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English - Android => General Discussion => Topic started by: Nedialko Kondev, MobiSystems, AquaMail Support on November 05, 2021, 11:14:47 am

Title: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Nedialko Kondev, MobiSystems, AquaMail Support on November 05, 2021, 11:14:47 am
Hi all,

We'll make a couple of small changes to the Nav Drawer design. The behavior will remain exactly the same. The Manage Accounts button is currently placed at the lower part of the drawer. We'll move it at the top and we'll add a button that allows users to add a new account with on tap.

Please have a look at the proposed changes and give us your thoughts:
https://xd.adobe.com/view/6e7b2183-e257-4262-9f20-f3f466aa63d1-3b28/

The link is interactive and clickable.

Regards,
Nedialko
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Messina on November 05, 2021, 04:04:49 pm
Per me va benissimo perchè diventa più funzionale.
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Justin on November 05, 2021, 05:11:37 pm
The Manage Accounts button is currently placed at the lower part of the drawer.


Please keep this button at the bottom. Reason:
You will need this Button very rarely.

Ususally users create accounts, they might improve things once after a while.

Quote
We'll move it at the top and we'll add a button that allows users to add a new account with on tap.


Please don't do this. Those Buttons are placed well at the bottom where they don't irritate and don't need space in daily routines.
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: mkgtu on November 06, 2021, 12:13:18 am
Currentky  the top part (heading bar) of the NavDrawer shows the currently viewed account. Or maybe if you have multiple accounts (I only use one) it would show all your set up accounts.
   But in the proposed new NavDrawer there are NO accounts visible in that part of the bar. You have to use the drop-down arrow to display the account(s) that are currently set up, logged in.

   In the proposed NavDrawer the far right icon opens up the screen to set up a new account. Frankly that small button could probably just be added to the same spot in the current NavDrawer, without changing anything else.

   In the proposed NavDrawer the little "people" icon to the left of the new account icon, seems to do nothing at all. Why is it even there taking up room? To show the current accounts you still have to tap that arrow to the far left.
   Then, having tapped that arrow, you get (in this scenario) icons for what I guess are the two accounts already set up. I don't know what happens next; maybe there is no further "interactiveness" turned on for this demo. But if you tap either of those icons in the demo, nothing happens. I presume in real life something would happen: a view of just one account's messages? Or a page for managing that account?
   In the current NavDrawer, if you tap the (always visible) account name or icon, nothing happens either. So I suppose that likewise nothing would happen in the new NavDrawer.
   So at this point there doesn't seem to be any way  to "manage" current accounts, just an unlabelled button to add a new account. (But you've removed the "manage accounts" button from the bottom of the NavDrawer. So where do you go?)

Bottom line for me, in the proposed NavDrawer, I lose the constant visibility of my account(s) with their new message counts, in order to gain a "people icon" that does nothing and a tiny unlabelled "new account" icon, that could probably be added to the top of the current NavDrawer if deemed necessary.
   But as a previous responder inferred, just how often do people need to set up a new account? Rarely, I would agree.

So the proposed NavDrawer seems to a large loss for a questionable gain. Leave it alone. If you think people can't figure where to set up a new account, leave the "manage accounts" exactly where it is now and just change the name to "manage or create accounts" or "manage/setup accounts" or some such title. That would be more helpful than that small unidentified (and rarely to be used) icon in your proposed NavDrawer.

RED DOT shows a possible location  for a New accounts or Manage Accounts button in current NavDrawer without changing anything else (even room for a label to the side of it.) Better yet DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211105/d684561bb4713f1e2036d8866d53a06d.jpg)

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: simonwil on November 06, 2021, 01:38:50 am
I like the addition of the drop-down arrow to see the list of accounts but I'd prefer to have the settings menu icon rather than the new account icon.  You could then remove settings from the bottom of the menu and leave the add new account in the manage accounts screen as it is very rarely used.
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Nedialko Kondev, MobiSystems, AquaMail Support on November 06, 2021, 11:41:17 am
The Manage Accounts button is currently placed at the lower part of the drawer.


