(Archived) Optimal space usage in list view

[Daniele Orlando 1]

I'm using Evernote 3.0.2 for Mac on OSX Lion.

I find the list view very useful managing a lot of notes, but I want to signal that it has not an optimal/efficient and consistent layout.

The layout should respect the one used in the fragment view and in the preview view.

Here an use case

http://img716.imageshack.us/img716/9981/wrongr.png

and a mockup fixing the problem

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/4135/goodc.png

This is not a cavil, but a real bad user experience.

[dlu 628]

Thanks for the suggestion and the mock up.

In your particular case, it would be better to have it as you mocked it up. But if a user has longer note titles and wants to see additional columns of data (which is what list view is really good at showing) then having the extra horizontal space could be essential. This is especially true on laptops with smaller monitors.

[Daniele Orlando 1]

I completely agree with you.

It seems to me that the best implementation here is that one that permits the user to switch the orientation of the list view, to optimize the space of his display.

Do you think it is reasonable to integrate in the preferences menu (so the GUI stays minimal) a customizable checkbox (or something similar) to allow people to switch between the horizontal and vertical layout?

As enthusiastic user of Evernote, I would really appreciate this improvement.

Thanks for your time.

Daniele

[dlu 628]

I've noted that suggestion. However, we do have to balance having more customizable implementations with having an overly complicated product (both in terms of maintaining the code and simple usability). We want to avoid having design decisions end with, "Let's have a setting for users to decide" because that route often leads to a settings page that's bursting with various options. Most users never change the default anyways. This doesn't mean we won't change it, just that we have other priorities to balance everything out. Listening to our users really helps us lean the right way though.

Thanks for your input!

[Daniele Orlando 1]

Obviously only you know what is the best for Evernote and what are your priorities, I'm just pointing out an aspect that can be improved.

If it had been open source, I would have already sent you a patch.

Just to clarify for future considerations, I did not mean to add another option in the settings page, but a switch in the menu bar, under the view menu.

Something like this:

http://img854.imageshack.us/img854/365/2menu.png

Anyway, I hope to have been of help.

Thanks again for your time.

Daniele

[Daniele Orlando 1]

Oh oh, look look!

The last release (5.1.3) of Evernote for Mac implements my suggestion...

It took some time but at the end it arrived.

 

Nice work for this release.

 

Thanks,

Daniele