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The New Evernote Web Layout Is HORRIBLE


ineluki

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A lot of these negative reactions to the Web Beta would not appear if Evernote came up with some kind of detailed declaration of intent in response to requests and complaints made on this site.

But that has not happened. And I am not sure that it ever will, as it does not with Google, for example. Things don't work that way.

Maybe the organisation is overstretched on the technical side. Maybe the amount of Web Beta use compared with the stand alone version on Windows and Mac machines just does not justify the investment required to hurry along Web Beta improvements, even apparently minimal ones. But boy has progress been slow!

Companies like Evernote or Google make the changes that they think will boost their profits. That is the name of the game: there is no other. Capitalism is capitalism.  And the changes that do come down the tube now and again may or may not coincide with the desires of users. It's a lottery. We should be used to it by now and will just have to be content when the occasional update hits the spot.  :)

Above all, patience fellow posters... signing out from Madrid.

 

Screenshot 2016-01-22 at 19.01.25.png

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2 minutes ago, bry1050 said:

Has anybody from Evernote responded to any of these comments?

You  can look back in the notes and see posts by Evernote employees; example below

The current version has been "beta" for a long time, and a new improved version is long overdue

The new standard for UI looks to be the same. I see it on the IOS and Mac platforms
My hope is for extended features on a parity of the win/mac platforms

 

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No.

They don't reply.

But every now and again a new user comes on and asks your question. 

So older users get to see the same very reasonable frustration and anger over and over. 

It's all so absurd. As is the situation.

In fact, I have just seen a whole new stream of requests made since I was last here. 

All really great. All will be ignored. 

I don't think a single request has received a positive response for the last two years.

I am really not sure that Evernote has much future. Something went badly wrong at some time.

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I just added a new account, a premium one at that expecting to be able to use the Web version and now I find out that I am forced to use the "new" Web Version, which will not work for me. Hey, Evernote! Have you ever sat down with your users to see what they need before you force something on them? 

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Hi, I tried the new Evernote web client recently and can only agree with what's been stated in the first post above; it really is a huge step back in terms of usability compared to the current "classic" Evernote web. Please, please for the love of all that is good, retain the classic view for Evernote web and don't force users to switch to the new web client. 

Thank you so much for a great product guys. Please let's keep it great!

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Worse - appears that the ability to go back to the clean, efficient, useful "old version" is now unavailable?  I didn't see any "release notes", but it appears to be out of beta and they are forcing everyone to use this "pretty" version.

Wow

 

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In terms of a GTD platform the old layout (list of notes on top, individual contents on bottom) definitely seems more efficient.

Also, having a column where you can see all the tags and quickly scan down for some refinement. It would be nice to replace the date of a note with the tags attached to the note.

I see that I can make the list of Notes down the left more compact by turning of text and images, but it still doesn't show me the tags. 

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Absolutely agree. I even submitted feedback direct to Evernote. Their reply... note your impressions on the forum, since that's more effective. WHAT?

Anyhow, yes - the web interface is crazy horrible and confusing and slows down productivity (or stops it all together). I specific questions about how to do very rudimentary things... This should not be. For a while, I was pleased to simply reject the offer to use the "new improved" web client, but not that option has been removed. I may just start bringing my laptop to work again - since I can't install the desktop client on my work computer and the web client is sooooooooo frustrating. And taken to an extreme... when my old laptop dies, I'll spend nearly $1,000 rather than use the web client. Seriously - it's THAT bad.

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I've been a premium user for over a year now and I must say the new web client feels terrible. Don't take me wrong, I don't mean to bash developers. But it does need it a better design and a better implementation. I'm a Linux user, so without a desktop client, I'm stuck with the web client.

For one, most of the time it's slow and unresponsive. It akes a while to get used to things "loading" with the browser cramming that javascript/ajax ui.

In my humble opinion, there is a lot of wasted space. I mean a lot! Even with custom settings to hide note thumbnails and summary, it all makes it unbearably white.

Aside from the fact that you can only see a handfull of notes, you can only manipulate one at a time.

The scrollbar becomes terribly slow when dealing with huge notebooks. Does it really need to load that many note items into the list (on the left)? I'd be pretty happy with paginating that list and keep it small. That's why I like the powerfull search feature! I'm not scrolling through hundreds of notes on a daily basis. If I want something, I'm searching for it.

Managing a large number of notes deserves its own use case, a whole new layout.

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Hey folks! Thank you for the feedback, and sorry these have gone unanswered for so long. We know that the new web client in it's current state isn't ideal for some of our power users, and we're working on some stuff under the hood to allow us to make this better. Keep your feedback coming.

