ForumsQuestionsRemoving the left side bar
Removing the left side bar
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max |
Hi there
How does one remove the left sidebar in the new design please? Thanks Max |
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Jake Toodledo Founder |
It is not currently possible because it contains vital navigation options.
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max |
Thanks.
Am I right in thinking that this means there is less screen real estate available in the new UI compared to the old UI? |
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maralyn |
I am unable to get the main task to display on my screen. I was only able to do this previously by hiding the sidebar.
Please help! |
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Jake Toodledo Founder |
There is more vertical space, and the same amount of horizontal space unless you regularly collapsed the sidebar. If you regularly collapsed the sidebar, then there is less horizontal space, but that space is not used to display important navigation. We are exploring ways to allow the sidebar to be hidden when not in use.
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max |
Thank you. Yes, my default was to collapse the sidebar so would be grateful for an option to collapse it.
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mcgowan7 |
Please replace the option to collapse the sidebar.
Yes it is useful and contains important navigation information, but I want to HIDE it after I select my sort order and am working. |
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patricko |
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE add the ability to easily collapse and reveal the sidebar. I was happily using Toodledo as a split pane with Google Calendar, but now the side bar takes up half of the available horizontal space and I'm always having to scroll to see my tasks. I much preferred having all navigation at the top of the view, but if we can't have that at least give us the option of viewing our tasks without that side bar taking up so much space.
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Jake Toodledo Founder |
Thanks for the feedback. We are looking into this.
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Kevin |
PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE add the ability to easily collapse and reveal the sidebar. I do the same thing as mcgowan7.
Thanks, K |
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max |
Thanks for doing this.
Have you measured how often users use the top bar functions (Add Task, Show, Sort, @, etc) versus using the sidebar functions (View By)? I find that once I have my format set up, the only top bar function I use is Add Task. All the rest of my time is spent in the left bar changing my views. (So I am constantly having to make it come back and forth - and I do need the screen space for longer tasks) Therefore, in the way that I work, it would make more sense to have View By (and maybe Add Task) in the top bar, and all the formatting functions in the sidebar (and to be able to make these seldom use functions disappear). However, I have no idea how typical my use is compared to others' without measurements. Max This message was edited Aug 07, 2011. |
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Salgud |
Posted by max:
Thanks for doing this. Have you measured how often users use the top bar functions (Add Task, Show, Sort, @, etc) versus using the sidebar functions (View By)? I find that once I have my format set up, the only top bar function I use is Add Task. All the rest of my time is spent in the left bar changing my views. (So I am constantly having to make it come back and forth - and I do need the screen space for longer tasks) Therefore, in the way that I work, it would make more sense to have View By (and maybe Add Task) in the top bar, and all the formatting functions in the sidebar (and to be able to make these seldom use functions disappear). However, I have no idea how typical my use is compared to others' without measurements. Max I certainly don't know about the numbers, but from a basic UI design standpoint (which I also don't know anything about except I've been using them since they first came out), that doesn't seem at all logical or intuitive. To me, the various views down the left side and the filter and formatting options across the top is similar to other UIs I've used. In fact, I was using a style that reconfigured TD this way when the new UI was introduced. Can't remember any software doing the opposite. I don't think it's simply a matter of what gets used the most, but also of what makes sense to most users, particularly new users (experienced users are used to whatever has been there before, as evidenced by the few but vociferous outcries when the new, much better UI was introduced a couple of weeks ago, and they hated it). If you made frequency of use the only criteria for screen placement, and I know you're not advocating that, then the most used menu item would be top left, and lesser used ones going down and to the right from there. This would be the extreme version of what you're suggesting, of course. But you can see that this would lead to menus scattered all over, with no rhyme or order other and frequency of use. Wouldn't be very useful to anyone. So other factors come into play when a UI designer designs a layout, as they should. Things like what's been done before, both in this app and in others, as well as what's intuitive to the majority (lots of variation here), are considerations, along with many others I haven't a clue of. IOW, I think the current layout is much more intuitive to most users than what you're suggesting, not just because it's intuitive to me, but also because enough people clamored for it that there were styles that way long before the new UI was released. I'm not aware of any (someone please correct me if I'm wrong here) that had the format you're suggesting. This message was edited Aug 07, 2011. |
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Folke X |
It certainly is important that TD is attractive, intuitive, powerful and easy to work with. I think Salgud and Max are both touching upon this fact, from two different and relevant perspectives.
