From Notes to Knowledge: Build Your Database Effortlessly
Empowering our community members to capture, organize, and explore their unique insights and research as well as those of the entire community
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Background & User Research
Currently, members are using multiple platforms for note-taking or sticking to analog solutions.
Our UX Researcher and VP of Consumer Insights, conducted over 10 user interviews to understand user needs and how our current base captures notes. We found an opportunity to create features that allow users to quickly capture their thoughts while also linking them to pieces of content.
Why Notes?
There are too many tools. My main focus when designing the new platform was creating an integrated second brain ecosystem within the platform.
With Real Vision publishing 7+ videos per week and a growing library of more than 1,000 videos and reports, the design team prioritized developing features that would allow members to thoughtfully engage with content.
Going Wide: Imaging what notes could be
While user interviews were taking place I was immersed in imaging and researching what the second brain experience could be.
The main goal was to go wide and expand on the initial ask provided by Andy Bhatt our Chief Experience Officer – How might our users capture knowledge?
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MVP Feature
After the initial exploration phase we decided to hone in and focus on the core experience for the second brain ecosystem — notes.
The Quick Note
Through multiple rounds of iteration and design critiques, I’ve explored different potential UI for the quick note. Each has its unique benefits, so it was important to get feedback from the CXO, VP of Consumer Insights, and fellow designers.
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Post-MVP Enhancements
Side Bar to Focus Mode
To enhance the note-taking and editing experience, we introduced the Side Bar to Focus Mode feature. On desktop, users can expand the sidebar to an overlay, effectively increasing the workspace available for writing or reading notes. This shift allows users to immerse themselves fully in their tasks without the distraction of a cluttered interface.
Note Card
Note Cards provide a snapshot of the note's content, making it easy to quickly identify and access them. Users can find these Note Cards in various places such as the Control Center, My Library, and Search.
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View your collection in My Library
My Library provides a centralized location for all notes. Users can pin important notes, sort by criteria, and apply filters to manage their collection efficiently.
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Access Latest Notes via the Control Center Widget
To ensure quick access, we've introduced a Control Center Widget showing the three latest notes. Users can view and access these notes directly from the home screen upon logging in, streamlining the process of resuming previous work.
Search Community Notes
We expanded search functionality to let users find their own notes and explore community-generated notes. This enhancement makes search a powerful tool for knowledge discovery and sharing, allowing users to sort and filter content.
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Making notes scalable
In our effort to make our note-taking feature more user-friendly and scalable, we've introduced several key enhancements. These improvements are designed to ensure users can quickly access and interact with their notes, engage with the community, and have a structured approach to tracking trades.
01: Expanding out FAB menu to include universal access to notes
To enhance accessibility, we've expanded the FAB menu to include an extended sidebar for universal access to notes. Users can now edit, and view notes from any location on the platform.
02: We implemented a dynamic linking system that tracks and updates connections between notes and content increasing the visibility of related notes.
This feature shows the number of related notes, enabling users to see how many notes are associated with a specific video or report.
03: To foster greater interaction and engagement within the platform, we added a commenting and liking system within the notes feature.
Users can leave comments on notes for collaborative discussions and feedback. The liking system lets users endorse valuable notes, highlighting key insights. This social layer enriches the user experience and encourages active participation and community building.
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Trade Idea Templates
Recognizing the need for structured note-taking, especially in the context of financial analysis and trading, we introduced trade idea templates. These templates provide a standardized format for users to document their trade ideas, including sections for potential risk/reward, learnings, and performance tracking.
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Credits
Category: Product Design, User Experience, User Interface
Creative Direction: Marco Moreno, Andy Bhatt
Research & Insights: Rabih Khoury, Ashley Blackwell
Design: Maria-Elena Alberto