I’ve been using Remember the Milk for a while now and generally enjoy it. It’s connected and online which is so much better than the other models where you have to sync your device to your computer. That option sucks. I’ve also been using the iPhone app from RTM. While it’s nice, it – like their website – could go for some improvements. I’ve had a few people disagree with me so I figured I’d write out what I would do to improve both of them. Today, I’ll just focus on the iPhone app.
Good software is opinionated. It takes assumptions and tries to help you. iPhone apps in particular should take this approach. They should simplify and not try and be everything. They should stay simple. Remember the milk – while simple – could be so much easier to use by removing some of its features (yes, there is a cost).
Firstly, when creating a task, the app should immediately ask you for a description instead of just giving you a blank slate and making you press the "Task Name" panel. One click gone.
Second, redesign the date picking feature to be more consistent with the one in the Calendar. Picking a date and time is not a simple task on a device like the iPhone. Apple does it OK. RTM does it badly. Change the interface but keep the default date feature. That’s a winner.
Third, change the overall architecture of the UI. Make it consistent with all other apps in the information model. For example, use the drill down model like on the Calendar of the iPhone. The hierarchy would be the following
+Account type (assumed RTM at this point so redundant level
++Account Name (again, assume single account so redundant level)
+++List (such as work, school, shopping, etc)
++++To Do Items of list.
The navigation panels should be laid out left to right with a consistent navigation menu for getting back. Again, steal the idea from the Calendar or email program. They do this well.
Fourth, drop out the whole Incomplete + complete buttons on the Today screen. It’s not worth the visual cost and confussion (and yes, it is confussing since they are filter options but only on one screen and not in same place as other filters. They look like action buttons but aren’t. I’m not saying their confussing like doing a Laplace transform here but this is UI design where slight changes have significant impacts).
Fifth, move the "New Task" plus sign to the top right. Putting it above the "More" button is aweful layout. Corners are important and adding a new task is a very important element to the app. Make it a proper button and move it to the top right.
Sixth, drop the manual refresh button and just handle the refreshing better.
Seventh, change the way that you filter tasks. Get rid of the "List" button since this can be done using the new information model above. Most people will only want to see their todos on a daily basis anyway. I don’t see people climbing up and down navigation trees that much to filter by a list. At least I don’t. I work on the day basis, not meta data basis. Selecting the "Today" filter should filter out all tasks but those due today (and optionally, overdue). Selecting tomorrow should not change screens. It should simply filter out tasks. Same thing for this week. You should group tasks by the day in which they are due just like the calendar does with meetings. Again, steal from the best. The Calendar list presentation is really wonderful and should be the natural option for lists like this.
Eight, it should be easier to delete a task. Currently, you have to edit a task and then – and this kills me – you have to scroll the screen up to even SEE the big red delete button. You made it big and red and then hid it from sight. You can get this button back by combining Priority, List and Add Field into one option called "More" and bury the less useful stuff there. I would argue it would be worth trying (and I’m only suggesting you try this since I’m not sure it would work) to put three options for when you swipe a task – Complete, Postpone and Delete on the main screen. Make the Complete button green, larger and the delete button red. I don’t care if I can’t see the title when I select since I already know at this point my action to take. This would remove me having to go to the edit screen to either delete or postpone a task.
And that’s a quick summary of what I think could be done to improve the app. I’ll go over the website tomorrow. The website could go for a whole lot more work than the iPhone app. I’ll share later.
