ForumsQuestionsiOS app - v3.0 feedback...

iOS app - v3.0 feedback...

Author	Message
lukepiasecki76	Posted: Dec 11, 2012 Score: 0 Reference lukepiasecki76 Posted: Dec 11, 2012 Score: 0 Reference Hey guys, It took me a while to decide to write this email and try not to sound impolite. I've noticed you've just reverted to the old layout (your iOS app) and thought maybe I'll share some thoughts on the new UI design introduced in 3.0. The first thought that came to my mind was 'Does the person who designed the new interface actually use the app?' You're losing users left and right and with every update, the app is looking worse, feels less stable, and more awkward to use. First of all - rule number 1 - simplicity! The new UI was a cluster f**k on the user's eyes - displaying a bunch of useless micro icons and redundant information. Let's get into the specifics: - First of all, get rid of the icons. They add no value! For instance, on the iPad when I click 'Due date' button on the left edge, what value does a calendar icon in front of every line add? You need to start thinking clean design and aesthetic. Look at the apps that sell well. It's not about displaying a bunch of stuff on screen at once. Do I really need to see an arrow icon in the list of my tasks before the duration? I think I could probably figure out what '2h' meant as I did in the previous version. The micro-icons just make it more confusing and less readable. - When showing task length, do you think it's really user friendly to show '0 hours and 45min' vs. '45 min'? - For whatever reason, the app thinks that 'today' is 'tomorrow'. When I'm in due date / today view and I exit the app, it takes me to 'tomorrow'. When my default due date is 'today' after creating a task, its due date is set to tomorrow, etc. - Redundancy... I don't know where to start here... I set specific order of fields to be displayed (in preferences). Then the order of these is completely changed when the details under a task are shown. For instance, I will set my fields to be in this order: folder, context, length. I will sort/group by due date. Now, rather than showing folder, context, duration under task names, the app shows different fields. Often redundant information. For example, if I group on folder name, it will show folder name under details. Why??? I already have the items grouped by that field and it's not even my top 5 listed in order to be shown. Here's a simple idea: use the same interface you currently have in preferences to set the order of fields in the task detail view. Use a similar set of three buttons (above the list of tasks) that were introduced in the new version, but to set the fields that will appear as details under the task names. Eg if I set the first field (same manner as one sets the 3 sort orders) to be folder and the second field to be duration then only this data is displayed. If I only set the folder name as the first level of detail, then nothing else is displayed. Simple! Now remember these detail buttons for each view and you will have solved one of the most annoying limitations and points of confusion of this app. - More rant about useless information: - If I look at the detail portion of a task, at the very bottom, in white micro text there some weird clock icon displayed, followed by what appears to be the current year and a dash. What is this??? - Right under quick task add (top of the list) theres a bunch of useless information displayed (task defaults). Remove it! It clutters the screen. It's confusing to the user. It's not even readable (micro text size, white fonts on light grey background!) - Speaking of fonts - how about letting the user set the font size, style, and color? - Not sure what you were thinking re: micro triangles with close shades of orange for priority. Another useless and confusing idea. Who comes up with this stuff? Can they really tell the difference between the shade of orange for high priority and for example - med priority? - If you'd like to get an idea of what a clean table design looks like, take a look at the latest Gmail app from Google or Any.do. The last one is gorgeous! And it's outselling your app like crazy. Not because it's more powerful, but because it's much more pleasing to the eye, less confusing, allows for a quicker workflow. - There's much more. For instance, the way the notes field looks seems to be completely disjointed with the rest of the task. At the first glance it seems like the way it's been integrated points to an information that is not relevant to the task. It just doesn't 'flow' with the rest of the fields. I know I'm sounding harsh, but I've been using Toodledo for years and the app for over a year. I've been very disappointed lately. Buggy releases... UI more cluttered and more confusing with every release... Users (people I know at least) moving to other apps. You need to get a grip on the design, simplicity, and quality of the releases. Less is more and customization is very important. I won't even get into subtasks... Will save it for another email :) Cheers LP This message was edited Dec 11, 2012.
Joyce	Posted: Dec 12, 2012 Score: 0 Reference Joyce Posted: Dec 12, 2012 Score: 0 Reference Good suggestions My I also add-MORE beta testing before you release updates?

