I’ve been noticing something lately, and it’s been in the back of my mind long enough to write a blog post about:
The more my programming and general computer skills advance, the further from an “average” user my perspective becomes. In other words, my spectacular computer talents give me a slanted and potentially puzzling approach toward building Quizlet’s interface. It’s kind of like when scientists start talking to you about their projects, and they use all sorts of jargon and science-speak and you have no idea what they’re talking about!
Why is this a problem for Quizlet? Things that seem obvious to me aren’t obvious to regular users. And so it’s easier for me to build a confusing interface that seems perfectly obvious to me but perfectly ridiculous to others. I think so far I’ve done a good job on Quizlet, keeping it simple and not letting its interface get too convoluted. But I could be flagrantly mistaken, and have no idea! The horror!
So now here are a few questions. Let’s call it a report card on how I’m doing. What’s confusing to you about Quizlet? What processes should be simplified? What have you had to spend some time to understand? Or is it just amazing and simple and perfect?
Thanks y’all!
P.S. I should stop it with all the Photobooth pictures 
Just a few things:
1. The ability to quote someone in a private message. Sometimes you can’t get back to someone for a few days and by that time they have forgotten what they asked in the first place.
2. How to delete a group?
3. I told you about this a few days ago, but make it more obvious you have a blog.
And from this summer:
(And nobody knows what I’m talking about.)
1. Drag and drop in the feedback center would’ve been real nice
That’s all I can think of for now.
i want to know what i write in private messages let us see what weve sent other ppl i sometimes cant remember what i wrote!
@Neil, Gr8soccerplayer: Your requests are related, so I’ll answer them together. In the message viewer, there are a few options at the bottom of each message, one is History. That will show you a listing of all your previous messages with your correspondent, both theirs and yours. Does that solve your problem? Could that feature be renamed/be more obvious?
@Neil #2: That’s an obvious missing feature. Right now you can do that by removing all active users, but I’m going to add a link to the group page in the very near future.
#3 : Yeah, I agree. The blog is a big asset to keeping users interested and updated with current Quizlet news.
#4 Maybe when there are no other features to work on
Thanks for the great feedback!
-Andrew
@Andrew: I never even noticed it, honestly I’d rather have the quote right in the message. Just shove it in a “blockquote.” Seems like its an extra click and it brings up ALL the history even if i just want the last question.
Hope this helps.
Happy news: There’s now a ‘delete group’ link on the group page. Simple enough
-Andrew
great new flag as innapropriate–i just noticed it.–but can you flag if somebody chatted something innapropriate, or just when the group or set is?
i agree with magee i am confused about that 2
hey andrew,
fantastic site! i think that it’s pretty intuitive at a first glance. i’m actually a student at MIT right now and i just wanted to wish you good luck in applying! i think you would fit in well =P
-esther
I know there’s a history feature but I don’t believe this applies to feedback messages.
LOVE Quizlet, BUT…
As a teacher who has her students use Quizlet regularly, I wish there were a way for me to see how many terms a user got CORRECT while “Learning” a particular set, not just how many times they interacted in Learn mode.
I’ve had students write complete nonsense in the Learn mode - which makes it SEEM like they’re studying from their “numbers”, but, of course, they are not.
–Ann
heyy andrew i think they might’ve said it before but is there anyway for you to flag a person as inapropriate rather than an entire group like just going to their page and pressing a button that says “flag as inapropriate”?
otherwise everything else is clear and amazing so keep up the good work!
how about a feature that sets up time intervals so that it well test u on stuff u missed more often, like desktop based provoc arizona software
As a math teacher I sometimes need a diagram or graph to demonstrate a concept. Is there any way to input a small picture file along with a text definition of a term?
The site is great. I have turned lots of teachers in my district on to this site and they love it. Thanks for making it happen!
as ‘chief’ said having pictures as deffinitions would be awesome for all sorts of stuff like foreign vocab and science and math and stuff
If the groups page had the groups alphabatized within their letter catagory it would be a lot easier to find groups
Other than that, the site is awesome
i agree with chief but other than that I love quizlet and could’nt live without it thank you andrew
oh yeah can you make a different kind of set for math like 4-4 into a game like scatter thank you
Andrew,
Maybe you could put something by the discussion boxes that show if anyone in your group is using Quizlet at the moment. It would make it easier to have a discussion if you knew someone was there that could respond to you.
[...] The Quizlet Blog « A question about the user interface [...]
any one here on myspace
i’ve had it with quizlet
Hi Andrew, remember me? A feature I would really like to see would be keyboard shortcuts, especially in “Familiarize” where I am always moving the mouse back and forth.
Hey Ed - I sure do! Glad to hear you’re using the site.
There are keyboard shortcuts already in the Familiarize page. Try the arrow keys!
It would be great to be able to add sub/superscripts.
I think a huge addition to the site would be an easy way to categorize sets by subject. That way, you could easily go straight to your Spanish, or Chemistry sets, so that you dont have to scroll through a whole bunch of sets unrelated to what you are looking for.
I agree with Josh’s idea. Maybe it could have a function that works like email or iTunes, where you can categorize by Date Created, Alphabetical, etc.
PS - love the site.
After I created a “set” i found it difficult to add it to my “group”
I really like the “scatter” feature.
I would also like the ability to insert a graphic image into one side of a flashcard. thanks susan
hey thanx u shoould use mine!
cool i agree urs is great!
One thing I’ve noticed…
How do you close a combined set?
As in, how would you get rid of the “combination” icon of a particular combination on your profile?
hi grant
i think quizlet is great it helps me get all as
Feature request: I would like to be able to see sets ordered alphabetically rather than chronologically on my dashboard and in groups.
I second sue alice on wanting images on one side of a flash card.
Also, it would be nice to be able to see a longer ‘Most Missed Words’ list, and perhaps a global one (on my dashboard) for all sets I’ve studied
hi, i REALLY want the groups to be alphabetized within their letters. i have a friend in Zac Efron Lovers 87 and it took me 1/2 and hour to find it! please?
hi, i made a group & then made a new username. i tried to find my group again but couldn’t cuz it was 2 hard 2 search 4 it. ’side from that, andy, i m happy!
i was wondering how to get to groups.
Dear Andrew,
My children have been asking me about how to get to groups, and how to find certain ones. Can you help us? Some of my students include Janis and Caitlynn, FYI. I am a teacher.
Yours,
Angela Howard