User experience

Macorin
Macorin
Community Member
edited February 2015 in iOS

why is custom field creation so painful? By painful, I mean it takes extra work (unnecessary work) to complete the job. For instance, when you create a new note (like all field titles), why can't you start with a blank title? It's obvious we are going to give the note a real title aside from "Custom note", so why must we be forced to backspace to delete the defaulted title? Does anyone really keep that? The same thing goes for when we create a custom text field. Why must the title of the field be pre-filled with the word, "text"? We have to manually backspace every single time just to customize it the way we want. It's archaic!

The options given for capitalization are limited and annoying too. Everything in this app is set up with Zero Capitalzation. Zero. I'm sure I'm not the only user who would like certain fields to automatically capitalize the first word and other fields to capitalize all words. There are even some fields like URL fields that I don't want any capitalization. The point is, working in this app takes a lot of extra effort to make things look the way you want because of the lack of customization options.

Similarly, we are given organizational tools such as tags and folders, but have very limited ability to organize from iOS. I primarily work in iOS, so waiting until I get back to a desktop is highly inconvenient just to take care of organizational duties and tasks.

Don't get me wrong, I've loved your app for years. It just boggles my mind why data creation and handling can't be handled in the same high quality manner that password and login maintenance gets. The app has come such a long way from passwords and logins to really becoming more of a true data vault. I'm just hopeful that one day, it actually becomes easier, more productive and most importantly, more enjoyable to use in that way.

Comments

  • Macorin
    Macorin
    Community Member

    Thanks for weighing in brenty. One of the most perplexing things I find in the 1Password iOS user experience though is the inconsistency of behavior. For instance, create a new note from with the custom notes area and 1Password creates a default title called "Custom note." If you create a new note from the main screen by tapping "+" and choosing custom note, it defaults to a blank title area. It does it differently depending on where/how you are creating the note from.

    A second inconsistency is that even when the title if "Custom note" is created, it gets capitalization. However, if you backspace to delete that title, you start with no capitalization for the new title. 1Password starts with capitalization, but then starts you with it off. The same holds true when you create extra fields. It defaults to a capitalized "Text" or "Call", but then shuts capitalization off when you want to create your own.

    I agree that based on the current configuration, capitalization is tricky. I suggest that it gets built into the type of field we are choosing. Meaning, my hope is that we will be given the option to custom configure the field behavior in settings. Therefore, I might configure a text field with capitalization and one without it. The same could hold true for configuring the type of keyboard you'd want for phone numbers, emails...

    Either way, the user experience needs to be improved to bring more consistency and predictability.

  • littlebobbytables
    littlebobbytables
    1Password Alumni

    Hi @Macorin,

    The title one surprises me, I would have thought it was easier to have both start empty than to have one fill in the title like that. I've created a bug report based on your findings.

    ref: OPI-2387

    As for the capitalisation issue, the devs are aware but for whatever reason it's not a simple fix like you might think it would be (probably why they told me it wasn't a simple fix without me asking).

    ref: OPI-518 & ref: OPI-2121

    Can I ask a little more regarding your observations of folders and tags please.

  • detjo
    detjo
    Community Member

    I agree on the default title and capitalisation. This has already occurred to me and I've only been using it a day!

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @littlebobbytables: Thanks for looking into it! :+1:

    @dejto: The feedback is appreciated. Hopefully this is something that can be improved over time. The team is on the case! :)

  • colddrake
    colddrake
    Community Member

    Macorin's comment might explain why I'm having so much trouble working out how to do what I need to do: I'm working entirely in iOS as 1PW won't work on my ancient desktop.

  • @colddrake ,

    Please post any difficulties you are having. One of our goals to make the software simple to use, and if there's something confusing, we'd love to hear about and help you out as best as we can!

  • colddrake
    colddrake
    Community Member

    You're on it :-)

  • colddrake
    colddrake
    Community Member

    I asked this at the end of my other question, but as it pertains to user experience I'll mention it here, too:
    To add a new field, I first have to add a new section. Why? I perceive the information for a login (or any other category) very simply as a set of fields such as 'Password', 'Username', 'Security phrase', 'URL', 'Emergency contact phone', 'postal address' and so forth. How do you intend the section to work?