Please keep this button at the bottom. Reason:
You will need this Button very rarely.

Ususally users create accounts, they might improve things once after a while.

Quote
We'll move it at the top and we'll add a button that allows users to add a new account with on tap.


Please don't do this. Those Buttons are placed well at the bottom where they don't irritate and don't need space in daily routines.

Hi Justin,

Thanks for sharing. We found out that new users have a hard time adding new accounts. This was communicated to us via tickets and the survey we conducted a few month ago.

Hence the idea to put the "+" at the top. So we rather keep it. It will provide something for the more inexperienced users. We need to address their needs as well.

As for the manage accounts button we' re not married to the idea.

Another member there shared that we can replace that with the Settings (cog wheel) icon.

It sounds like a good idea to replace the manage accounts button with a cog wheel.

Of course we can also do nothing 🙂

Regards,
Nedialko
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Nedialko Kondev, MobiSystems, AquaMail Support on November 08, 2021, 12:58:36 pm
Currentky  the top part (heading bar) of the NavDrawer shows the currently viewed account. Or maybe if you have multiple accounts (I only use one) it would show all your set up accounts.
   But in the proposed new NavDrawer there are NO accounts visible in that part of the bar. You have to use the drop-down arrow to display the account(s) that are currently set up, logged in.

   In the proposed NavDrawer the far right icon opens up the screen to set up a new account. Frankly that small button could probably just be added to the same spot in the current NavDrawer, without changing anything else.

   In the proposed NavDrawer the little "people" icon to the left of the new account icon, seems to do nothing at all. Why is it even there taking up room? To show the current accounts you still have to tap that arrow to the far left.
   Then, having tapped that arrow, you get (in this scenario) icons for what I guess are the two accounts already set up. I don't know what happens next; maybe there is no further "interactiveness" turned on for this demo. But if you tap either of those icons in the demo, nothing happens. I presume in real life something would happen: a view of just one account's messages? Or a page for managing that account?
   In the current NavDrawer, if you tap the (always visible) account name or icon, nothing happens either. So I suppose that likewise nothing would happen in the new NavDrawer.
   So at this point there doesn't seem to be any way  to "manage" current accounts, just an unlabelled button to add a new account. (But you've removed the "manage accounts" button from the bottom of the NavDrawer. So where do you go?)

Bottom line for me, in the proposed NavDrawer, I lose the constant visibility of my account(s) with their new message counts, in order to gain a "people icon" that does nothing and a tiny unlabelled "new account" icon, that could probably be added to the top of the current NavDrawer if deemed necessary.
   But as a previous responder inferred, just how often do people need to set up a new account? Rarely, I would agree.

So the proposed NavDrawer seems to a large loss for a questionable gain. Leave it alone. If you think people can't figure where to set up a new account, leave the "manage accounts" exactly where it is now and just change the name to "manage or create accounts" or "manage/setup accounts" or some such title. That would be more helpful than that small unidentified (and rarely to be used) icon in your proposed NavDrawer.

RED DOT shows a possible location  for a New accounts or Manage Accounts button in current NavDrawer without changing anything else (even room for a label to the side of it.) Better yet DON'T CHANGE ANYTHING.
(https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20211105/d684561bb4713f1e2036d8866d53a06d.jpg)

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk

Hi,

The way the Nav Drawer looks depends on your settings. A drop-down arrow that expands the account list will be available if you:
- open settings
- go to Look and feel
- disable "Hide the account list screen"

While in there you can choose if you'd like to see the account with or without the accounts names:
- open settings
- go to Look and feel
- enable/disable "With account names"

So when ""Hide the account list screen" is ON and "With account names" is OFF, the accounts menu cannot be expanded and you see:
(https://i.postimg.cc/dL0rxdw9/Hide-On-No-Account-names.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dL0rxdw9)

