regional downloads would be sufficient. E.g.

Download PCT data: regional (geojson), regional (Rds), national (Rds)

That's simple and should be effective at making people realise a) that there is data to be download from the project and b) where to get it.

Thoughts?

[AnnaGoodman1]

I'm not sure that works because there are multiple regional and national downloads (zones, lines, centroids, fast routes, lsoa/msoa, etc). What about instead having a link to the regional data download page in the pop-up box, as shown in this image

Which then takes you here:

[Robinlovelace]

What about instead having a link to the regional data download page in the pop-up box, as shown in this image

I'm happy with that but from previous comments from Ali, it sounds like it could be tricky and time-consuming to implement. My understanding is that @usr110 would work on it and for me it's a question of how long it would take the person who implements it. Previous comments, e.g. that it

will increase complexity

and

might not work smoothly

led me to proposed a simpler stop-gap solution that points people to the data. I think the file structure is fairly self explanatory and that advertising national and regional data has +s that outweigh potential -s of people being confused when they are directed to GitHub. Are there additional -s of my suggestion, of simply adding a sentence on the main page directing people to the downloads, that we've not considered?

Also, adding the links to the main page is not incompatible with doing it in the popups. We could do (and I tentatively advocate doing) both. But the former option is simpler from user and developer perspectives.

Would also be keen to here Nikolai's take: would Anna's suggestion in the image above be time consuming to implement @nikolai-b ? All for it if so, just need to know who will do it and an estimate of how long it would take.

In the meantime I suggest going with the simple message I suggest here #785 (comment) unless there are unforseen disadvantages that I've not considered.

[AnnaGoodman1]

ok I think I misunderstood what you were suggesting Robin. But I don't think a good idea to link to github - much better to link to the user-facing download pages or to tell people how to get there.

just having a static sentence/box advertising the existence of these files seems fine to me as a minimal but useful stopgap: 'Did you know you can download regional and national files? Click on a region and then choose the relevant tab along the top'

[Robinlovelace]

Did you know you can download regional and national files? Click on a region and then choose the relevant tab along the top

I think that simple addition to the front page would be great.

[Robinlovelace]

Quick check-up on this, are you up for giving this a bash @usr110 after great work on adding the Essential doc? Otherwise I can have a bash. Heads-up @nikolai-b I think we should fix this before merging #836