Right now when adding a new space, you have to choose between a creating a ‘normal’ space (which either has some tutorial cards or is completely empty), or a journal space which contains today’s date and has an ai prompt of the day, optional weather, and optional user created custom prompts
simplify: remove a choice of new space type that maybe doesn’t to exist
remove a bunch of ui complexity in configuring journals
elevate user created templates for cases where custom prompts are wanted
remove use of ai journal prompts, which i’ve never gotten any positive or negative feedback about
proposal
What if instead there was only one choice: to create a new space,
That new space would contain the image with today’s date, and the optional tutorial cards. But no moonphase, and the space name would be the same randomly generated name.
In the space list, the ‘created today’ badge would appear for all spaces created today
The space list filter options to only show journals would be no longer relevant
instead of being buried inside the ‘Templates’ menu, the templates you created would show up in the New Space menu for easier quick access. This would allow people to have a lot more flexibility in default prompts/layout of new spaces, if that’s a thing they’re interested in.
I’ve never created a journal space, and I think it’s a good idea, it will greatly simplify the process of creating a new space. On the other hand, for those who did use journal spaces, they need to be able to find similar functionality in the new process. From what you’re proposing, I get the impression that this is the case, but of course it’s not for me to judge.
I have rarely used journal spaces. Definitely not as a daily habit. They have never seemed like they warranted having bespoke UI for it, so I agree with your instinct to simplify and remove it.
I’ve tried but never succeeded in doing a daily journal space workflow. Even if Kinopio was extended to support journals better, I’m not sure I’d use it. My spaces are too much about sorting a specific concept or crunchy problem. I do my journaling elsewhere.
OTOH I love the idea of a timestamp card of some sort in my scratch spaces. Merging regular and journal functionality sounds like a nice simplification of the workflow.
Hello, pasting my response from discord here // with some slight edits as I’m reviewing it again:
The proposal sounds is great.
I think moving to template is a good idea to tidy the UI on the new space menu.
but comes at a loss to things I’ve been a custom to…
(Though, I’m all good for the change if you progress it, since we are coming up to a new year.)
If I understand correctly, we’ll lose the function of date titles on new cards generated + the journal filtering.
Those two functions helps me sort to fetch spaces and move them to my journal hub when I begin reviewing at the end of the week(Though I try to move them at the end of the day or as soon as I create them to mitigate the compounding admin work if I delay till sunday/monday).
Sounds like, new spaces 2.0 will contain "Todays date" - which may not be an issue for my above point // my current space organisation flow. As I can just copy that back into the title. If templates 2.0 can influence card titles - that would be even better. Saving a step + having custom prefix/suffix would be very useful.
Having said all this with the introduction of groups , much to what @humdrum mentioned, I was rethinking this approach which could replace/be a solution to filtering being removed for journals.
TLDR;
Proposal is fine with me, I understand what’s being removed and some of the changes may not impact too much. Losing filtering may be an issue with the current flow, but then I would propose we focus on Quality of Life improvements with Templates or Group
to rethink how a daily/weekly/monthly journal process would work.
What I suggested on discord as an idea.
Adding a Template filter - and being able to turn off/filter the default templates.
RE the templates dialog:
I’m planning on moving user templates out of this, they’ll be listed in the new space dialog instead so they’re easier to access.
The stock templates are super old/out of date so that dialog will be completely redesigned/rethought in the farther future
not quite, the date title image card that comes with new journals will be moved to normal new spaces.
there won’t be journal filtering, but I can add a migration that automatically creates a ‘journal’ group for you and moves your journal spaces into it. So you’ll be able to replicate the filter functionality, but filtering by your ‘journal’ group. This part is pending demand, because it may add a fair bit of scope.
I would propose we focus on Quality of Life improvements with Templates or Group
I agree with that, I think these are more broadly useful than journals , which are kinda shoehorned in, and can’t be as good as a dedicated journaling app bc it’s not the focus of kinopio
Nice, yeah that’s fair. I think this direction is good.
Keeps that principle I see Kinopio as like a toybox of sorts, so reworking journals placement/function makes sense.
Look forward to the template and group evolutions.
if new spaces include a date card, should that date card also not show up if the user preference ‘New Spaces are Blank’ is checked?
Personally, as an experienced user, I kinda would want the date card , but not the other default new space cards, but I guess that wouldn’t be the expected thing…
I’d would be using date cards as default as well - kind of like marking a date on a project in a notebook.
I could see it being toggled off by default though, to keep spaces empty for play.
Then enabled by user if they choose it, like you mocked up.
splitting the ‘+ new’ button into a segmented button, so in most cases you can just click the ‘+’ and immediately be in a new space without the 2nd click.
released