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So now I'm being forced to the new web interface.  Is there any way to view in classic mode?  Its unbelievable what has been done to dumb it down...I cant even find notes I just created.  I agree with ineluki...I may have to jump ship if something isnt done soon.

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7 hours ago, donwillis said:

So now I'm being forced to the new web interface.  Is there any way to view in classic mode?  Its unbelievable what has been done to dumb it down...I cant even find notes I just created.  I agree with ineluki...I may have to jump ship if something isnt done soon.

For some of our long time users the option to switch back temporarily still exists.  You can find this option in https://www.evernote.com/Settings.action.

Sorry for the inconvenience. 

Nancy 

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I agree with what most users above have said:
The old/classic Evernote web interface is AWESOME and works perfect for me! :)
The new interface - I agree with everything said above - it is clunky, there is a load of white (and thus, wasted) space on the screen - and I just like how the old Evernote Web allows me to easily glance over

  • my notebooks (left-most sidebar)
  • the notes in the notebook I'm currently working on (bar in the middle)
  • The note I am currently working on (on the right side of the screen)

It's perfect! As the old saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't  fix it!


For the sake of your reputation and keeping your users satisfied, I strongly recommend you keep the Classic view available for everyone, and make it available for new users as well. This would strike me as an amazing move in terms of PR. 
And in this way, you have all the time in the world to finetune the new web client and tinker with it, while retaining the amazing functionality of the Classic web client that a significanat number of users prefer. Everybody wins!

(and in the end, disgruntled, unhappy users -> less profit, while happy users -> more profit for the company)

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To add to what I said above - I did some web searching, read through people's opinions, and it strikes me that the people who really like having a bigger-picture overview of all their notes and quickly swap between different notebooks, and move notes around between notebooks, - these people prefer the Classic interface.
The people who enjoy the new interface more strike me as people who prefer working on a smaller scale, with one note at a time.

Therefore, I would conclude that the New interface could be a very good ADDITION to the Classic, NOT a replacement. In this way, Evernote becomes an even more flexible and amazing suite of tools for writing, storing, organizing information :). 

And I will add, if I know that I can switch back and forth at any time, I could see myself sometimes using the new interface, and then switching back to the Classic. In that way, I would have the best of both worlds, the best of both toolkits, and be a happier user in the end <|:)

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I tried the new interface again to see if it's any better, and I still hate it. I hate the animating sliding tool bars. I hate that I can't have 2 left sidebars open...one to show the notebook list, and another to show the note list of the selected notebook. I hate the side bars sliding in and out. I hate that I can't see the borders of the notes, it just ends somewhere in whitespace around the edges. There is just so much wrong with it, I feel like it needs to go back to the drawing board. As a long time premium member, I fear that the classic interface may go away, and that would make me a former premium member. The "new" web interface is simply unusable for me.

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Using the web interface at the moment on a specific client's work that I don't want to get muddled up with my own account.

If you have more than one notebook, this is a pretty horrible UI....

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I took a couple months off from working on my novel, & just came back to. . . this MESS!  This new layout is TOTALLY useless for me.  I LOVED EverNote, have recommended to MANY friends . . . NEVER AGAIN!  

This has set my work back AT LEAST 6 months!

I NEED the old 3-column layout back.  Honestly, if there's no option to go back, I will have to hand-copy my 3750 Notes onto FILE CARDS.

I paid for PREMIUM, under the assumption that this formerly EXCELLENT tool would, yes, make occasional "upgrades," but I never bargained for you putting a WRECKING BALL through it.

After I stop crying, I'm going to look for that part in the TOS where I can get my $$$ back. . . which is pitiful compared to what you're costing my project. . . but you probably changed THAT too!

YOU MUST, at the very LEAST give PREMIUM users the OPTION to use the previous version.

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On ‎18‎.‎06‎.‎2016 at 0:50 PM, kchester104 said:

I took a couple months off from working on my novel, & just came back to. . . this MESS!  This new layout is TOTALLY useless for me.  I LOVED EverNote, have recommended to MANY friends . . . NEVER AGAIN!  

This has set my work back AT LEAST 6 months!

I NEED the old 3-column layout back.  Honestly, if there's no option to go back, I will have to hand-copy my 3750 Notes onto FILE CARDS.

I paid for PREMIUM, under the assumption that this formerly EXCELLENT tool would, yes, make occasional "upgrades," but I never bargained for you putting a WRECKING BALL through it.

After I stop crying, I'm going to look for that part in the TOS where I can get my $$$ back. . . which is pitiful compared to what you're costing my project. . . but you probably changed THAT too!

YOU MUST, at the very LEAST give PREMIUM users the OPTION to use the previous version.

Just change the layout in settings.