When ""Hide the account list screen" is ON and "With account names" is ON, the accounts menu cannot be expanded you see:
(https://i.postimg.cc/V5gXg4Q6/Hide-On-With-Account-names.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/V5gXg4Q6)

When ""Hide the account list screen" is OFF and "With account names" is OFF, the accounts menu CAN be expanded you see:
(https://i.postimg.cc/zHH5y0Tj/Hide-Off-No-Account-names.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

When ""Hide the account list screen" is OFF and "With account names" is ON, the accounts menu CAN be expanded you see:
(https://i.postimg.cc/BPjZxqf2/Hide-Off-WIth-Account-names.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/BPjZxqf2)

I must say that the "Manage Accounts" and adding an account are the two mostly used functions, according to what other users have communicated to us via tickets and a survey.

This is why we're going for this change.

Regards,
Nedialko
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Fabrizio on November 08, 2021, 05:29:58 pm
I hope that also in the smart folder side panel we will have the same visualization with inbox , sent, draft etc of all accounts.
Kind regards
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Justin on November 08, 2021, 05:39:57 pm
I must say that the "Manage Accounts" and adding an account are the two mostly used functions, according to what other users have communicated to us via tickets and a survey.

Thousands of other users didn't write you that it was perfect until today? Why should they write?

If I would see item "Manage Accounts" at the top instead of my folders - every time I open AquaMail -, then I would write you and complain.

Once the accounts are set, you will never use this menu item für years.
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: mkgtu on November 08, 2021, 07:00:45 pm


Hi,

The way the Nav Drawer looks depends on your settings. A drop-down arrow that expands the account list will be available if you:
- open settings
- go to Look and feel
- disable "Hide the account list screen"

While in there you can choose if you'd like to see the account with or without the accounts names:
- open settings
- go to Look and feel
- enable/disable "With account names"

So when ""Hide the account list screen" is ON and "With account names" is OFF, the accounts menu cannot be expanded and you see:
(https://i.postimg.cc/dL0rxdw9/Hide-On-No-Account-names.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/dL0rxdw9)

When ""Hide the account list screen" is ON and "With account names" is ON, the accounts menu cannot be expanded you see:
(https://i.postimg.cc/V5gXg4Q6/Hide-On-With-Account-names.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/V5gXg4Q6)

When ""Hide the account list screen" is OFF and "With account names" is OFF, the accounts menu CAN be expanded you see:
(https://i.postimg.cc/zHH5y0Tj/Hide-Off-No-Account-names.jpg) (https://postimages.org/)

When ""Hide the account list screen" is OFF and "With account names" is ON, the accounts menu CAN be expanded you see:
(https://i.postimg.cc/BPjZxqf2/Hide-Off-WIth-Account-names.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/BPjZxqf2)

I must say that the "Manage Accounts" and adding an account are the two mostly used functions, according to what other users have communicated to us via tickets and a survey.

This is why we're going for this change.

Regards,
Nedialko
How confusing this has become.  Reminds me of the good old "Occam's Razor", or the law of parsimony, which is the problem solving principle that "entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity", sometimes inaccurately paraphrased as "the simplest explanation is usually the best one."

Sent from my SM-G975U using Tapatalk
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Nedialko Kondev, MobiSystems, AquaMail Support on November 09, 2021, 06:45:35 am
I hope that also in the smart folder side panel we will have the same visualization with inbox , sent, draft etc of all accounts.
Kind regards

Hi,

It will be absolutely the same. The function and logic will stay the same. We're adding a different color for highlighting (light blue instead of grey) and the icons are a bit modernized, but that's it. A design look:
https://xd.adobe.com/view/f683d174-c5f9-49af-8681-27d10a1c12ff-a3d0/

Regards,
Nedialko
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Nedialko Kondev, MobiSystems, AquaMail Support on November 09, 2021, 06:49:33 am
I like the addition of the drop-down arrow to see the list of accounts but I'd prefer to have the settings menu icon rather than the new account icon.  You could then remove settings from the bottom of the menu and leave the add new account in the manage accounts screen as it is very rarely used.

