I’ve been in San Francisco the past two weeks, working on new versions of both Web Photos Pro and Web Photos Pro Server Edition.

I’ve had the opportunity to demo the current version while I’m here, and as a result of that feedback, as well as the many emails I’ve received over the past couple of months, I’ve decided that the simplified interface, which has been languishing in the middle of my todo list, has to be moved to the top of the list.

Why? Because the interface is too darn hard.

When I was building Web Photos Pro 1.0, I came to a point in its development where I had to decide how full-featured/complex to make the product. Should I make a simpler version, and hope that I could add new features to it? Or should I build the full-featured version, and then cut back on features by modifying the user interface if users found it too hard to use?

As you may have guessed I decided to go the latter route. I did it because I was worried that if I started with the simpler version I would code myself into a corner, and future versions would either be crippled, or I would have to rewrite large portions of the product every time I wanted to add a new feature.

When I first released Web Photos Pro I worried that I had done the wrong thing, because while the feedback from users has been quite positive, one overriding concern has been that it’s too complicated. (And if those who tried it think it’s too complicated, I cringe to think how many people either never told me about the difficulties they had, or never tried it.) But this week, as I’ve been working on a demo version that works with a new photo service, I’ve decided that my original decision – to go complex first – may have been right after all. Because in less than a week I’ve been able to convert the existing product so that it works seamlessly with this new photo service.

But while its seamless, its still too complicated for the vast majority of users of this particular photo service. Take the preferences panels. First, there are too many of them. Second, some of them should be album specific rather than global. And third, almost all of them are unneeded by this photo service – all you really need is a user name and password. And then there’s the problem of too many steps, and too many windows. Which led me to ask the question: Is Web Photos Pro an application or a utility?

I’ve always thought of Web Photos Pro as a utility, one that works with your existing photo management product, rather than a replacement for products such as iPhoto or Picasa. But in working on the demo I’ve come to realize that that isn’t how the product feels, it doesn’t feel like a utility, it looks and feels more like an application.

Which leads me to the new interface. If you click on the thumbnail at the top left of this weblog entry you’ll see a screen shot of the first try at a new interface. It’s a multi-pane window, with your list of albums on the left, and photos on the right. Common functions are shown as icons at the bottom of the window – New Album, Remove Album, Album Info and Upload Album below the left panel. Add Folder, All Photo, Remove Photo, Thumbnail View and Caption View under the right panel. There’s a splitter bar between the two panels allowing you to resize the panels horizontally. And the window is fully resizable (up to the size of your screen).

At this point I’m looking for feedback. Does it feel right? Is it understandable? Is it self-explanatory? And, is there something better, or something missing?

Plus, there are the following things to think about as well:

1. How useful are “photo workspaces"? Should they be part of a simplified version?
   

2. Which preferences panels should be included/eliminated?
   

3. Does a simplified version need a “Wizard” to help first time users?
   

4. Should the “fullsize view” be displayed in a separate window, or in the right side pane?
   

If you have a moment, please take a look at the screen shot above, and let me know what you think.

Thanks in advance!

With kindest regards,
– Frank