UX Changes for Release 2018-02-13

J. Craig Williams

I will leave it to others to comment on the remainder of the UX Visual Styling Update, however this one

• Email of the user logged in has been removed from the bottom left.

is just annoying. I was using that. Daily. I thought I could let it go, but after 4 days, I am still annoyed.

Was this really bothering anyone? Maybe I am missing something. Maybe there are big plans for that real estate.

I want to be able to glance at my screen and know which of my accounts is logged into a particular browser window. I would almost classify this as a need. 

I'm going to change the Profile Picture to differentiate between them. I could also change my Personal Colors, but that will only work for Sheets and not Workspaces.

Craig

 

 

 

Joe Crowel

I think the UX update has been a relative disaster. I too used the email info in the lower corner, but the color changes have been much worse for me. The new teal color of the hyperlinks has terrible contrast.  As someone who has built and whose office uses a lot of sheets that link to others, its very hard on the eyes.

J. Craig Williams

I didn't say the email was the worst part of the UX update for me. If I implied that, I apologize.

I feel compelled to post further thoughts on my own website instead of here.

Craig

Joe Crowel

No, I don't think you implied it was the worst part. 

Generally, I believe the UX update has been the first real misstep Smartsheet has made (since I've been using it at least).

I'm really excited about some of the other updates.  The vlookup is going to be great once I sink my teeth into it and charting is going to be really beneficial.

The problem is I don't want to look at the UI anymore because it has contrast issues (which causes eye strain) and they are starting to work thru layout issues that didn't need to be addressed.

J. Craig Williams

There have been a few other fumbles since I started using the platform around 2013 or 2014.

Most have been, in my opinion, things that no one was really complaining about.

Things like x-sheet references and the charting functionality that people ARE complaining about, they get mostly right. I don't fault them for bugs in releases of things I want (as long as they get fixed in the short term). I don't fault them for designing it differently than I would have wanted.

But when things are different just to be different, then ...*

Craig

*I know that isn't the case, but I am STILL not used to or a fan of the Comments changes.

Brad Jones

Agreed.  I really liked being able to see my email at the bottom.  Like other admins, I have around 6 different logins that I use to access the system - this 'upgrade' made it worse for me.

Add to that they have removed the ability to see the number of users shared to a sheet.  You used to be able to see a count of shared users when the 'Shared' tab was at the bottom - now it's gone.

 

J. Craig Williams

Isn't that the same one they moved to the upper right of the Sheet?

Craig

Kara Lumley

Hi Craig, Joe, & Brad,

The email address you are logged in with has moved to the upper right portion of the app.

We are taking into account all of the feedback about colors, esp with the hyperlinks, and coming up with a plan to make it better. 

I will be able to give an update within the next few days.

Thank you,

Kara

J. Craig Williams

Has moved or will move?

 

Joe Crowel

Kara,

Thank you for the reply.  I'm not seeing the email either.  Can you do a quick screen grab and share?

Thank you.

Kara Lumley

Sorry guys I was wrong. I see it due to additional settings being a Smartsheet employee. I thought we just moved it. It was removed as you can see the info from the Account menu, and to create a cleaner, less 'cluttered' screen.

Thanks,

Kara

J. Craig Williams

It isn't clutter if it is being used.

(My girlfriend might disagree with me, at least she does (about this) every time she comes into my office)

Craig

Brad Jones

@Kara,

You know, it's interesting that you mention that what you see on your screen as a Smartsheet employee is different from what we see on the platform as users.

I'm inclined to wonder if that might be the reason why so many 'improvements' make it through internal development and user testing with no hiccups, but elicit a torrent of "WTF" from the user community.  If your default views naturally contain different details than ours, this can easily lead to missed items in regression testing.

Just thinkin' 

 

Also, here it comes... WTF!?!?

You guys get to keep visibility of the email address in your interface, but we the customers lose it.  That's not fair 

J. Craig Williams

It ain't fair and it ain't right.

At least make it is user configuration - default to off for non-employees, default to on for employees. 

Craig

Kara Lumley

Hi Brad,

Unfortunately this was just a case of me not reading the release notes entirely

 

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