Quick fixes for user complaints.
I previously posted this in the 8.0 announcement thread, but I think these comments are important enough to merit their own thread. Most of it is copied, but I have made a few changes. After rolling back to v7.4 on Android via sideloading, my initial rage and frustration have subsided a bit, and hopefully my criticism is much more constructive.
I read a comment from Ryan S. that there is no way to roll back the UI, but the team would work to fix any issues that impact user satisfaction. Here are the main issues and some suggestions for quick fixes. Ideally the team would really take the time to do their own research and remodel the interface from the ground up, however these items need to be triaged immediately.
1. Switching rooms
Issue: The most obvious way to switch rooms from the now playing screen would be to click on the room name in red. Unfortunately this interface element only allows you to group rooms together. In order to even see the "Rooms" tab, you have to click on a small arrow at the top left. To make matters worse, when you click the arrow, the interface element jumps to the bottom of the screen.
Quick fix: Never hide the bottom tabs. (My Sonos, Browse, etc.,.)
2. Changing music
Issue: As many community members have observed, this is more time consuming. Favorites and playlists are on a different tab than my music library and music services.
Quick fix: Add the favorites back to the list on the Browse tab.
3. Selecting favorites/stations or playlists
Issue: If you have more than a certain number of favorites or playlists, you will not be able to view them on the "My Sonos" tab. The max number of stations or favorites is 4 in landscape mode on an iPad. Usually I only see 2, since I primarily control Sonos on a phone. If you are lucky you can swipe to see the favorite or playlist you want to navigate to. If you are unlucky, you will have to click "See All".
Quick fix: Allow two ways to access stations and favorites. A.) From the Browse tab with the traditional list view. B.) With the large icons on the "My Sonos" screen.
There are really many more issues that need to be addressed to achieve a friendly consistent interface, but these are probably my three main issues. Again I would strongly recommend some design meetings and A/B tests against the old software. I think just one side by side test, where an upper level exec attempts to change the music in two different rooms, would demonstrate the frustration your users are feeling.
The old interface was much more intuitive, and I think that's why many community members, recent reviewers on the Apple Store, and recent reviewers on the Google Play Store are asking for Sonos to rollback this release.
One more thing: Favorites are now called Stations in the "My Sonos" tab. However on the PC app they are still called favorites. This inconsistency is bewildering and drives me crazy.
I read a comment from Ryan S. that there is no way to roll back the UI, but the team would work to fix any issues that impact user satisfaction. Here are the main issues and some suggestions for quick fixes. Ideally the team would really take the time to do their own research and remodel the interface from the ground up, however these items need to be triaged immediately.
1. Switching rooms
Issue: The most obvious way to switch rooms from the now playing screen would be to click on the room name in red. Unfortunately this interface element only allows you to group rooms together. In order to even see the "Rooms" tab, you have to click on a small arrow at the top left. To make matters worse, when you click the arrow, the interface element jumps to the bottom of the screen.
Quick fix: Never hide the bottom tabs. (My Sonos, Browse, etc.,.)
2. Changing music
Issue: As many community members have observed, this is more time consuming. Favorites and playlists are on a different tab than my music library and music services.
Quick fix: Add the favorites back to the list on the Browse tab.
3. Selecting favorites/stations or playlists
Issue: If you have more than a certain number of favorites or playlists, you will not be able to view them on the "My Sonos" tab. The max number of stations or favorites is 4 in landscape mode on an iPad. Usually I only see 2, since I primarily control Sonos on a phone. If you are lucky you can swipe to see the favorite or playlist you want to navigate to. If you are unlucky, you will have to click "See All".
Quick fix: Allow two ways to access stations and favorites. A.) From the Browse tab with the traditional list view. B.) With the large icons on the "My Sonos" screen.
There are really many more issues that need to be addressed to achieve a friendly consistent interface, but these are probably my three main issues. Again I would strongly recommend some design meetings and A/B tests against the old software. I think just one side by side test, where an upper level exec attempts to change the music in two different rooms, would demonstrate the frustration your users are feeling.
The old interface was much more intuitive, and I think that's why many community members, recent reviewers on the Apple Store, and recent reviewers on the Google Play Store are asking for Sonos to rollback this release.
One more thing: Favorites are now called Stations in the "My Sonos" tab. However on the PC app they are still called favorites. This inconsistency is bewildering and drives me crazy.