Z7 Beta (redesigned): Two comments

ajb59
edited February 9, 2024
Two small observations about Z7 beta since the redesign:

1/ Not sure I'm a great fan of the decision to amalgamate the three-tier search and the previously-separate 'Advanced Search' facility. The former only operates within the currently-anchored collection / saved search whereas the latter operates on the complete 'My Library', and that distinction is not obvious from the current search box organization.

2/ I like the colours in the righter-most tool box. It would be nice to have some colour on the icons above the (standard-view) middle pane if possible, please. (I'm assuming here that the schemes are not a result of my current desktop style.)

Looking forward to Z7 coming out of beta; really grateful for the work you people do.



  • dstillman
    1) It's not like Advanced Search is no longer a separate function. This is just a way to keep it a bit more discoverable while removing it from the main toolbar (which was confusing next to the other search function and contributed to a proliferation of magnifying-glass icons). We could consider removing it from the quick-search menu, but I'm not sure there's much downside to its being there — if you're looking in that menu, you're trying to find something. (Advanced Search is also available in the Edit menu, but I suspect people are less likely to look there.)

    2) Monochrome toolbar icons are, for better or worse, fairly universal at this point. We tried very hard to nevertheless add plenty of useful and pleasing color to the app.
  • ajb59
    Thanks for the quick reply.

    I quite see the points you make in response to 1/, but also suggest it might be helpful to amplify the guidance in the search box itself with a, e.g. 'Search local view', tag in the drop-down menu for the three current options for a simple search, followed by a, e.g. 'Advanced Search of all items', for the global one?
  • aaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
    edited February 9, 2024
    @ajb59 when the advanced search window opens up, the first drop-down menu item tells the user that they're searching in their whole library (My Library). It seems pretty clear to me.
  • ajb59
    As indeed it does to me.

    But it remains the case that there is no explicit indication between the Quick search and the Advanced one as to what is being operated on (local v. global view) as opposed to the fairly intuitive expectation that the latter will allow for more complicated search criteria.

    And, whilst this has always been the case, IIRC, the amalgamation of the previously-separate search facilities into a a single location does seem to have clouded the individuation.

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