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On 6/24/2016 at 9:34 PM, scruggles said:

You should be able to switch to the Classic Evernote for Web in Settings by going to:
Settings>Account Summary>Evernote Web>Go back to old version

You know this is the best comment that I have seen. I was not using Evernote web so much back then and did not even know that the old version was so nice. The new one looks modern but compared to the functionality here the new one is nothing. 

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On 6/24/2016 at 9:34 PM, scruggles said:

You should be able to switch to the Classic Evernote for Web in Settings by going to:
Settings>Account Summary>Evernote Web>Go back to old version

I switched my one account to the old one but the other newer one does not have the option to do that. How do I use the old version for the new account also?

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21 hours ago, Aseem Bansal said:

How do I use the old version for the new account also?

Unless they have changed direction recently, I don't believe they are offering the classic view for new accounts.

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s2sailor is correct, as far as I can tell. I have two accounts, one created in 2014 and the other in January 2016. The older account can jump between the two web app interfaces, whereas the account made in 2016 does not include the "Evernote Web" section on the "Account Settings" page anywhere. Can't Evernote, at the very least, make this available for all users indiscriminately until the tinkering "under the hood" has materialized? That comment was clear back in April.

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On 6/24/2016 at 0:04 PM, scruggles said:

You should be able to switch to the Classic Evernote for Web in Settings by going to:
Settings>Account Summary>Evernote Web>Go back to old version

I'm another long-time user, and primarily use web interface, as I run Linux and a Chromebook (some also on a corporate Windows box, where I'm not supposed to install software).  Old version is much more functional (won't rehash all the areas...) but I am now afraid to do another trial on the new version to avoid risk that the option to switch back will disappear.

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On 4/21/2016 at 8:12 PM, scruggles said:

Hey folks! Thank you for the feedback, and sorry these have gone unanswered for so long. We know that the new web client in it's current state isn't ideal for some of our power users, and we're working on some stuff under the hood to allow us to make this better. Keep your feedback coming.

 

Why do you make changes to something that has worked well for some time? Is it just for the fact that "you" must justify your position as a change agent? Please respond with three justifications as to why these changes that have been made to the web client are a good thing for your Evernote customers.

 

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On 8/21/2016 at 4:31 AM, jim232777 said:

I'm another long-time user, and primarily use web interface, as I run Linux and a Chromebook (some also on a corporate Windows box, where I'm not supposed to install software).  Old version is much more functional (won't rehash all the areas...) but I am now afraid to do another trial on the new version to avoid risk that the option to switch back will disappear.

@jim232777 If you have an older account, you should be able to try the new version without worry. You should be able to switch back in settings if you have an account that was created before August of last year. @JuanAraya Any newer accounts will only have access to the new web client. 

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On 4/28/2016 at 4:04 PM, nanphan said:

For some of our long time users the option to switch back temporarily still exists.  You can find this option in https://www.evernote.com/Settings.action.

Sorry for the inconvenience. 

Nancy 

Sweet! I'm not sure how they determine who are or aren't "long time users" as I've been a user for several years, but this link did the trick for me. Just past half-way down the page it says "Evernote Web" and has a link to change back to the classic version.

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On 20/09/2016 at 3:07 AM, rdolmat said:

I'm soooooo glad I can still use the old web interface. That's pretty much all which is keeping me from jumping ship to Onenote/Keep etc. Please don't EVER remove the old web interface, it's superior. 

I absolutely second that! Please don't EVER take away the existing web interface. I hope this is heard. Thanks

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On 8/22/2016 at 0:43 PM, scruggles said:

@jim232777 If you have an older account, you should be able to try the new version without worry. You should be able to switch back in settings if you have an account that was created before August of last year. @JuanAraya Any newer accounts will only have access to the new web client. 

 

The new web interface is a beautiful, beautiful fashion statement.  Ease of use?  Who cares.  The main thing is that it is sleek and modern, users be damned.

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Just to add my opinion.

When I'm at work I have to use the web based Evernote.

It is Horrible.

I know its supposed to look all slick and un -cluttered but I cant see anything. 

I hate it. 

Please go back to a layout like before or at least have options.

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I treat my tags as a file cabinet system, and now opening single tags takes about five times as long.  Why do designers get paid to make things more complex when the customer will pay more for a simple and rapid use of an app?  Unfortunately, I spend three hours a day on Evernote and so I greatly regret getting the new, time-costly update.  It truly is horrible.

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3 hours ago, nixdave said:

I treat my tags as a file cabinet system, and now opening single tags takes about five times as long.  Why do designers get paid to make things more complex when the customer will pay more for a simple and rapid use of an app?  Unfortunately, I spend three hours a day on Evernote and so I greatly regret getting the new, time-costly update.  It truly is horrible.