Hi,

The drop-down arrow is already available :) Please open the app settings > look and feel > disable "Hide the account list scree" > this will change the initial screen of the app and will add the drop-down menu in the Nav Drawer.

You can then specify where you'd like to start the app in app settings > look and feel > Start the app in.

A design look with the Settings icons added to the top:
https://xd.adobe.com/view/f683d174-c5f9-49af-8681-27d10a1c12ff-a3d0/

Regards,
Nedialko
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Fabrizio on November 09, 2021, 10:29:56 am
I hope that also in the smart folder side panel we will have the same visualization with inbox , sent, draft etc of all accounts.
Kind regards

Hi,

It will be absolutely the same. The function and logic will stay the same. We're adding a different color for highlighting (light blue instead of grey) and the icons are a bit modernized, but that's it. A design look:
https://xd.adobe.com/view/f683d174-c5f9-49af-8681-27d10a1c12ff-a3d0/

Regards,
Nedialko

Hi Nedialko so also in the smart folder side panel we will have the inbox, sent and draft folder, instead the number of days of emails in the smart folder?
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Nedialko Kondev, MobiSystems, AquaMail Support on November 09, 2021, 12:41:39 pm
I hope that also in the smart folder side panel we will have the same visualization with inbox , sent, draft etc of all accounts.
Kind regards

Hi,

It will be absolutely the same. The function and logic will stay the same. We're adding a different color for highlighting (light blue instead of grey) and the icons are a bit modernized, but that's it. A design look:
https://xd.adobe.com/view/f683d174-c5f9-49af-8681-27d10a1c12ff-a3d0/

Regards,
Nedialko

Hi Nedialko so also in the smart folder side panel we will have the inbox, sent and draft folder, instead the number of days of emails in the smart folder?

Hi Fabrizio,

The smart folder will look exactly as it looks at the moment. It will not have the inbox, sent and draft folder.

You've shared that idea before (I believe) and it's part of a bigger design change that we've not yet considered.

Regards,
Nedialko
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: simonwil on November 09, 2021, 12:51:54 pm
I like the addition of the drop-down arrow to see the list of accounts but I'd prefer to have the settings menu icon rather than the new account icon.  You could then remove settings from the bottom of the menu and leave the add new account in the manage accounts screen as it is very rarely used.

Hi,

The drop-down arrow is already available :) Please open the app settings > look and feel > disable "Hide the account list scree" > this will change the initial screen of the app and will add the drop-down menu in the Nav Drawer.

You can then specify where you'd like to start the app in app settings > look and feel > Start the app in.

A design look with the Settings icons added to the top:
https://xd.adobe.com/view/f683d174-c5f9-49af-8681-27d10a1c12ff-a3d0/

Regards,
Nedialko

If I have this enabled and also set to start in the smart folders view I have to press the back button twice to exit the application.  First time I press back from the message list it shows me the account list and then I have to press back again to exit.  If I have Hide the account list screen enabled then I only have to press the back button once.  Is there a way to not have to step through the account list on exit but still have the drop down list?
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Nedialko Kondev, MobiSystems, AquaMail Support on November 10, 2021, 09:22:44 am
I like the addition of the drop-down arrow to see the list of accounts but I'd prefer to have the settings menu icon rather than the new account icon.  You could then remove settings from the bottom of the menu and leave the add new account in the manage accounts screen as it is very rarely used.

Hi,

The drop-down arrow is already available :) Please open the app settings > look and feel > disable "Hide the account list scree" > this will change the initial screen of the app and will add the drop-down menu in the Nav Drawer.

You can then specify where you'd like to start the app in app settings > look and feel > Start the app in.

A design look with the Settings icons added to the top:
https://xd.adobe.com/view/f683d174-c5f9-49af-8681-27d10a1c12ff-a3d0/

Regards,
Nedialko

If I have this enabled and also set to start in the smart folders view I have to press the back button twice to exit the application.  First time I press back from the message list it shows me the account list and then I have to press back again to exit.  If I have Hide the account list screen enabled then I only have to press the back button once.  Is there a way to not have to step through the account list on exit but still have the drop down list?