Personally, just like Salgud and Max, I am very happy with Toodledo. I too like the new UI better than the old one, but even the old one did its job perfectly. The left side bar never was a concern for me at all in the new UI, but I noticed some people had immense problems with it, so I am happy that it was changed (although I keep it in the locked position at all times.) More importantly, I have been wondering what new users think of Toodledo. And I have reflected upon the fact that once upon a time I looked at both Toodledo and RTM before going with Todoist. Why? And after giving up on Todoist I picked RTM, not Toodledo? Why? And now that I am with Toodledo I am wondering why on earth I didn't pick this in the first place. It has just about everything I need. (And it had all this even before it got the new improved UI). I think Salgud is right in saying that Toodledo needs to be intuitive and appear similiar to other software. And I think Max is touching upon an important fact that in a to-do system some kinds of things are done more frequently than others. I actually think these two aspects go very much hand in hand. It is common sense. The things you need to do often should be quick and easy. Things you do more seldom can be one or two extra clicks away, and should not clutter the overview. So where does this take us: Things we do all the time are: - add and complete tasks - switch between a limited number of hotlists or other favorite views - make adjustments to tasks, for example add some more notes, and, perhaps the most frequent operation of all, I would think, adjust the pipeline position of dateless tasks (using Status or Priority or some other field). Things we do more seldom are: - find misplaced tasks, which may require unusual views or searches - tweak our favorite views and searches and filters etc. - reasses or reorganize our whole system and data I personally feel that in the UI there are - and always have been, even in the old UI - an overwhelming number of variant views, most of which appear to be almost the same and which therefore give a lame overall impression. (I am thinking of all the "All Tasks viewed by X, Y ..."). This massive display of very simple views may obscure the fact (as it did for me) that Toodledo actually has: a) a very powerful search mechanism. (Almost as powerful as RTM, and 10000 times easier to handle!). (This should be made more visible) b) searches can be saved, i.e. you can create and resuse any kinds of favorite views you like. (Far from all systems can do that). (This should me made more visible) c) the most powerful and flexible sorting and grouping mechanisms of any to-do system I have ever seen !!! (This should also be made more visible.) In other words: the fact that with Toodledo you can have all the lists and views you ever need, properly sorted and categorized, should be more visible. And why not throw in some very visible and easy buttons(?) for promoting/demoting tasks in the pipeline (Status or Priority)? And slicker "fewer-click" task adjustments in general (fromm usually, 3 clicks today to, say, one hover and one click?)? And click-selectable multi-edit (not just searchable)? And one-click switching between favorite views? All this would demonstrate a focus both on easy day-to-day use and powerfully customized setup opportunities. I think it might be worth the effort to go over the UI again at some stage with all these things in mind - not so much for people like me now - because I know now where to look and how to handle it, but perhaps more for potential newcomers. I missed all of the important points when I first looked at Toodledo, and I am afraid I might well have overlooked them even with the new pretty UI of today. But I am very happy here - I just want to help. This message was edited Aug 07, 2011. |
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steve.romley |
I use a 13" MB Pro. I had (as in used to) many columns displayed in my task list. I've had to remove a few because I can no longer colapse the navigation bar. I'm sure you've heard the request, I want to second it.
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Folke X |
@steve
You can hide it under Settings / Tasks / Display Preferences This message was edited Aug 31, 2011. |
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