This year should bring a totally new web version....and hopefully those designers will have taken on board the many complaints made about the latest (and soon to be late and not lamented) version.

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The inability of Evernote to receive feedback via tickets (as opposed to a forum post) is hilariously amateur.

Overall, I agree with the OP.

The absolute lack of layout customization options for the web version is horrid. Give us layout and typeface options.

Managing my notes through notebooks, stacks, and tags is impossible. There is much too much unnecessary white space, not to mention the layout font is disgusting. What is that, Georgia? The "old" version is much more compact and navigation-friendly.

I feel like the new web layout is perfectly suited for casual users with one notebook, no tags, and a handful of notes. Is that really the audience that the developers were targeting with this layout? If so, I can't imagine that casual users are the majority. If it is, I'd like to see the statistics on users, notebook/note count, because my mind would be blown.

 

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Yes, it really is. I really don't understand why they changed Evernote Web. Changing the UI is fine, but the customization? This forum offers more customization! All kidding aside, even though I'm partially being serious, it's as though they don't realize they went "10 steps back", as you say.

For this reason alone, I have switched to Consol.io. It offers what Evernote does, plus more (tagging, encryption, mobile support, bookmarking systems, Notes and Files organization). 

I have been an Evernote user for quite some time and I can honestly say that I prefer the old Web layout more. It's sad that after so many years, something like Consol can do what Evernote (in most ways) does in a matter of months and make it even more powerful than Evernote in a lot of ways. That's why I left. I'm tired of waiting ages for Evernote to update it. The Android app just looks like the Web version. It's honestly horrible. I would have liked a more functional design, but I'm with Consol now, so it's not my concern, I just came to share my two cents.

When any company gives the excuse "We have more users downloading..." I laugh -- and I laugh hard. Of course! Because you're not putting equal amount of work and focus into the Web version. Allow the web version to do exactly what the Evernote software does, I can almost bet my soul that Web usage would increase. I'm not saying the software would then be useless, but you'd see lots of people use the web version more than they do now.

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On 8/21/2016 at 4:31 AM, jim232777 said:

I'm another long-time user, and primarily use web interface, as I run Linux and a Chromebook (some also on a corporate Windows box, where I'm not supposed to install software).  Old version is much more functional (won't rehash all the areas...) but I am now afraid to do another trial on the new version to avoid risk that the option to switch back will disappear.

 
 

But isn't it true that this option will eventually be taken away?

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On 1/19/2017 at 0:16 AM, Glennie said:

This year should bring a totally new web version....and hopefully those designers will have taken on board the many complaints made about the latest (and soon to be late and not lamented) version.

 
 
 

The way to know, with confidence greater than that afforded by mere wishes, what the future holds for Evernote, some enterprising person should create a futures market in Evernote features (and another one for whether Evernote, the company, will survive.

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On 1/24/2017 at 8:44 AM, Tara53 said:

The inability of Evernote to receive feedback via tickets (as opposed to a forum post) is hilariously amateur.

 

Oh, really?  I have not observed much laughter.  Though I have seen much weeping, wailing and gnashing of teeth.

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On 10/22/2016 at 11:39 AM, IncrediMetaBeta said:

The new web interface is a beautiful, beautiful fashion statement.  Ease of use?  Who cares.  The main thing is that it is sleek and modern, users be damned.

Somewhere I heard that it was intended to respond to feedback from Japanese customers of EN, who have a different GUI aesthetic.

At this point, I do not need an aesthetic.  I need an anaesthetic...  Full-body, preferably.

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On 1/27/2017 at 9:03 AM, Mike Kuplevatsky said:

... I have switched to Consol.io. It offers what Evernote does, plus more (tagging, encryption, mobile support, bookmarking systems, Notes and Files organization). 

 

Keep the forum posted with how it is working for you.  You will help many people and Evernote (the company), too, because only the threat of defection will get them to take action.

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On 8/22/2016 at 11:41 AM, ClutterBGone said:

Why do you make changes to something that has worked well for some time? Is it just for the fact that "you" must justify your position as a change agent? Please respond with three justifications as to why these changes that have been made to the web client are a good thing for your Evernote customers.

 

And, while you are at it, raise your right hand and swear an oath of truthfulness before you respond...

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On 8/22/2016 at 0:43 PM, scruggles said:

@jim232777 If you have an older account, you should be able to try the new version without worry. You should be able to switch back in settings if you have an account that was created before August of last year. @JuanAraya Any newer accounts will only have access to the new web client. 

 

Yes, but it is not true that someday soon ALL USERS WILL BE FORCED TO USE the new version?

