The above screens show my first time user experience of the Todoist to-do app for iPhone/iOS.
The good bits:
- Although the app does require an account up front, it offers an expedited option that allows a user to leverage an existing Google account (if they have one).
- The app uses its initial blank slate state to connect users with their robust help content.
- Instead of an overcrowded coachmarks overlay, Todoist instead leverages progressive hinting. It displays small popovers that appear when users trigger certain states or screens in the app.
To be improved:
- Todoist has a “sign-in wall”. It requires people to create an account before being able to use any list-making functionality. The app provides no clarification up front on why an account is necessary. There are other to-do apps that allow people to keep lists without an account.
- If the Google account sign-in is selected, the app requests access to a user’s public Google profile information without explaining how this will benefit them.
- Although the blank slate help/tutorial link is helpful, it pushes the user out of the app’s context and into Safari, requiring the user to do extra work.
- In some cases, the progressive hinting is overdone. The first 3 hints automatically play through, so as one is dismissed another is immediately triggered. Arguably, the “Edit” label in the Projects menu is self explanatory and doesn’t need hinting, and the “+” icon in the projects menu might be better off just having text accompany it instead of needing a hint to clarify it.