[Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

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[Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby CintaNotes Developer » Sat Aug 26, 2017 8:24 pm

Hi guys,

You probably have already heard of the mysterious "New UI" that we are developing for CN.
Actually this is a long story, we have already designed some screens back in 2014, but time
went by and those designs don't look modern now. So we had to start from scratch.

Now I want to show you the prototype that we have created. Of course its never
a good idea to show unfinished work, but design is an iterative process, and in order
to move forward we need to collect feedback from people who like and regularly use CN.
The new UI is in some ways a radical departure from current CN design, so we need to
step carefully.

Please note the following:
1) Not all existing features are in the prototype. This doesn't necessarily mean that
the feature will be removed.
Most probably we'll incorporate it later in some way
or another.
2) The prototype is not pixel perfect. This is our glayground to try different ideas.
The finished product will look better and more polished.
3) The prototype is interactive in a very limited way. Most menu items don't work,
and only first 2 notes are selectable. Tags can't be selected, but you can switch sorting
(doesn't affect the view) or notes list view mode (WILL affect the view and you should
definitely try it).
4) If something is unclear, please don't hesitate to ask. The mere fact of what is
unclear is a very useful feedback already.

Ok, here's goes the prototype (images are clickable and will take you to the prototype):

Main Window:
Image

Note Editor:
Image

Settings:
Image

Things to try:
- Take a look at the main menu (top left corner), and notebook menu (right next to it, click on notebook name)
- Switch view modes (to the right of the sort arrow)
- Select first note and move mouse to the right. The action panel will slide in.

Questions we'd like you to answer:
1) Do you like the overall look and style? Would you prefer it to the current one?
2) Is there something that strikes you as inconvenient?
3) Any other concerns or suggestions?

Thanks in advance for your comments!
Alex
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4 UI Prototype!

Postby Ovg » Sat Aug 26, 2017 8:35 pm

Hi Alex!
I like it very much at all! It looks very impressive! Especially Settings and inline images.
It's impossible to lead us astray for we don't care even to choose the way.
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby date » Sun Aug 27, 2017 7:06 pm

Do you like the overall look and style? Would you prefer it to the current one?
Functionality is more important than how it looks!

Is there something that strikes you as inconvenient?

Main screen: the 'Today' and 'Yesterday' interruptions can be distracting, would prefer it to be optional (for all different views.)
Edit window: editing tags seems less convenient, it will still be possible to add tags fast without the mouse?
Settings window: looks great!

Any other concerns or suggestions?
I repeat, functionality over looks :mrgreen:
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby rhickman » Mon Aug 28, 2017 8:09 am

I think I am fine with this as long as the date section boundaries are optional along with the tag display inside the notes (not so bothered about the editor).

I tend to do LOTS of small notes and since I often don't have a spare extra monitor just for CintaNotes I tend to have it in quite a dense layout in the corner of the screen.

The text formatting bar in the editor overlaps right now, which may just be a prototyping issue. Alternatively can that toggle?

Settings screen looks nice.
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4 UI Prototype!

Postby CintaNotes Developer » Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:30 pm

Ovg wrote:I like it very much at all! It looks very impressive! Especially Settings and inline images.

Cool, thanks Oleg!
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby CintaNotes Developer » Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:32 pm

date wrote:Functionality is more important than how it looks!

I think both are important. Now the look is so dated that we decided to take down screenshots from the homepage.
We will do our best to retain as much of current functionality as possible.

Main screen: the 'Today' and 'Yesterday' interruptions can be distracting, would prefer it to be optional (for all different views.)

Yes, it will be optional.

Edit window: editing tags seems less convenient, it will still be possible to add tags fast without the mouse?

Yes, the edit box will appear when you tab to the field.

Settings window: looks great!

Nice, thanks!
Alex
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby CintaNotes Developer » Mon Aug 28, 2017 12:34 pm

rhickman wrote:I think I am fine with this as long as the date section boundaries are optional along with the tag display inside the notes (not so bothered about the editor).

Yes, they will be optional. And they are not necessarily date-related, they reflect current sorting mode.

I tend to do LOTS of small notes and since I often don't have a spare extra monitor just for CintaNotes I tend to have it in quite a dense layout in the corner of the screen.

You should check out the minimal view mode!

The text formatting bar in the editor overlaps right now, which may just be a prototyping issue. Alternatively can that toggle?

Basically the idea is that it appears on-demand, when you select some text or move the mouse to the bottom edge of the field.

Settings screen looks nice.

Thanks!
Alex
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby RSchiaffino » Mon Aug 28, 2017 3:37 pm

I notice you don't have a menu (File, Edit, etc.) any longer... hope you'll retain it at least optionally. I simply hate programs that do not have a menu: I had to install UBIsoft add-on menu to retain that in Office. Traditional menus may look dated but they are much more convenient than the "spare" look.

That being said, the program look elegant, now. But I don't have any problem whatsoever with the way it looks right now. What functionality is going to be missing in 4 that we now have in 3? What new functionality is going to be added that we now don't have?
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby rhickman » Mon Aug 28, 2017 6:03 pm

Oh, I am dumb, I didn't see the compact/minimal modes. They look like just the ticket. Thanks!
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby CintaNotes Developer » Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:14 am

RSchiaffino wrote:I notice you don't have a menu (File, Edit, etc.) any longer... hope you'll retain it at least optionally. I simply hate programs that do not have a menu: I had to install UBIsoft add-on menu to retain that in Office. Traditional menus may look dated but they are much more convenient than the "spare" look.