Kindly inform your user-base of the truth.

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On 1/22/2016 at 10:01 AM, Glennie said:

And the changes that do come down the tube now and again may or may not coincide with the desires of users. It's a lottery. We should be used to it by now and will just have to be content when the occasional update hits the spot.

 
 

Not that you are entirely incorrect but, if your quote above were wholly accurate, it would imply that there is no hope that good design can achieve both: serving customers and increasing profitability.  So long as the nature of the end-product seems to be even a little more than the result of a random crud-shoot (ie., that it reflects some degree of well-meaning, conscious intent), you will continue to have users persisting in the idea that their opinions matter and will make some difference.  However, what I sense you are saying is that such a perception is a snare and a delusion.

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On 6/24/2016 at 9:04 AM, scruggles said:

You should be able to switch to the Classic Evernote for Web in Settings by going to:
Settings>Account Summary>Evernote Web>Go back to old version

 

Alright but, do be honest and candid, is it not true that though some can do this now, that the ability to make the switch back is only temporary, and that soon everyone will have no alternative for using EN on the web but to use the new, "improved" version?  A timid response or no response will not be regarded with equanimity by the aggrieved.

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I go from thread to thread and see the same thing...frustration and anger.  Just cruise around for a while and you will see.

In the end it comes down to this, I think: the Web version is not where the money is; the money is in Macs and Windows. That is where EN has put its energies.

I am not surprised about that. But I am surprised at how EN has treated its customers here...with a cold and callous indifference. Many of us pay EN and deserve better than simply being ignored. 

But I have been saying this now for a long time...

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On 1/27/2017 at 0:03 PM, Mike Kuplevatsky said:

I have switched to Consol.io. It offers what Evernote does, plus more

I switched to Dynalist.io. For GTD it is working much better than Evernote does. I use documents for contexts, hash-tags for projects, colour labels for priorities, at-tags for people, and global searches visualizing all the actions related to project regardless of context.

I'm currently using the free tier of Dynalist.io but I'm very tempted by their early-bird pricing.

The consol pricing is very expensive, and there's no free tier to really test-drive before buying (30-days free isn't enough, I need at least a couple months cycle).

And the Dynalist.io development team is way more responsive than the EN team is!!!

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When they find a postage stamp with a small mistake in the design it normally becomes very very valuable. They are sold in auctions for ridiculous prices.

The same thing is true for positive comments about the web interface. There are thousands of people on the forum looking for one in the hope that it will make them rich. They search and search...:D

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44 minutes ago, Glennie said:

When they find a postage stamp with a small mistake in the design it normally becomes very very valuable. They are sold in auctions for ridiculous prices.

The same thing is true for positive comments about the web interface. There are thousands of people on the forum looking for one in the hope that it will make them rich. They search and search...:D

 

Hmmm...  maybe a futures market on GUI features?  Or just auction off the code?

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Yes - this.  I'm an involuntary user of the new version now, I guess, given that I'm having a problem in the old version that I'm told will not be fixed.  One of my bigger challenges in the new version is the layout.  It's so big and bubbly - there is SO MUCH white space (a solid inch and a half of white space to the right of the notes list?!), meanwhile, I'm seeing so little of the information I'd want to see - like a longer list of notes, or the list of notebooks and tags alongside my notes.  It takes more clicks to get to everything.  I'm not loving it.  I am hoping for a 'compact view' option or 'smaller font, less white space' option or something to make the view more functional.   

 

white space.jpg

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7 minutes ago, Carr1e said:

Yes - this.  I'm an involuntary user of the new version now, I guess, given that I'm having a problem in the old version that I'm told will not be fixed.  One of my bigger challenges in the new version is the layout.  It's so big and bubbly - there is SO MUCH white space, meanwhile, I'm seeing so little of the information I'd want to see - like a longer list of notes, or the list of notebooks and tags alongside my notes.  It takes more clicks to get to everything.  I'm not loving it.  I am hoping for a 'compact view' option or 'smaller font, less white space' option or something to make the view more functional.   

 
 
 

I believe they don't know design from their elbow.  I do not care how many "professional GUI" technical people they have.

Involuntary is a good way to put it.  We have all been carried along, whether or not we want to be, at least to the extent we have come to rely on Evernote, and most of the people you see on the forums are very dependent on it.  

I mean my critique to be constructive, though I think more often than not, the "squeaky wheel gets greased."  The development group's M.O. seems to be simply to tally votes, not to engage in critical, original thinking.  

The interface (which you describe perhaps more aptly than anyone, btw) could be either an imitation of some style they have seen or it is someone's 'wet dream' of how to bring Jony Ives' non-skeuomorphic graphic ideas for iOS to Evernote.  

