Improve the visual style of the sort button.

[Atreyu-94]

Checklist

• [x] I have used the search function to see if someone else has already submitted the same feature request.
• [x] I will only create one feature request per issue.
• [x] I will describe the problem with as much detail as possible.

System info

App version: 2.1.2

App source: Google Play

Feature description

Problem you may be having, or feature you want:

Well, the podcast splash screen displays the sort button. It's very useful but uns descriptive without pressing the specific button.

Suggested solution:

I propose to improve this situation by creating an indicator in the lower right corner of the icon that determines the current state of the indicator.

I'm available to make changes to the icons if you want and I have a suggestion I saw in another app.

Attached how the button looks and what kind of indicators I would like, greetings!

Screenshots / Drawings / Technical details:

[Atreyu-94]

In the case of sorting by size it would be more efficient to use a down arrow and an up arrow in the lower right corner. In addition to giving the accent color of the application, in this case light blue to those elements.

[keunes]

Hi @Atreyu-94 Thanks for chipping in with this suggestion. I agree it would be nice to display somewhere how the episodes are sorted. What we need to cover are the following options, if I'm not mistaken:

• Date
• Title
• Duration

On MaterialDesignIcons.com there are quite a few icons already that indicate different sorting options, that could be used:

However: throughout AntennaPod icons indicate what they do - they do not indicate a state (see e.g. discussion in #1861). Since there are multiple actions behind the sort order, it would go against this principle if we display the current state (sort order).

Curious to hear what others think. Another option is to display a notification when it's not sorted by date new -> old, akin to when the list is filtered?

[Pentaphon]

I think this is a non-issue. There's no need to know at a glance how a podcast is sorted, mostly because podcasts are usually sorted newest first and that's how most people like them. I don't see any use in always conveying this sort state to the user, and I've checked, the bigger podcast clients out there don't do this either.

[keunes]

Thanks Pentaphon for chipping in.

There's no need to know at a glance how a podcast is sorted

For me neither, but apparently for the OP there is.

podcasts are usually sorted newest first

Yup. With this the case, what do you think about displaying a notification when it's not sorted by date new -> old, akin to when the list is filtered? That way most people aren't bothered, and the ones that do change the order will know how it is.

that's how most people like them

We should be careful with assumptions about what people like.

[Pentaphon]

but apparently for the OP there is.

If we did everything that every single individual wanted, the dev and contributors would have a ton more work and a bloated mess of a player. We have to say no to some things.

Yup. With this the case, what do you think about displaying a notification when it's not sorted

Maybe the button style can change, sure. I just don't see the need for it. Sorting podcasts is usually a 1 time thing. I would prefer if the button style changed for things that constantly have to change.

We should be careful with assumptions about what people like.

What most people like should always be the default way of doing things, so seeking out the answer to what most people like should always be sought after. Some behaviors are just common knowledge, which is why all podcast clients sort by newest first.

[Atreyu-94]

Hey, sorry for the delay in responding. I've been reading about the discussion in #1861 and I understand that as the app develops, it doesn't make sense to give status to the icons.

However, it happens to me similar to that person (#1861), I am more adapted to the fact that the buttons show the current state and not what action they lead to.

On the other hand I think it would be very enlightening if they represented the current state of the button.

For example, when you follow a podcast with educational content you usually need to start from before to after.

I had thought of also coloring with the current accent of the application the interior of the filter icon in case one is active.

People, you do a wonderful job. It is the best application for podcasts that I have come across, it is Open Source and completely free of cost. This is just an opinion, maybe it helps or maybe not. I am willing to help with the icons if an agreement is reached on this. Greetings!

[keunes]

If we did everything that every single individual wanted, the dev and contributors would have a ton more work and a bloated mess of a player. We have to say no to some things.

Sure (which is why I wrote similar comments in our About page). That doesn't mean, however, that we should phrase our own opinion as a fact ("there is no need" rather than "I don't see the need") - as you now did in your latest post :)

Maybe the button style can change, sure.

Sorry for repeating, but I was actually referring to something like this (only displayed when not sorted from new to old): As a counter proposal to the OP's request for a button change…

Some behaviors are just common knowledge

See, that's tricky. User studies exist for a reason. Even if we think we know what the user wants, we reason just from our own perspective. Studies can then confirm or deny these expectations. So I more agree with your comment that we should try and find out what the user wants.

So, on that note, thanks @Atreyu-94 for getting back to us :) What would you think of my proposal above - displaying a message (similar to the 'filtered')?

[Atreyu-94]

So, on that note, thanks @Atreyu-94 for getting back to us :) What would you think of my proposal above - displaying a message (similar to the 'filtered')?

Hey, I hadn't noticed that banner with the information about the filter. I find it super useful.

Regarding whether or not to apply it with the sort I think that what you propose is a good idea, in the end, the unusual order is shown and it disappears when scrolling, that way you get the information and do not change the design philosophy.

Now, in the case of no connection, we would already have two banners, one for the connection and one for the filter, would it be to add another banner for sort?

Thank you all for your time :)

[Pentaphon]

I think the banner is a bit too much extra UI for a simple function, is more appropriate for when the user has to be alerted to an error and would probably just confuse the average user if they see it.

[keunes]

Thanks for sharing your thoughts both. While as Atreyu-94 says the thing disappears when scrolling, it's a fair comment Pentaphon that it might be more appropriate for warnings (what this isn't, really).

@tonytamsf @matth7878 Any thoughts if/how to do something about this?

in the case of no connection, we would already have two banners, one for the connection and one for the filter, would it be to add another banner for sort

I imagine that 'filtered' and 'sorted' can both be displayed on one line.

[Matth7878]

Didn't think much but what about changing icons appearances? Like put them in a circle with a colored background ? This way it would be visual and it won't need any banner.

[ByteHamster]

I think we should try to not add more (or extend) the banners for this. Filtering is a different case, I think. Users are probably more likely to think that a missing episode (because they forget that they applied a filter) is a bug than it is to have an episode appear at an unexpected position (because they forget that they changed the order).

throughout AntennaPod icons indicate what they do - they do not indicate a state

Actually, it's not 100% consistent (like basically everything in AntennaPod :disappointed:). The "star" icon on the player page shows state.

[Atreyu-94]

Didn't think much but what about changing icons appearances? Like put them in a circle with a colored background ? This way it would be visual and it won't need any banner.

I think that in this way it would not be necessary to occupy more space in the UI and at least for me it was difficult to find the filter banner, I realized it reading this thread and This is really useful because of what @ByteHamster mentions.

In any case, if this is very complicated, the solution proposed by @keunes would not add more space to the existing one and would give information about how the episodes are arranged. Anyway, it will disappear when scrolling without major mishaps.

[ByteHamster]

Two years later, the sort button was moved to the overflow menu. So we can't change its icon anyways.