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Note taking apps
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Posted by Andy Brice
Jul 20, 2020 at 05:01 PM
Hugh wrote:
>The key problem for me with note-taking apps (as with some other types)
>is that I want two potentially incompatible qualities, simplicity and
>complexity: simplicity of use, complexity of provision.
That is always the big challenge isn’t it? To make something rich and powerful without being overly complex.
SLR cameras are a good example. Lots of setting you can play with. But you can also just set it to auto and press the shutter release.
—
Andy Brice
http://www.hyperplan.com
Posted by Ken
Jul 21, 2020 at 02:48 PM
Andy Brice wrote:
Hugh wrote:
>>The key problem for me with note-taking apps (as with some other types)
>>is that I want two potentially incompatible qualities, simplicity and
>>complexity: simplicity of use, complexity of provision.
>
>That is always the big challenge isn’t it? To make something rich and
>powerful without being overly complex.
>
>SLR cameras are a good example. Lots of setting you can play with. But
>you can also just set it to auto and press the shutter release.
>
>—
>Andy Brice
>http://www.hyperplan.com
Interesting analogy as I shoot a lot and have a lot of feelings about complexity with respect to software and UI. My biggest gripe is not complexity, but lack of context and information for making decisions about settings. With software, and cameras, there is a bit of learn it, set it and then use it. If the learning phase is complicated, unclear or not intuitive, then it becomes a problem later on when you need to make changes or need to reset things. This is what annoys me. I tend to research everything I can up front, make my choices and usually only make incremental changes as needed. I just find it frustrating later on if I have to go back tot he manual to make a change, especially if I am on deadline or with a camera, in the field. Some menus are well designed and the choices are quite clear and with a base level of common sense, can be changes with minimal effort. But others are quite horrible and cryptic. These are the ones that require web research including looking for article, forum posts or videos. The feature set may be powerful, but it is a fail in my book as it requires more effort than it should IMHO (especially if it is something that is not used or changed every day. So, I guess I would ask for simplicity not in the actual operation, but in the ability to make and changes settings. Just my two cents worth. And BTW, the number of software mentions in that initial article you linked to is enough to set off a CRIMP attack. :)
—Ken