Part of the stupidity of the new version, as you rather politely point out, is all the wasted screen space and the way needed functions have been removed or obscured.  It is "clean and fresh" but markedly less useful.  Non-skeuomorphic graphic ideas may be appropriate for the iPhone's iOS.  But to adopt and apply so blindly such minimalistic supposed "design principles" is folly.  

I would argue that, if you put EN's developers to the test, that they could not name a single design principle.  They would be able to identify various requirements but not a single design principle. I would bet money on it.  (What they don't realize is that they already are betting money on it, ie., the company's future.)  

My point is that the new interface (so-called) "design" is merely a mannered style, an imitation of something and that it ignores many functional requirements that were fulfilled in the old version.  They seem to have arbitrarily abandoned many of those older functional capabilities that the old version possessed.

Does the new design follow "principles"?  It follows "style principles," which are not only different from "design principles" but are of a different logical type (Whitehead and Russell, 1910 - 1913).  When "style principles" (which are really just policy guidelines at best, actually) solve a design problem, it is purely by chance.  

Many people like what Ives did for the iPhone. But many of them imagine that it is simply an aesthetic change.  But Ives did not do it mainly for aesthetic reasons.  Nor was it solely from an intent to simplify appearance or to reduce supposed "clutter."  His thinking was far more dynamic.  Whereas most style imitation is the outcome of a tendency to reflect on the design problem's requirements statically, coupled with an inability to embrace the dynamics among requirements.

The sorry truth is that most of what passes for design, including EN's GUI design of the new version, is mostly the mannered imitation of a STYLE.  A design that "evidences" a "style" may solve a problem, but mainly by happenstance.  It is almost never the result of a simultaneous solution to a complex set of functional needs.   One can see in such supposed "designs" some attempt to embrace a false sense of unselfconscious innocence about the actual complexity of the problem.  "It'll work, mostly, if we just do THIS."

There is a rumor, perhaps as plausible as any, that EN made the new interface to appeal to their Japanese users.  (So much for "localization"!)  So now they've got not one but two lousy interfaces: the old and the new.  The old may be better, but it has its shortcomings.  

Why have they created two faulty interfaces?  Because they not been willing to dialog with their users about what they are trying to do.  They are fearful of being whipsawed between differing opinions.  They are fearful that there are no quick methods for solving problems in their full complexity.  The unfortunate truth for those of us who are being involuntarily carried along is that EN shows not just a lack of design capability but of courage.  

Whether such lack of courage is conscious on their part is not clear, but what underlies such lack of courage is unfortunately interpreted adversely by customers, whether the company's motives are well-intentioned or not.  I am reminded of William Henry Vanderbilt's remark to a reporter, "the public be damned."  Doubtless, there are many dedicated employees there.  Management may even be of high caliber.  But so far they have not turned the situation around.  They should leave behind any idea of becoming a unicorn.  They need to learn how to toggle between being a hedgehog and a fox, if they hope to survive.

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2 hours ago, IncrediMetaBeta said:

I believe they don't know design from their elbow.  I do not care how many "professional GUI" technical people they have.

Well they obviously don't have your skills and insight ^_^

I'm seeing this same UI design on recently delivered iMac and iPad versions
Rumour has it there's a new web version on the way so I wouldn't expect big changes

Yes there's a lot of blank screen space, but that works better in scaling down to a phone screen size

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50 minutes ago, DTLow said:

Yes there's a lot of blank screen space, but that works better in scaling down to a phone screen

As it turns out, it's web based so one can determine what platform it's being viewed on and adjust the css accordingly.  On a web browser, I shouldn't see white space just because it helps mobile users.  That would show a terrible grasp on web development so I'm hoping that isn't the reason.

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Agreed! I guess I don't care if they have this new web interface as long as they keep the traditional one, and maintain it. It still has some "bugs", by which I mean functionality that's different form the desktop client, but it's at least pretty close. 

One of the beauties of evernote is having notes, actions, references where you need them when you need them, and not having to search around for stuff. Changing the web interface to look different from the desktop client negates that benefit. 

Here's my use case. I work on a lot of different machines, some VDIs, and some where my employer doesn't let me install Evernote. In order to keep a productive workflow, I need my notes on whatever machine I'm working on, and looking the same way. So as long as there's a web interface that looks and operates like the desktop, I'm happy. If that ever goes away, I'm definitely cutting my losses and getting rid of Evernote. PLEEEEEASE never lose this functionality. Thanks!