Hi,

No sorry. We made it work that way a long time ago. I'll put down your suggestion and we can consider it in the future if we get more user with the same request.

Regards,
Nedialko
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Fabrizio on November 10, 2021, 11:26:21 am
I hope that also in the smart folder side panel we will have the same visualization with inbox , sent, draft etc of all accounts.
Kind regards

Hi,

It will be absolutely the same. The function and logic will stay the same. We're adding a different color for highlighting (light blue instead of grey) and the icons are a bit modernized, but that's it. A design look:
https://xd.adobe.com/view/f683d174-c5f9-49af-8681-27d10a1c12ff-a3d0/

Regards,
Nedialko

Hi Nedialko so also in the smart folder side panel we will have the inbox, sent and draft folder, instead the number of days of emails in the smart folder?

Hi Fabrizio,

The smart folder will look exactly as it looks at the moment. It will not have the inbox, sent and draft folder.

You've shared that idea before (I believe) and it's part of a bigger design change that we've not yet considered.

Regards,
Nedialko

Hi Nedialko yes I've shared the idea because I think that at the moment the side panel of smart folder is totally useless for me. After that I decided in the settings number of days or week that I want to look on the smart folder,I think that it will be more useful to see unified emails folder for all accounts that we are managing with Aqua as outlook, nine, sugar and all others mail app.
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Nedialko Kondev, MobiSystems, AquaMail Support on November 15, 2021, 05:02:27 pm
I must say that the "Manage Accounts" and adding an account are the two mostly used functions, according to what other users have communicated to us via tickets and a survey.

Thousands of other users didn't write you that it was perfect until today? Why should they write?

If I would see item "Manage Accounts" at the top instead of my folders - every time I open AquaMail -, then I would write you and complain.

Once the accounts are set, you will never use this menu item für years.

Hi Justin,

We had quite a discussion within our team about your (and other members') opinion.

So in the spirit of keeping the app customizable, we'll add a setting that will disable the new design and enable the old one.

Thanks for your input!

Regards,
Nedialko
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Justin on November 15, 2021, 07:20:07 pm
That might actually be the best way to go. Thanks.

edit:

BTW:
In the largest german-language Android forum (android-hilfe.de) , we have a subforum for AquaMail and have been providing some support there for years.
I don't recall anyone ever having a problem finding the button to add new accounts.
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: phred on November 15, 2021, 08:31:45 pm
So in the spirit of keeping the app customizable, we'll add a setting that will disable the new design and enable the old one.
This is great news. Thanks for listening to your customers.
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Nedialko Kondev, MobiSystems, AquaMail Support on November 16, 2021, 05:45:54 am
That might actually be the best way to go. Thanks.

edit:

BTW:
In the largest german-language Android forum (android-hilfe.de) , we have a subforum for AquaMail and have been providing some support there for years.
I don't recall anyone ever having a problem finding the button to add new accounts.

Hi Justin,

Thanks to google translate, I check the forum there every now and then.

I spotted a link to android-hilfe.de some time ago in a topic. I believe you posted the link but I may be mistaken  :)

Regards,
Nedialko
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Justin on November 16, 2021, 08:23:53 am
Yes, it was me.

In case it's of interest to other users:
https://www.android-hilfe.de/forum/aqua-mail.2241/
Title: Re: Nav Drawer Design Changes
Post by: Nedialko Kondev, MobiSystems, AquaMail Support on December 09, 2021, 02:49:35 pm
Hi All,

We released the beta containing the changes in the nav drawer. As promised we added a setting reverting to the old look.
https://www.aqua-mail.com/forum/index.php?topic=8318.0

You'll find it in app settings > look and feel > "Account panel quick access" (enable it to get the old drawer).

Regards,
Nedialko