Enhance Card Draw UX: Add Preview Screen In WristArcana

by Alex Johnson 56 views

In this article, we will explore the process of enhancing the user experience in the WristArcana application by implementing an intermediary card preview screen. This screen will appear immediately after a card is drawn, serving as a bridge between the draw action and the detailed card view. This progressive disclosure approach offers users greater control over how they engage with card details, allowing them to quickly assess and decide whether to delve deeper into the card's information. Let's dive into the overview, user flow, implementation tasks, and testing procedures involved in this exciting enhancement.

Overview

Our primary goal is to introduce a full-screen card preview view that presents itself right after a card is drawn but before the detailed CardDisplayView. This intermediary step serves a crucial purpose: it provides users with a quick, uncluttered glimpse of the card, empowering them to decide if they want to explore additional details. This approach aligns with the principle of progressive disclosure, which enhances usability by presenting information in manageable chunks and reducing cognitive overload.

By implementing this card preview screen, we aim to create a more intuitive and user-friendly experience within WristArcana. Users will appreciate the ability to quickly assess the card and determine whether they want to view the full details, making the application more engaging and efficient. The introduction of the CardPreviewView will not only improve the overall user experience but also add a layer of sophistication to the application's design. This feature will give users the flexibility to engage with the cards at their own pace, enhancing the sense of control and personalization within the application. Furthermore, the implementation of a preview screen addresses a common need for users who may only require a quick glance at the card without needing to see all the details immediately.

The addition of a card preview screen also opens up possibilities for future enhancements, such as adding subtle animations or visual cues to the transition between the preview and detail views. These enhancements can further enrich the user experience and make the application more visually appealing. Moreover, the preview screen can serve as a central point for introducing new features or providing helpful tips and information about the cards and their meanings. By strategically placing interactive elements or educational content on the preview screen, we can further enhance user engagement and learning within the application. The flexibility and adaptability of the preview screen make it a valuable addition to the WristArcana application, paving the way for continuous improvements and enhancements in the future.

User Flow

To illustrate the user interaction with the new card preview screen, let's outline the user flow:

  1. DrawCardView (DRAW button): The user begins by interacting with the DrawCardView, where they tap the DRAW button to initiate the card drawing process. Immediately upon tapping the DRAW button, the card is saved to the user's history.
  2. CardPreviewView (full-height card image only): Following the draw action, the CardPreviewView appears, displaying a full-height image of the drawn card. This view provides a clean and focused presentation of the card, allowing the user to quickly assess its visual aspects.
  3. CardDisplayView (card + name + meaning + notes): From the CardPreviewView, the user has two options: they can either tap the card image itself or tap the Detail button. Both actions will navigate the user to the CardDisplayView, which presents a more comprehensive view of the card, including its name, meaning, and any associated notes.
  4. Dismissal: Once the user has reviewed the card details in the CardDisplayView, they can tap the Done button to dismiss both the CardDisplayView and the CardPreviewView, returning them to the DrawCardView.

Alternative Exit:

  • CardPreviewView → tap Done → DrawCardView: Users also have the option to skip the detailed view entirely. By tapping the Done button on the CardPreviewView, they can return directly to the DrawCardView, bypassing the CardDisplayView. This alternative exit provides a streamlined experience for users who only need a quick preview of the card.

The introduction of this user flow ensures that the card drawing process is intuitive and efficient, catering to both users who want a quick glance and those who desire in-depth information. The flexibility in navigation allows users to tailor their experience based on their immediate needs, enhancing the overall usability of the application.

Implementation Tasks

To successfully implement the card preview screen, we need to address several key tasks. These tasks can be broadly categorized into core implementation, testing, and code quality.

Core Implementation

The core implementation phase involves creating the CardPreviewView and updating the navigation flow in the DrawCardView. This includes:

  1. Create CardPreviewView.swift: This new file will house the CardPreviewView, which will be responsible for displaying the full-height card image. The view will utilize the CardImageView component for rendering the card image and include a Done button (left toolbar) and a Detail button (right toolbar). The card image itself will be tappable, serving as an alternative way to navigate to the detailed view. Accessibility labels will be added to ensure the view is accessible to all users, and a #Preview will be included for easy development and testing. The estimated lines of code for this task are approximately 60.
  2. Update DrawCardView.swift navigation flow: This task involves modifying the DrawCardView to incorporate the new card preview screen into the navigation flow. The existing showingCard state will be renamed to showingPreview, and a new showingDetail state variable will be added. The DRAW button's action will be updated to set showingPreview = true, triggering the presentation of the CardPreviewView. Nested sheets will be used to manage the presentation of the CardPreviewView and CardDisplayView, ensuring a smooth transition between the two. The onChange handler will be updated to check if both sheets are dismissed, and both onDismiss and onAddNote will be configured to dismiss both sheets. The estimated lines modified for this task are approximately 20.

Testing

Testing is a crucial phase to ensure the new card preview screen functions correctly and integrates seamlessly with the existing application. The testing tasks include:

  1. Create CardPreviewFlowUITests.swift: This new file will contain UI tests specifically designed to validate the behavior of the card preview screen. The tests will cover various scenarios, including: drawing a card shows the preview first (not the detail), tapping the card image shows the detail view, tapping the Detail button shows the detail view, tapping Done on the preview returns to the draw view, tapping Done on the detail returns directly to the draw view (skips the preview), and the card is saved to history even with immediate dismissal. The estimated lines of code for this task are approximately 100.
  2. Manual testing checklist: In addition to automated UI tests, manual testing will be performed to ensure all user flows work correctly, the note-taking workflow remains functional, VoiceOver navigation works correctly, the view displays correctly on 41mm, 45mm, and 49mm watch sizes, animations are smooth (60fps), and the dark mode appearance is correct.