There is a menu in the new design, it is called by pressing the hamburger button in the top left corner.

What functionality is going to be missing in 4 that we now have in 3?

None or very close to it. Probably only view history will be replaced by saved searches.

What new functionality is going to be added that we now don't have?

View modes, notes list grouping, thumbnail image previews, settings screen.
Alex
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby Thomas Lohrum » Wed Aug 30, 2017 5:42 am

What functionality is going to be missing in 4 that we now have in 3? None or very close to it. Probably only view history will be replaced by saved searches.

Hi Alex,

please keep "View History". I use the feature to navigate forward and backward. Also to check the keywords i used for my search. This can not be achieved by saved searches.

Thomas
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby gustms » Wed Aug 30, 2017 12:34 pm

Looks great! Looking forward to it. Thank you!
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby CintaNotes Developer » Sun Sep 03, 2017 11:29 am

Hi Thomas,
Thomas Lohrum wrote:please keep "View History". I use the feature to navigate forward and backward. Also to check the keywords i used for my search. This can not be achieved by saved searches.


Probably we will make search box and tag sidebar keep its own separate history. This means that you'll be able to view the list of recent queries in the dropdown of the search box, and the tag sidebar will present a similar list of recently used tag selections. Would that fit the bill for you?
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby CintaNotes Developer » Sun Sep 03, 2017 11:30 am

gustms wrote:Looks great! Looking forward to it. Thank you!

Glad to hear, thanks!
Alex
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby Thomas Lohrum » Sun Sep 03, 2017 6:34 pm

CintaNotes Developer wrote:
Thomas Lohrum wrote:please keep "View History". I use the feature to navigate forward and backward. Also to check the keywords i used for my search. This can not be achieved by saved searches.
Probably we will make search box and tag sidebar keep its own separate history. This means that you'll be able to view the list of recent queries in the dropdown of the search box, and the tag sidebar will present a similar list of recently used tag selections. Would that fit the bill for you?

Not sure. With the view history i have shortcuts at my hand, that are important to me.
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby Mirakodus » Tue Sep 05, 2017 2:45 pm

Would be difficult to keep the old interface and be able to switch to it?
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby Bill » Thu Sep 14, 2017 4:01 pm

date says, "Functionality is more important than how it looks!"

I agree, sort of, but the visual elements are significant too. I can offer three small suggestions:

(1) I would use CintaNotes more than I do if I didn't have to stare at a bleak white screen whenever I write or edit a note. Wouldn't it be possible to have a choice of more than one background for the notes? I would like something like a pale cream. This is not just an aesthetic preference: pure white is hard on the eyes, especially during long sessions in front of the screen.

(2) This is slightly less important, but it would be good to have some control over the spacing between lines in the text. It's fine if I am using a very narrow window, but when I occasionally widen CintaNotes on the screen, it becomes difficult to read long lines with such close line-spacing. (I have a background in book-designing, so I think I know what I'm talking about here.)

(3) I very much like the new way of displaying tags. I use tags a lot, but under the present system, if one note contains quite a few tags, some of them slide off the screen and become invisible. The ideal arrangement (which is used by MyInfo, incidentally) is for tags to continue on to a second line if there are too many to fit on a single line.

But more generally I like the prototype very much. I look forward to seeing and using it the future.
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby date » Thu Sep 14, 2017 8:44 pm

In the note edit window is an attachment preview, and the attachment box is in a small corner. What happens when there are more attachments?
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby CintaNotes Developer » Sat Sep 16, 2017 2:45 pm

Mirakodus wrote:Would be difficult to keep the old interface and be able to switch to it?

I'm afraid yes. Since we are migrating to a new UI framework, "keep the old interface" is the same as "re-implement the old interface". It should be evident that this makes little sense. But we'll do our best to make the new UI configurable in a way that it can get pretty close to the old interface.
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Re: [Ann] CintaNotes 4.0 UI Prototype!

Postby CintaNotes Developer » Sat Sep 16, 2017 2:49 pm

Hi Bill, thanks for your comments!

Bill wrote:(1) I would use CintaNotes more than I do if I didn't have to stare at a bleak white screen whenever I write or edit a note. Wouldn't it be possible to have a choice of more than one background for the notes? I would like something like a pale cream. This is not just an aesthetic preference: pure white is hard on the eyes, especially during long sessions in front of the screen.

Do you mean just the color, or also some kind of a background image?

Bill wrote:(2) This is slightly less important, but it would be good to have some control over the spacing between lines in the text. It's fine if I am using a very narrow window, but when I occasionally widen CintaNotes on the screen, it becomes difficult to read long lines with such close line-spacing. (I have a background in book-designing, so I think I know what I'm talking about here.)

This is on our radar, but needs more votes. Please vote here: http://roadmap.cintanotes.com/topics/88 ... e-spacing/

Bill wrote:(3) I very much like the new way of displaying tags. I use tags a lot, but under the present system, if one note contains quite a few tags, some of them slide off the screen and become invisible. The ideal arrangement (which is used by MyInfo, incidentally) is for tags to continue on to a second line if there are too many to fit on a single line.

I wonder how useful this is, are you really able to quickly scan these multiple tag lines?

But more generally I like the prototype very much. I look forward to seeing and using it the future.

Glad to hear that, thanks!
Alex

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