I know that we were all probably taken aback by the design overhaul. However, seeing as a complete reversal is highly unlikely, I am, as a fellow user curious to know what other people take away from this change and if some positives can be acknowledged for the developers to bring back to the drawing board for cultivation and what needs to scrapped to the greatest extent possible.
Although I do agree with the majority that I enjoyed the old design more and that a toggle for each layout would definitely be preferred at this point, I am never strictly opposed to ambitous overhauls like this one.
The issue here I think is that that the new layout appeals to younger users (and I most definitely support getting younger people into language learning!), But seeing as the user base, I assume, is mostly out of elementary school, the new design kind of misses the target.
However, Regardless of outcome, I think I speak for most people when I say that some sort of update, like a message prompt upon log-in, a Twitter announcement, or perhaps even an e-mail informing users of the change is in order when something like this is executed. I couldn’t help but feel somewhat uneasy logging in without any real sense of what was going on.
besides the communication and UI design issues which are apparent I would feel that a modicum of basic testing would have helped to smoothen things a little.
I know, it’s all the rage (and cheaper!) these days to have your users find the problems for you, but still…
I have seen a read most of both of those. However, I felt that both were very hostile and not very contructive, which is by I decided to make this feedback thread. Linking between the thread, contributes to creating perspective in the discussion at large though, so thank you for that.
The point of this thread is solely to provide constructive criticism for the developers and trying to distinguish, in a civil manner, between any aspects of the update that may be retained and those that should be altered if not completely removed.
I do remember several Memrise beta testers complaining on the forum about the new color scheme that would be involved in the next big update of the app. I know that’s not an official announcement from Memrise itself, but there was some indication that things were going to change, and even what the new color scheme would be.
I do still think that a major overhaul like this warrants an official announcement. It is also worth mentioning that it is not all Memrise users who visit the forums even regularly. Most, I assume, don’t visit them at all.
Even though some hints may have been dropped here and there, there was not a very high level of transparency. Change will always be followed by an adjustment period, which is made smoother by reliable information.
I liked the different colors for the exercise types. I thought it much easier to spot the “difficult words” exercise when scanning down the list of German courses I’m enrolled in
Personally, I think the new graphics style presents a less professional image and makes the appearance of the site more game-esque. Perhaps that’s what you were going for, and I’m sure I’ll get used to it, but something to think about in future changes.
While I agree that functionality is an issue here, I don’t really buy the sentiment that there has been little/no testing. There will always be some errors following a large overhaul like this one and sometimes, as in this case there will be a bit more than we, the users, would have liked.
However, I think the more important issue here is the aesthetic of the new layout which has seemed to enrage to many people. And testing a new look, I think, can we very difficult to trial in the same way as functionality and can thus lead to uproar the way it has here, because people have wildly different tastes.
My question for the developers here is whether they just liked the new look better than the old one or if there was some greater purpose, either appealing to a different user base (younger users) or if the new aesthetic is based on research to improve learning. (I know there has been research done which shows that comic sans can improve retention over fonts like Times or Calibri. An effect which the developers seem to possibly have attempted to recreate with the new design).
This last point seems somewhat questionable, as the new design only appears in the overview UI and not when completing actual exercises. When learning new words or doing classic review, the page reverts back to the old layout
I would be happy if Memrise allowed users to choose between “classic” and “contemporary” layouts. The classic one doesn’t have to be an old layout; it can be the new one with circles instead of blobs and a more soothing color scheme. It would be particularly nice if they offered us an array of color palettes to choose from.
I literally feel repulsed by the new layout. I don’t say that to be demeaning, but to emphasize that people may have physical reactions to colors and shapes. While some people find the new layout cheerful and fun, I find it makes me feel frustrated and angry. Ideally, Memrise should strive for broad visual appeal.
This is why I would be curious to hear not just why the developers changed design, but more specifically why they decided to go with this design in particular. I have to second that this new layout does not strike me as one with especially broad appeal.
I think I like the new color scheme. The purple was a little ‘too specific’ and perhaps a kind of outdated. The Grey bar looks more professional, and it’s a real Memrise logo now. I’d like letters somewhat sleeker though, as they look a little inky now. But, hey, i think it is heading the right direction.
If there is an overhaul, it would be great if the test buttons availabe for the course as a whole, are also available at the individual levels. See pictures.There are a button for Difficult Words, Listening, Speed testing, classic review and learning. Those buttons I’d like to have in the second picture too.
Above picture at course as a whole.
Below picure at individual level.
This picture has only a review button. Options offers only the Review testing mode.
I’ve never really reviewed any lesson on it’s own. I only ever go through the entire course only to classic review my way thourgh it again once I’ve completed it. Otherwise I get too impatient.
It does seem a bit silly that they would remove this. Do you have any confirmation that this was an option before the rework?
I did see that actually. But only after a numerous hours on the forums and deliberately looking for it because I couldn’t believe that they hadn’t announced it somewhere. This Type of messaging seems highly ineffective.
I honestly didn’t know Memrise had a blog, and I’ve been a user for years.
I don’t think it’s a much about whether they made an announcement as it is whether they made an announcement that people see or not. It should be a highly prioritised message. It should be front page news on all their platforms.
I have received countless dsicount offers from Memrise via email for example, so I have a hard time believing they wouldn’t be willing to make an announcement that way.
I also see that they’ve made a Twitter announcement now, but it wasn’t there when the makeover launched. And I haven’t really been able to justify the delay. Also far from all user see Memrise Twitter updates regularly, I’d imagine.
And I still feel they should provide some reasoning as to why they chose this particular direction for the layout.
This thread has in evolved into a general feedback thread off the back of the makeover. If people want to share their thoughts on the new stuff here, we might as well supplement with some older stuff, if it hasn’t been addressed yet.
A lot of criticism is being given in this moment. As long as it’s constructive it’s welcome here.
That’s my take anyway. I’m not a mod, so that decision is not for me to make.
Edit: I suppose perhaps branching out to decks may be a bit too far off the mark for this thread. I haven’t you decks anyhow, so I can’t really comment on it either.
As i mention in the original post, this thread is exclusively for constructive criticism.
If you feel the need to rant, that is absolutely fine. Just go do it somewhere else. There are two other big threads mentioned in one of the first posts where you can go flail your arms as much as you’d like, but this is not the place.
Please rewrite your post or delete it. I am unable to do either.
I will change the title of this thread as well, now that I see that my message of decency is not visible enough, which I suppose is my mistake.