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I do not like the new web interface and therefore use the old version for the following reasons:

1. I have to do extra click to see the notebooks panel. It's is not convenient if one needs to switch from one notebook to another. With new wide screens it is not a problem to have two panels at the left. There is still plenty of room for the content. Some applications allow to pin and remain panels open if needed. I could not find this feature in Evernote.

2. The font is too large and does not seem there is a way to change it. Too little can fit on the screen.

3. There is too much white space which allows only to see so little.

4. The new interface feels slow and overloaded.

I hope they will keep the old version.

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What is irritating is that Evernote hasn't done anything at all on the new interface to make it better. Not even slight changes that should be easy to implement. The user can't adjust the width of the note list, for example. The text size in the note list is unnecessarily large and space-wasting, with an entire additional line dedicated just to when the note was last created or modified. 

Something simple under view options allowing the user to eliminate the date last modified and change the text size would be good

VIew options

[ ] Show images

[ ] show text

[ ] show date last modified

Text size?

[1 to 20]

The Evernote team doesn't seem at all interested to devote a small amount of time to make simple basic incremental improvements in the web app that users are requesting. Why the heck should anyone pay for their Plus or Premium membership when they don't seem to respond to customers other than with generic "please continue commenting" posts? 

Yes, there is the ability to switch to the classic interface, but on smaller screens the new web interface actually users the space better in some ways; also, switching to the classic interface is a ridiculous hassle, while Evernote has made switching to the new interface a simple button click from the main page.

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On 1/22/2016 at 10:17 PM, ineluki said:

Hey folks of Evernote,

I just switched to Evernote this week. Used and tried it several times but so far I focused on Google's Keep. Now I noticed the new layout and I must say you really took 10 steps backwards in terms of user experience. With Evernote you can handle hundreds of notes easily (at least you could). But with the new layout you can just see like 8 notes in the general notes view. Even for viewing my notebooks I have to scroll pages without any orientation. How can you seriously introduce something so confusing when you aim at increasing productivity?

I would guess that some folks like it. However I would also bet that many/ most don't approve with the change. It is nothing against the layout itself, but rather about the customization you offer. And that customazition equals ZERO. Why don't you offer different layouts (like Google Mail) where the user can choose from or even customize his/ her own?

I cant even create a table with more than 6 columns (like for weekdays) anymore. That feels like a really bad joke!

The old layout looks out dated, but at least it is functional.

Hopefully you consider this. If the new version replaces the old one I will jump ship!

 

cheers

-Manuel

one look at the new layout.. i almost fainted.. and we cannot change the view? god help us..

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Now September 25, 2017, old version stopped working properly since 2 days ago. Old version selection is still active, but notes cannot be loaded in the old version.  When I switch between notebooks or just scroll, fewer and fewer notes appear and eventually none shown in the list.

So I was forced to move to the new version, which I dislike. I understand the interface in the new version is for small display devices like smartphones. So, it is designed to work with a limited screen space. We use PCs for convenience and get frustrated with the new version's terrible interface. I can put up with the limited functionality when I use my smartphone, but when I use my PC, there is a reason. I want the productivity and therefore user-friendly interface. 

If you can't maintain the old version for your profit, say so. If you believe one fits all, say so. I have to find alternatives somewhere else.

 

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On 2017-09-25 at 7:59 AM, HotchKick said:

When I switch between notebooks or just scroll, fewer and fewer notes appear and eventually none shown in the list.

I'm not a big web user, but have not noticed any problems with either the new version or old version59cbb35b12194_ScreenShot2017-09-27at07_16_34.png.0616653f25b157762ff540593844879d.png

A note count is displayed at the bottom of the note list
When you noted "fewer and fewer note" is this number changing?

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On 9/25/2017 at 10:59 AM, HotchKick said:

Now September 25, 2017, old version stopped working properly since 2 days ago. Old version selection is still active, but notes cannot be loaded in the old version.  When I switch between notebooks or just scroll, fewer and fewer notes appear and eventually none shown in the list.

So I was forced to move to the new version, which I dislike. I understand the interface in the new version is for small display devices like smartphones. So, it is designed to work with a limited screen space. We use PCs for convenience and get frustrated with the new version's terrible interface. I can put up with the limited functionality when I use my smartphone, but when I use my PC, there is a reason. I want the productivity and therefore user-friendly interface. 

If you can't maintain the old version for your profit, say so. If you believe one fits all, say so. I have to find alternatives somewhere else.

 

The problem in the old version seems to only effect Chromium based browsers like Chrome and Opera.  Firefox works fine with the old version, and I've seen other people post that it works ok in IE too...if you wan't to use that mess.  Anyway...Firefox works OK with the old version so I guess I'll use that for now, which isn't great because I prefer Opera, but it still beats the heck out of the new EN web.