  • AGAlumB
    AGAlumB
    1Password Alumni

    @colddrake: The idea is that the pre-defined section(s) are part of the template. They have existing preset fields which, of course, can be added, removed, or modified; and 1Password often uses its built-in 'knowledge' of these to interact with them (for instance, filling login or credit card information).

    A new section (and any field within) is completely user-defined, and 1Password won't be able to 'understand' them as such; so this logical distinction is reflected in the display and the way you interact with it. I hope this helps! :)

  • Macorin
    Macorin
    Community Member

    Here's one for you in terms of unpleasantness: try creating a custom note and adding a custom section and custom fields. Every time you add a new one, the screen moves and you have no idea where the cursor is. The field you just created has scrolled out of view, and the cursor isn't positioned in the correct field. Instead, it stays in the last field you were typing in. This to go along with the other issues I brought up in the original post.

    I'd just like the experience to feel more stable and more consistent. If I create a custom note, I'd like the cursor to start in a blank title field. I guess the title field should have capitalization of the first word. Some people like to capitalize all words in a title. I don't mind that, but I hate when words like "Of" and "The" get capitalized between other words. Caps on the first word should suffice. I'm fine with no capitalization in any of the other areas, so long as it remains consistent.

    I don't need to have any titles or fields pre-filled for me with things like "Custom note" or "Text" for a text field.

    I'd like the screen to scroll and adjust properly when I create the next field, and I'd like the cursor ready to go in the right spot so I can just start typing.

    I'd love to see the ability to allow fields to be programmable, meaning if it's a phone number field, I want the phone app to open and call the number I tapped in that field. I'd like the mail app to open ready to email to the recipient that I tap in an email field. Better yet, there could be buttons to the far right of the field that would actually allow you to perform those actions, while retaining the ability to still tap the field to copy. I'd also love the ability to conceal any field I like, so I can secure private info in any field I like. There is other info aside from just passwords that is private. Account numbers for example. If a field is private, I'd love to see a dedicated icon to the right to hide and conceal with a single tap. 1Password forces two taps. Tap to bring up options and tap again to choose one. The 2 taps to reverse it. That's more than I'd like.

  • HI @Macorin ,

    Those are great suggestions. Also, regarding adding fields to notes, if you haven't done so already, update to version 5.2.1 - it fixes a lot of issues with secure notes. We still have a bit of work to do there, but 5.2.1 clears up a lot of the usability issues. Also, if it scrolls off screen, once you start to type in the field, it should scroll back automatically. I realize it's not the final solution, but it will help you easily scroll it on screen.

  • Macorin
    Macorin
    Community Member

    Hi @hayesk,

    I appreciate the comments. I've updated to the latest version, but still see issues with scrolling. The experience on my end is so inconsistent. It seems depending on where your field is on the screen, the experience changes. In any case, I see a lot of jumpy behavior. Sometimes it jumps far, and other times only a little. It still scrolls me off the screen a lot of the time. It's like the app is off its meds. It's just so unstable in terms of behavior.

    On that note, I also experience strange, choppy behavior when scrolling info in an entry. My experience is that while you scroll, it seems to constantly jump back a little. It's extremely choppy. The whole user experience in this regard is quite poor.

    It just seems a lot of work has to be done to smooth out the edges. Getting back to things like capitalization and pre-filling fields, I'd just like to see consistency.

    Regarding tags and folders, if you can create in the way in, you should be able to edit on the way out. Meaning, things change, and sometimes, as your system evolves, changes to names/terminology need to change. I like to tinker more than most perhaps, but editing/updating tag and folder names is not easy in iOS. As for adding tags, it would be nice if full tag names popped up as you typed if they already exist. I'd love to see a tag selection tool when adding tags to an entry, rather than typing them out individually separated by commas. I'd love to see the ability to edit the tag name and have that applied to all associate tags. I'd love to be able to merge tags by editing the name into a tag that already exists.

    The editing aspect would be great, but first things first, and it seems that improvements need to be made in other areas first. I hope to continue this discussion.

    Thanks.

  • We appreciate the feedback, @Macorin. I haven't noticed any issues scrolling in the app... Do you have zoomed mode enabled?

    I have noticed some animations are a bit jumpy (vs smooth) and I've filed a bug on the 1Password extension in Safari's lock screen for that.

    ref: OPI-2474

    Hopefully the suggestions you've made are things our developers can take into consideration for future versions.

This discussion has been closed.