Brightkit Hands-On: One Month In
>> 01 January 2009
Update 9 Mar 2009: Brightkit is now HootSuite and has continued to add and improve features.
I reported on Brightkit's functionality in mid-December. I've now been using Brightkit about a month and I'm still impressed with its labeling, navigation, and information presentation. Brightkit's UI progressively reveals operations, data, and forms so they are readily available but don't overwhelm. Its designers and developers roll out UI tweaks rapidly in response to user feedback. (Some early Brightkit idiosyncracies seem to have been resolved already.) I hope to see a more compact, information-rich interface at some point, but the service's utility outweighs the remaining (minor) irritants.
Brightkit's dashboard provides immediate access to stats for recently-sent tweets and tells you if there are any pending outbound messages, new @replies, or direct messages. You can create new tweets for any of the profiles directly from the dashboard, where you can also manage Twitter profiles and editors.
The tweet form conveniently embeds link shortening. Clicking “Shrink It” shortens the link and updates the character counter. “Edit” reveals the original link.
Graphs in the sent messages list present link stats. You can sort by tweet date, create date, or author. Date range shortcuts filter for today, week, month, and year. The custom filter defaults to the endpoints of the time period you've chosen, an example of the thought put into UI details.
The list also displays tweet error alerts. Clicking them reveals the Edit Tweet form so you can reschedule – another example of Brightkit's thoughtful UI approach.
It's easy to switch profiles with any of three dashboard options. The “jump to profile” selector bypasses the dashboard. Labeled tabs and icons make each profile's content and Twitter actions readily available. “Sent” and “pending” icons provide category cues for each message - helpful when tabs scroll out of the viewport.
The feed search's “Show Examples” reveals clear translations of the simple syntax and let you run each example to preview results.
Brightkit's large type and spacious layout make it easy to learn but soon got in my way. Showing and hiding stats per tweet and jumpy scrolling make monitoring click trends a little awkward. With just three profiles and a couple dozen sent messages I'd already like to see a no-training-wheels version. Overall, though, Brightkit's UI brings its power easily to hand. For me, its utility and convenience remain compelling.