Code Quality

Maintaining high code quality is essential for the long-term maintainability and stability of the application. The code quality tasks include:

  1. SwiftLint: Ensuring the code passes SwiftLint with 0 warnings using the command swiftlint lint --strict. This helps maintain code style consistency and identify potential issues.
  2. SwiftFormat: Ensuring compliance with SwiftFormat using the command swiftformat --lint .. This helps maintain consistent code formatting throughout the project.
  3. Build Success: Verifying that the build succeeds on the watchOS Simulator. This ensures the code is compatible with the target platform.
  4. Test Pass: Ensuring all tests pass, including both existing tests and the new UI tests. This validates the functionality and stability of the changes.

Implementation Details

For a comprehensive understanding of the implementation, refer to the full specification in prompts/card-preview-screen.md. This document provides detailed information, including:

  • Exact code implementations with line-by-line details.
  • State management diagrams illustrating the flow of data and interactions.
  • Accessibility requirements ensuring the feature is usable by everyone.
  • References to existing code patterns that were followed during implementation.

The detailed specification serves as a valuable resource for developers and testers, providing clarity and guidance throughout the implementation process.

What Already Works (No Changes Needed)

Several components and functionalities are already in place, requiring no modifications during this implementation. These include:

  • ✅ CardDrawViewModel saves cards to history immediately: The existing CardDrawViewModel is already responsible for saving cards to the user's history immediately upon drawing, ensuring no data loss regardless of the user's navigation path.
  • ✅ CardPull model has an optional note field: The CardPull model already includes an optional note field, allowing users to add and edit notes associated with each card.
  • ✅ CardDisplayView supports add/edit notes: The CardDisplayView already provides the functionality to add and edit notes, ensuring the note-taking workflow remains seamless.
  • ✅ CardImageView component exists and can be reused: The existing CardImageView component can be reused in the CardPreviewView, simplifying the implementation and ensuring consistency in card image rendering.
  • ✅ Note-taking workflow works correctly: The existing note-taking workflow is fully functional and will not be affected by the introduction of the card preview screen.

The reusability of these components and functionalities significantly reduces the effort required for implementation and ensures a cohesive user experience.

Acceptance Criteria

To ensure the successful implementation of the card preview screen, the following acceptance criteria must be met:

  • [ ] Drawing a card shows CardPreviewView with card image only: Upon drawing a card, the CardPreviewView should be displayed, showcasing only the card image.
  • [ ] Tapping card or Detail button shows CardDisplayView: Tapping either the card image or the Detail button on the CardPreviewView should navigate the user to the CardDisplayView.
  • [ ] Tapping Done on CardPreviewView returns to DrawCardView: Tapping the Done button on the CardPreviewView should return the user to the DrawCardView, skipping the detailed view.
  • [ ] Tapping Done on CardDisplayView returns directly to DrawCardView (not preview): Tapping the Done button on the CardDisplayView should return the user directly to the DrawCardView, bypassing the preview screen.
  • [ ] Cards are saved to history immediately when drawn: Cards should be saved to the user's history immediately upon drawing, regardless of the navigation path taken.
  • [ ] Note-taking workflow continues to work correctly: The note-taking workflow should remain fully functional and unaffected by the new feature.
  • [ ] All UI tests pass: All automated UI tests, including the new tests for the card preview screen, must pass.
  • [ ] SwiftLint/SwiftFormat pass: The codebase must pass SwiftLint and SwiftFormat checks, ensuring code quality and consistency.
  • [ ] Accessible with VoiceOver: The card preview screen must be fully accessible with VoiceOver, ensuring usability for users with visual impairments.
  • [ ] Works on all watch sizes (41mm, 45mm, 49mm): The feature must function correctly and display appropriately on all supported watch sizes.

Meeting these acceptance criteria will ensure the card preview screen is implemented correctly, provides a seamless user experience, and maintains the overall quality of the WristArcana application.

Estimated Effort

The estimated effort for implementing the card preview screen is 6-9 hours total, broken down as follows:

  • 4-6 hours for implementation: This includes the time required to create the CardPreviewView, update the DrawCardView navigation flow, and integrate the new feature into the existing codebase.
  • 2-3 hours for testing: This includes the time required to create and run UI tests, perform manual testing, and address any issues identified during testing.

The estimated effort provides a guideline for project planning and resource allocation, ensuring the implementation is completed efficiently and effectively.

References

  • Full implementation plan: prompts/card-preview-screen.md
  • Related views: WristArcana/Views/DrawCardView.swift, CardDisplayView.swift
  • Reusable component: WristArcana/Components/CardImageView.swift

In conclusion, the implementation of a card preview screen in WristArcana represents a significant enhancement to the user experience. By providing a clear and intuitive way to preview cards before delving into the details, we empower users to engage with the application in a more meaningful and efficient manner. The thorough planning, detailed implementation tasks, and comprehensive testing procedures outlined in this article ensure that the new feature will be a valuable addition to the WristArcana application.

For additional information on user experience design and progressive disclosure, you can visit the Nielsen Norman Group website. They offer a wealth of articles and resources on these topics.