This version has some stuff that I don’t like that much.
I’ve commented in another message about a feature that is now more difficult to make all episodes as played.
Now I am a bit annoyed with the new way of changing the playback speed. I liked the previous way of toggling between 2 or 3 different speeds. Also, the new button to set the speed has the delete button on top of it. It is easy to press it by mistake.
I think I prefer the previous version.
If you have more than 2 speed presets, the new method needs fewer taps
Maybe instead of showing the delete button, the presets could be deleted when long-pressing. Makes it less likely that it is done accidentally. What do you think @keunes?
What if in the playback window you have a short press to toggle and a longer press to open the options?
I get what you say about more than 2 options, but how many options do the users have?
Maybe you could make the buttons a bit wider and make the background color of the left side where you choose it different to the area where there is the delete button.
That’s what other users complained about because they need to press that button too often
Hmm, that won’t help with accidentally tapping the delete button.
Ok.
But I still think that this last version is not better. You say that you want it to be simple to use but for me, at least, it is not getting better. If you keep considering users with more complex use cases the app wiil become complex.
As I said before, two features that I used often became more complex.
Please consider that users that are happy with the app usually they are quiet.
And then, they see features disappearing because other users asked. I used beyondpod for several years and had the paid version. They kept modifying it forcing the users to relearn do do their stuff. Lots of users left.
I agree a lot with the previous comment. Good rule of thumb for any user interface is to make it easy to do the common, simple things and harder to do the more esoteric. things. Mind deciding what is a common thing and what is an esoteric thing is usually the bone of contention,
One of my tests when buying new devices is trying to operate it without reading the instructions. If I can’t make it do the basic functions straightaway it gets crossed off my list.
In my opinion a cool way to re-implement this would be a gesture system similar to Gmail’s account switching. By swiping the button up and down.
Yes this would require a little get used to. But its a lot more satisfying and quite an elegant solution I think.
A simpler solution may be tapping to switch between the 2 last options. This would keep most users of multiple speeds happy, especially if there is a podcast-specific speed setting
That’s hardly predictable and I think it will cause more confusion than help. I did quite extensive user studies ~2 years ago and wrote down two main points about speed selection:
The points above are from first-time users with very basic use cases: Changing the speed to a value that they like. I think the presets themselves are for advanced users (no matter where they are shown) and the simple slider on top is what basic users will find most intuitive.
If you don’t read the instructions about the speed button, showing the full dialog with a slider will be easier to understand than cycling through an unknown number of options.
This won’t reduce the number of taps needed, so the full dialog is still faster
Advanced users and complex use cases it is not the same thing. I appreciate the discussion, but my point is still valid. Two things that I use often are now more difficult. As a user, that is not good.
For me I would not consider that a basic function so would expect to have to read the instructions. Actually can’t remember ever wanting to playback anything other than at normal speed.
Been losing track of what has been suggested but having a quick access function bar which allows each user to have their own few preferred functions may be a way to go. I use Smart Audiobook Player which does this.
I think that’s a good idea.
I think the ‘selection’ dialog should have an ‘Add/Edit* presets’ button (bottom-left) to open the ‘manage’ dialog (* depending on whether there are any or not).
Also pondered if (in addition) we might
But that might just create extra confusion.
Don’t worry. Simplicity is in our ‘charter’, so it’s kept in mind (even if in this case we opt for another than your preferred solution). And we’re listening to your feedback here, having a good discussion with an exchange of arguments.
The user test that @ByteHamster did was neither with advanced users, neither did it involve ‘complex use-cases’. Still it stressed people out.
I’m still not sure how tapping in a dialog is ‘more difficult’ than tapping an x number of times. How many presets do you have exactly? And what makes it more ‘difficult’? Is it that you have to be precise with your finger movement because of the risk of accidentally deleting the preset?
This sounds like a setting to determine which settings are displayed. Introducing that will open a Pandora’s box with requests to add new possible settings which could all be included in the settings list, because it doesn’t matter if that list gets mega-long. I think that falls outside of the ‘simple but feature packed’ grey zone (on the ‘too complicated’ end of the spectrum).
There is not a lot of “management” UI, so I don’t think it needs to be an extra screen. I would just remove the thrashcan icon and replace it with long-press to delete. Everything else would be the same anyways.
I only have 2 presets. Normal speed and 1.2 speed.
The first few times ghd window opened I saw the trash symbol so I was not sure if the button was tk set the speed. The thing is that sometimes I am in my car and opening the window and then selecting the speed it is tricky because I have to look carefully at the screen.
I don’t want to be complaining, I was just trying to give some feedback. The thing is that the previous version was what I wanted. I do not need more features.
Fair enough, I think it would be as confusing as sliding the spacebar in Gboard to move the cursor or slide the delete button to delete word by word. Not everyone knows it’s there but the ones who do can’t live without it.
Maybe going back to the previous state but having only 2 presets (so new users don’t get “scared” ) would be simple enough.
The problem with the menu that popups on long press (in 2.3) or single tap (2.4 ) is that it’s location is not near the button, the user has to tap from the bottom left to the center of the screen. Maybe a new menu similar to the 3-dot menu but in the bottom should show all the presents and a “more” button to display the current pop up with the slider and the option to add more presets to the single tap.
I don’t think so, unfortunately. We have many presets because users complained that they cannot change the speed more fine-grained (when in reality, they just didn’t discover that there is a slider in addition to the button).
Good point. I moved it to the bottom. Together with removing the “delete” buttons, it feels a lot more natural and quick to switch speeds. See screenshot below.
I just used the new dialog for the first time. I think most of the shortcomings have been addressed with the latest PR, but there is one which I haven’t seen mentioned. I failed multiple times in tapping the -/+ button area. Perhaps it should be larger/better centred around the symbol?
Done, increased the button size by 25% 
Yeah that solves that issue for me.
Now, this is totally unrelated but being able to choose the bottom button would be nice, I use the sleep timer more than the speed control so, swapping between them, or making space for both would be nice 
That would be some kind of meta setting: choosing what setting is displayed. I don’t like those because once you start adding them, it will never end. Users will start requesting settings for everything, the settings screen will get cluttered and the app will get a pain to maintain/test because of so many edge cases.