Author

Message

Posted: Dec 11, 2012

Score: 0 Reference

lukepiasecki76
Posted: Dec 11, 2012
Score: 0
Reference

Hey guys,

It took me a while to decide to write this email and try not to sound impolite. I've noticed you've just reverted to the old layout (your iOS app) and thought maybe I'll share some thoughts on the new UI design introduced in 3.0. The first thought that came to my mind was 'Does the person who designed the new interface actually use the app?' You're losing users left and right and with every update, the app is looking worse, feels less stable, and more awkward to use.

First of all - rule number 1 - simplicity! The new UI was a cluster f**k on the user's eyes - displaying a bunch of useless micro icons and redundant information.

Let's get into the specifics:
- First of all, get rid of the icons. They add no value!
For instance, on the iPad when I click 'Due date' button on the left edge, what value does a calendar icon in front of every line add? You need to start thinking clean design and aesthetic. Look at the apps that sell well. It's not about displaying a bunch of stuff on screen at once. Do I really need to see an arrow icon in the list of my tasks before the duration? I think I could probably figure out what '2h' meant as I did in the previous version. The micro-icons just make it more confusing and less readable.
- When showing task length, do you think it's really user friendly to show '0 hours and 45min' vs. '45 min'?
- For whatever reason, the app thinks that 'today' is 'tomorrow'. When I'm in due date / today view and I exit the app, it takes me to 'tomorrow'. When my default due date is 'today' after creating a task, its due date is set to tomorrow, etc.
- Redundancy... I don't know where to start here... I set specific order of fields to be displayed (in preferences). Then the order of these is completely changed when the details under a task are shown. For instance, I will set my fields to be in this order: folder, context, length. I will sort/group by due date. Now, rather than showing folder, context, duration under task names, the app shows different fields. Often redundant information. For example, if I group on folder name, it will show folder name under details. Why??? I already have the items grouped by that field and it's not even my top 5 listed in order to be shown. Here's a simple idea: use the same interface you currently have in preferences to set the order of fields in the task detail view. Use a similar set of three buttons (above the list of tasks) that were introduced in the new version, but to set the fields that will appear as details under the task names. Eg if I set the first field (same manner as one sets the 3 sort orders) to be folder and the second field to be duration then only this data is displayed. If I only set the folder name as the first level of detail, then nothing else is displayed. Simple! Now remember these detail buttons for each view and you will have solved one of the most annoying limitations and points of confusion of this app.
- More rant about useless information:
- If I look at the detail portion of a task, at the very bottom, in white micro text there some weird clock icon displayed, followed by what appears to be the current year and a dash. What is this???
- Right under quick task add (top of the list) theres a bunch of useless information displayed (task defaults). Remove it! It clutters the screen. It's confusing to the user. It's not even readable (micro text size, white fonts on light grey background!)
- Speaking of fonts - how about letting the user set the font size, style, and color?
- Not sure what you were thinking re: micro triangles with close shades of orange for priority. Another useless and confusing idea. Who comes up with this stuff? Can they really tell the difference between the shade of orange for high priority and for example - med priority?
- If you'd like to get an idea of what a clean table design looks like, take a look at the latest Gmail app from Google or Any.do. The last one is gorgeous! And it's outselling your app like crazy. Not because it's more powerful, but because it's much more pleasing to the eye, less confusing, allows for a quicker workflow.
- There's much more. For instance, the way the notes field looks seems to be completely disjointed with the rest of the task. At the first glance it seems like the way it's been integrated points to an information that is not relevant to the task. It just doesn't 'flow' with the rest of the fields.

I know I'm sounding harsh, but I've been using Toodledo for years and the app for over a year. I've been very disappointed lately. Buggy releases... UI more cluttered and more confusing with every release... Users (people I know at least) moving to other apps. You need to get a grip on the design, simplicity, and quality of the releases. Less is more and customization is very important. I won't even get into subtasks... Will save it for another email :)

Cheers
LP

This message was edited Dec 11, 2012.

Joyce

Posted: Dec 12, 2012

Score: 0 Reference

Joyce
Posted: Dec 12, 2012
Score: 0
Reference

Good suggestions

My I also add-MORE beta testing before you release updates?

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