Enthusiast I

Horrible UI - Still

Forum|Forum|4 years ago
August 5, 2022
66 replies
1907 views

I’ve been using Sonos for 16 years (one of their first users.) I’ve purchased close to 50 Sonos devices.

I’ve been complaining about the UI for 15 years. It’s horrible. Performing simple actions like opening the equalizer requires 5 minutes of discovery every time you want to use it.

Why don’t the navigation icons at the bottom of the app have labels.

Why does the screen for selecting rooms/devices have the title “System”. Why is the icon in the navigation bar for this function totally unrelated to the function. Why is the setting for Alarms on the screen for selecting rooms.

Why are there three separate icons (search, favorites and browse) in the NavBar for selecting Music.

Why are the playback controls hidden in the collapsed now playing screen.

Setting up a new AMP…...What kind of imbecile would require a user to input a code into the app when installing a new device that’s written in illegible characters (requires a magnifying glass) on the back of the device, and only let the user know that it’s needed after the unit has already been installed at the back of a rack, under a sofa, or on the bottom shelf of a bookshelf.

“How do you want to use Amp” - It’s not “as stereo speakers” ….. it’s “with stereo speakers.” AMP is an amp. It’s not a speaker (or speakers.)

In addition, to being a Sonos user, I work as a product manager. It makes me want to puke every time I use the Sonos app.

This has to be the worst UI I’ve ever seen on an app for a well established Comapany

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Stanley_4

Grand Maestro

I appreciate [NOT] the handy 20 - 30 second wake up time. Makes it a real aggravation to mute your Sonos to take a phone call, or worse hear what your spouse is saying.

Sucks enough I’m using old Play 1s on my desk but muted, grouped with the room I’m listening to so I can actually pause at need.

Your points are really good ones, Sonos could really use some usability testing by folks that are not Sonos users. You wonder how many get returned by frustrated customers.

J

John B

I’ve been using Sonos for 16 years (one of their first users.) I’ve purchased close to 50 Sonos devices.

I’ve been complaining about the UI for 15 years. It’s horrible. Performing simple actions like opening the equalizer requires 5 minutes of discovery every time you want to use it.

Unless (on the mobile S2 app) you tap the volume bar and then the equaliser icon and get there in 1 second.

Why don’t the navigation icons at the bottom of the app have labels.

Because space is at a premium on a mobile. There would have to be a different compromise somewhere else. Speaking personally, I don’t even need to think any more about what each icon represents

Why does the screen for selecting rooms/devices have the title “System”.

Because it shows all the speakers in your system, which ones are currently grouped, and what each is playing? What would you call it that would be clearly better? And does it really matter that much?

Why is the icon in the navigation bar for this function totally unrelated to the function.

Fair point, but not a problem once you know what it is

Why is the setting for Alarms on the screen for selecting rooms.

Because you need to choose a room for the alarm? Dunno, I don’t use alarms

Why are there three separate icons (search, favorites and browse) in the NavBar for selecting Music.

So you would prefer to tap a ‘”select music” icon and then pick which one of the three options you want to use?

Why are the playback controls hidden in the collapsed now playing screen.

There is a case for saying it would be better to keep these visible. But play/pause is visible, and a single tap expands it back. Keeping the controls would hide more of the rest of the screen. Is it such a clearly inferior design?

Setting up a new AMP…...What kind of imbecile would require a user to input a code into the app when installing a new device that’s written in illegible characters (requires a magnifying glass) on the back of the device, and only let the user know that it’s needed after the unit has already been installed at the back of a rack, under a sofa, or on the bottom shelf of a bookshelf.

I haven’t been through this process so I can’t comment. It doesn’t seem to me to have anything to do with UI design though;

“How do you want to use Amp” - It’s not “as stereo speakers” ….. it’s “with stereo speakers.” AMP is an amp. It’s not a speaker (or speakers.)

OK

In addition, to being a Sonos user, I work as a product manager. It makes me want to puke every time I use the Sonos app.

Sorry, but I hope you never become the product manager in charge of the Sonos UI.

This has to be the worst UI I’ve ever seen on an app for a well established Comapany

Let’s agree to disagree.

C

craigski

Local Superstar

Performing simple actions like opening the equalizer requires 5 minutes of discovery every time you want to use it.

Tap Volume, tap EQ icon, how can that be improved?

C

craigski

Local Superstar

Why is the setting for Alarms on the screen for selecting rooms.

This used to be hidden away in settings, and shortcut was added to rooms menu for quick access.

Let’s say you didn’t have Sonos, you had an old fashioned ‘windup’ alarm clock in the bedroom. If you wanted to set this alarm clock, you would have to physically go to the bedroom first, then set the alarm. My guess, the flow through the Sonos App is replicating this process.

A

amun

I appreciate [NOT] the handy 20 - 30 second wake up time. Makes it a real aggravation to mute your Sonos to take a phone call, or worse hear what your spouse is saying.

Sucks enough I’m using old Play 1s on my desk but muted, grouped with the room I’m listening to so I can actually pause at need.

I thought that it was just me… The wake up time has been getting slower and slower, to the extent that we now just walk across the room and press the button, rather than wait for the mobile software to react.

C

craigski

Local Superstar

What ‘20-30 sec wake up time’ are you referring to?

Ken_Griffiths

From a fully closed state, if I launch the Sonos App it takes between 7 & 8 seconds to load a 15 room system (that’s an iPhone XR or iPad Pro (3rd gen) controller) - if the Sonos App has been backgrounded, or minimised, for a while, then it’s a couple of seconds to wait in that case, if that, for the focus to be reclaimed.. and my controllers are now both a few years old.

20-30 seconds sounds to me like there is perhaps an issue with the controller device itself, or perhaps the network. I would just try closing all apps fully and just count (normally) and see how long it takes to launch?

… and I thought my old iOS controllers were getting slow?🤷‍♂️

C

craigski

Local Superstar

I don’t see that, I just forced closed Sonos App on iPhone 12 mini, and see all rooms in a couple of seconds. About my system will show the Sonos device (IP address) associated with the App, what device is that when it takes 20 seconds? Maybe its an older/slower Sonos device?

D

dtohmatsuAuthor

Enthusiast I

Performing simple actions like opening the equalizer requires 5 minutes of discovery every time you want to use it.

Tap Volume, tap EQ icon, how can that be improved?

Is that a serious question? What is the point of hiding the EQ icon. Even if the user remembers how to unhide the icon, it still requires an extra step (tap the volume control) in order to display the icon. Why would anyone possibly design the UI that way. Even if experienced users remember how to do this, why would you want to introduce that kind of totally unnecessary friction for new users. Also why are other playback controls (crossfade) hidden elsewhere behind a “more” ellipsis in a line (the music/album title) that is completely unrelated to playback control. A minimal amount of UAT would immediately reveal these problems.

Honestly, whoever is responsible for this must have studied at the blind darts school of UX design.

ratty

I’ve had a Sonos system for 15 years. Somehow I’ve managed to move with the times, graduating from CR100 all the way to the mobile apps. The changes in the latter tend to be incremental so the learning process is usually a case of “what does this new button do?”. I can’t say I’ve ever been aware of the app having an emetic effect.

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