Napkin State of the App - May '23
TLDRThe 'Napkin State of the App - May '23' update introduces enhancements to the iOS app, making it easier to collect and organize thoughts. New features include OCR scanning to insert text into cards, tag management for better organization, and improved stack functionality for rearranging and renaming. The app also offers a 'Daily Mix' for curated ideas and focuses on creativity and inspiration without being a full writing tool. The team is currently dedicated to further iOS app development.
Takeaways
- 📝 Napkin's core function remains to collect and organize ideas on cards, automatically detecting topics for ease of navigation.
- 📲 iOS app improvements include easier access to the OCR scan function for text extraction from books or other sources.
- 🔍 Enhanced tag management allows users to view, edit, delete, and reorder tags across their account for better organization.
- 🗂 Stacks have been updated for easier rearrangement, renaming, and creation, providing a smoother workflow for grouping thoughts.
- 🔎 A full-screen view of stacks and improved in-stack actions make it simpler to manage and navigate through grouped cards.
- 📈 The ability to add thoughts directly into new or existing stacks from the search function streamlines the organization process.
- 📑 Daily Mix is a new feature that curates a selection of ideas, including recent and less frequently viewed ones, to help users focus on important topics.
- 💡 Napkin is positioned as a tool for creativity and inspiration, not as a writing tool, encouraging users to transfer ideas to their preferred writing platform.
- 🛠️ The development team is currently focusing on further improvements to the iOS app, with new versions expected soon.
- 🌟 The presentation highlights the ongoing commitment to enhancing user experience and functionality within the app.
Q & A
What is the core idea behind the Napkin app?
-The core idea of the Napkin app is to collect ideas on cards, with Napkin automatically detecting topics and making it easy to explore related ideas.
What recent changes have been made to the iOS app of Napkin?
-The iOS app has been simplified, making it easier to collect thoughts on the go. Improvements include easier access to the OCR scan function, which allows users to scan books and insert text into their cards.
How does the OCR scan function work in the updated Napkin app?
-The OCR scan function allows users to scan a book or select specific text to insert into their Napkin cards. The text then automatically appears in the Inbox and is connected to existing cards based on detected topics.
What new features have been added to the tagging system in Napkin?
-Users can now see tag counts, edit tag names, delete tags, and change the sequence of tags. Additionally, users can choose to show or hide tags while browsing Napkin.
What updates have been made to the stack management in Napkin?
-Stacks can now be owned by users, allowing easier rearrangement, renaming, and dragging of thoughts. Users can also create new stacks quickly by dropping ideas into them.
How has the stack interaction improved in the new update?
-Stack interaction is now smoother, with features like easier reordering, opening stacks in full screen, and adding cards in between existing ones.
What is the primary use of Stacks in Napkin?
-Stacks are used to group cards for various purposes, such as organizing material for articles or collecting ideas for discussions with co-founders.
How does the daily mix feature in Napkin work?
-The daily mix curates a selection of ideas for the user each morning, combining recently collected ideas with those not seen in a long time, helping the user focus on important thoughts.
What is the main focus of the Napkin team currently?
-The Napkin team is currently focusing on improving the iOS app and working on presenting the first versions of the new updates.
What is Napkin’s stance on becoming a writing tool?
-Napkin does not aim to be a writing tool. Instead, it is designed to be a tool for creativity and inspiration, allowing users to organize thoughts before moving them to their preferred writing tool.
Outlines
🚀 Exciting Updates and Improvements to Napkin
In this video, we explore recent improvements made to Napkin, focusing on enhancing user experience and functionality. The core concept of Napkin remains the same, allowing users to collect ideas on cards. Napkin now automatically detects topics in these cards, making it easier to navigate between them and explore ideas around specific themes. Updates to the iOS app include a more accessible OCR scan function, which allows users to scan books and insert text into their cards. New features also allow users to manage tags more effectively, showing tag counts and offering options to edit, delete, or change the order of tags.
📚 Enhanced Tag and Stack Management
The video also highlights updates to tag management and stacks within Napkin. Users can now easily view all tags in their accounts, edit tag names, delete tags, and change their order. This new level of customization is designed to improve the organization and discovery of ideas. Additionally, significant updates have been made to the stack feature. Users can now more effortlessly rearrange stacks, rename them, drag and drop thoughts into stacks, and create new stacks on the fly. The improved stack interface allows for a smoother user experience, supporting better organization and creativity.
✨ New Features and Improved User Interaction
Further improvements include the ability to open stacks in full screen for a more focused view, smoother actions for adding and rearranging items within stacks, and enhanced usability for those who want to group cards by topics or projects. This update also covers how Napkin is designed to inspire creativity rather than serve as a writing tool, encouraging users to use their preferred writing platforms after organizing ideas within Napkin. Moreover, the daily mix feature curates a selection of ideas each day, helping users keep important thoughts top of mind and focus on what's meaningful.
📱 Ongoing Development and Future Plans
The video concludes with a look at the future of Napkin, particularly the ongoing development of the iOS app, which is the current priority. The team is working hard to bring the first versions of these updates to users soon. The speaker thanks the viewers for their interest and encourages them to stay inspired while using Napkin. The focus remains on creating a tool that enhances creativity and supports the discovery and exploration of new ideas.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Napkin
💡Cards
💡Topics
💡OCR Scan Function
💡Stacks
💡Tags
💡IOS App
💡Daily Mix
💡Creativity Tool
💡Reordering
Highlights
Core idea remains the same: collecting ideas on cards, with automatic topic detection.
Improved IOS app for easier thought collection on the go.
OCR scan function is more accessible, allowing easier text insertion into cards.
New ability to show and manage tags, including editing, deleting, and rearranging them.
Updated stacks feature, now available in the sidebar for easier rearrangement and renaming.
Ability to create new stacks instantly by dragging thoughts over.
Improved stack management: search, reorder, and add thoughts more smoothly.
New full-screen stack view for enhanced organization.
Easier reordering of cards within stacks.
Stacks are used for grouping cards for articles or discussions.
Napkin is a tool for creativity and inspiration, not a writing tool.
Daily mix feature curates ideas each morning to help users focus on important thoughts.
Main focus is currently on enhancing the IOS app.
Anticipating the release of new IOS app versions soon.
Encouragement to stay inspired and engaged with the app's features.