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@HotchKick and others who have noticed this new problem - i have just confirmed that the old version still works fine on IE, and as mentioned above others say Firefox is still good as well.

Oddly, i did not see the problem until October 1 . . . which is also the day i updated to Chrome 61 (my employer delays our updates for security evaluation).

Can anyone else confirm which version of Chrome browser they are using when they see the note titles and snippets disappear from the center column of the old web version of Evernote?

That might help the bug swatters.

FWIW i agree that the "new" web interface introduced more than a year ago is unusable, and i am very glad we have not yet been forced to use it - my condolences to all the new accounts that do not have a choice.

I use the Windows app at home, but in my corporate work environment i cannot install it.

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Version 61.0.3163.79 running on 64 bit Linux, and I have the problem.  Seems to be triggered by the scrolling.  After loading the page, I can switch between notebooks and all is fine, but if I scroll any of them a significant amount most/all of the notebook entries disappear from that center column list.  if I just scroll a little it's not an issue.  E.g., start with "1-10 of xxx" and scroll so it says something like "5-14 of xxx" will trigger the problem.  If I just scroll to something like, e.g., 2-12 there is usually no problem. 

However, if I click on a tag on the left, the center list shows empty right away, but if I go back to a notebook list, the entries return.

Puzzling!

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Whoever designed the "NEW" desktop layout should be SACKED - IT IS AWFUL!!!!!!!!!

1) Now get meeting icon - NOT INTERESTED

2) Now get Chat icon - NOT INTERESTED

3) Search now NOT available until I click on the little magnifying glass then it changes page so that I cannot see the last note to pick something from it to find other notes!

4) After viewing a note from the search list I CANNOT GO BACK TO ALL OF MY NOTES! - Search results DO NOT SHOW A MENU on the left side (obviously well tested - NOT) so had to close the window and then open a new window and log on again (PS pressing X on the search did NOT return to before the search).

5) What idiot decided to put the HORIZONTAL SCROLL BAR as a floating bar at the bottom of the note? Now, to see the right side of a note I have to scroll all he way to the bottom of the note (to find the horizontal scroll bar), then scroll right then scroll up back to the area that was off screen and now too high to view at the same time as the horizontal scroll bar! Then repeat in reverse to get back to the left side of the note. IMPOSSIBLE TO READ ANYTHING THAT IS WIDER THAN THE VIEWABLE PAGE! Really useful - NOT!

6) SCREWED UP MY SHORTCUT that used to take me straight into Evernote - now goes to a page where I have to go through a log in every time.

7) After 5 minutes of this rubbish I found, in settings, that I could GO BACK TO THE OLD BRILLIANT STYLE (that was not broke so why mess it up?).

- The OLD style lets me see my notes and scroll them vertical and horizontal with ease (NOT possible in new version)

- The OLD style lets me see my notebooks AND my Tags at the SAME time (NOT possible in new version)

- I can SEARCH at any time without having to find a magnifying glass AND continue to use the product without closing the window and logging back in (NOT possible in new version)

- I can see my notes whilst entering a search term (NOT possible in new version)

- I do not have unwanted icons (Meetings & Chats) thrust upon me pushing my wanted links further down the page (NOT possible in new version)


All in all, this has got to be the WORST UPDATE by company and for no good reason. I strongly believe that there will be countless other reasons why the "new" desktop version will not be liked. I think that Evernote has made a major error of judgement forcing upon new users who will probably drop Evernote as unusable, as likely will current users if the new version is forced upon them.

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4 hours ago, Glennie said:

I am really not sure that Evernote has much future. Something went badly wrong at some time.

I switched to Dynalist.io a while back. It's not the same thing as Evernote and on Android lacks a lot of the features (but has none of the bugs either). The web app is smooth though and for doing GTD it's perfect! 

I stayed subscribed here hoping I would see a positive change in Evernote, so I could switch back. That' just not going to happen. 

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Just wanted to say, have been a customer since 2008. Came here to vent my frustration with both the web and mobile (android).

I find the new web client almost unusable and I wish I could switch back to the old one still. Simple things like opening the original URL requires a new page and confirmation, at least remember my preference for next time. Everything is just more clicks, and less usable than the old web app and performance (i7 quad core) is still pretty bad sometimes. I can barely use it.

I updated Android app, must have not updated for a good six months because its fully changed and now its super painful to use as well. Default/Welcome screen is a pain, I wish there was a way to turn it off. Again, more clicks to do anything. Cannot bulk select items to categorize anymore. Unused options like "share" which I never use are prominent and useful features are behind more clicks.

Now I feel like I really do need to find an alternative as I don't see how (as a power user) I can properly maintain my collections without losing my sanity :(

 

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