Feedback from new user

[tdavis]

Love the idea; have been looking for something like it for quite a while.

Some initial reactions (not responses, just gut-reactions):

* it took some fumbling around to figure out that before I could fill out some of the Notes fields (Title, Subjects) I had to create a Source (e.g., with a Title and Type). And before I could select a Project for the Source card, I had to create a Project using the Projects button on the far left (so the problem for me was really that Projects — as a task — was not “inline” with Sources, Authors, and Subjects).

* I can’t simply begin with a Note and start filling in fields like Title, Subjects and Projects — that is, as if I was going to organize them later. The app requires a good bit of set-up first.

* I wondered why I could start creating notes and then group them into stacks (i.e., Projects) later.

* I was looking at a Source card and noticed the link “1 note” at the bottom left. I thought I’d be able to tap “1 note” and see the note linked to the Source card: perhaps with the notes stacked up underneath the source card.

* ANY time I have a card “maximized” (i.e., I’ve tapped on it and made it larger) and then go to a different area and tap on a note in that new area, the app crashes. For instance, create a Source card and a Notes card. Tap on the Notes card to make it larger. Tap the Sources button. Tap the Source card (i.e., to make it larger). The app crashes any time I do this. No data loss, fortunately.

So, in sum, at least for me the workflow is wonky. I expected the workflow to allow me to start creating notes first without any setup for things like Title and Subject. I wouldn’t have had the same response if I had to create a Source Card before I could create a Notes card — if that was all the setup I had to do. But I would have probably still suggested being able to create Notes cards straight away and filling in Title / Subject directly on the card.

I hope this is useful for you guys. I used cards for my MA thesis research and it made the work so much easier to organize and think about. At a certain point, I designed my own database and some simple Winforms to “mimic” Source cards + Note cards; I’ve been looking for something like this for my iPad for several years. I look forward to what you do next.

[Jeff]

Thanks so much for your feedback! Your concise and specific response is very helpful.

The “title” on the note card should actually be the “source” for the card. We have fixed that in the latest update. I have made a note to design a workflow to allow users to create new cards without having to abandon the current operation. We are in a continuing process of improving the workflow to better fit our users. User feedback is an important part of charting the direction of the app.

We decided to allow creating cards without forcing users to create a project to support users/testers who wanted that ability. It was an extension of allowing note cards to be assigned to any number of projects.

The crash is a major concern and that particular activity is one we tested, but it still found its way into the open. We will address it in the next update. I apologize for the inconvenience it causes.

Ilaro started as a personal app for my own Ph.D. research. I originally coded it for laptop and later coded it for iOS when I got my first iPad. After colleagues and friends noticed the app and gave it a favorable response, I decided to partner up and set it out into the world. Your feedback is an essential part of making Ilaro “yours” and not just “mine.”

In the iOS ecosystem, a 2-week update cycle is pretty much the fastest turnaround one can achieve. We will address nasty bugs and quirks as closely to the 2-week cycle as we possibly can. We hope to do a major feature update monthly over the coming months.

Thanks again for taking the time to share your feedback.

• This reply was modified 12 years ago by Jeff.

[Jeff]

tdavis, we are currently testing the 1.2 update, which addresses the issues raised in your post.  Thanks again for the valuable feedback.

We want everyone to feel comfortable contacting our support team.  Feature requests and bug reports can also be sent to support@2209squared.com.

Development updates can also be found on our blog.

[Jeff]

This is just an update to announce that the 1.2 release has addressed the issues raised in this thread.  This type of feedback is invaluable!

[Author]

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