2022 marks the beginning of the blink.it learning platform's journey into the future: with a new design, improved features, and expanded functionality. In this article, we address the most important questions, provide you with initial insights into the new blink.it, and give a preview of the upcoming year.
It may seem that blink.it was relatively quiet for our readers and customers last year. In fact, there were fewer visible updates and new features than in previous years. However, that doesn't mean we weren't working on the platform. Quite the contrary! The energies of the product, design, and development teams have flowed into a very special and comprehensive project: "new blink.it"!
In the first part, we provide you with an exciting insight into the goals and process of development:
Two core goals in focus for "new blink.it":
Modernization for better usability:
The design that you know today emerged in its basic form in 2016 and has been continuously developed since then. The clear tile design and user-friendly menus are equally popular with admins and learners.
However, with the growing range of functions, challenges have also arisen: A new balance between "size" and "order." To achieve this, the design team has been working for a year on a complete re-design of the platform.
Many factors come into play that need to be balanced: From the arrangement of all elements to the menu navigation, design questions, and consistent user interaction concepts throughout the app.
In addition to the conceptual work, the implementation is naturally an exciting process: New technologies are being employed. In the new technical environment, all components must be created to meet exactly what our users need now. And all innovations must work smoothly together.
Sounds complicated? It is! All in all, it’s a massive task for experts in design and development, which takes its time! Not only should the current state improve for all customers, but future functions should also integrate seamlessly and intuitively into the new design. Thus, the visual modernization also paves the way for great new features. The re-design is the foundation for the blink.it of the future!
2. "Quality of life" improvements
"Quality of life" is often used in gaming contexts and refers to "features or aspects of game design that ensure players have a smooth gaming experience".
The player-centered term can also be applied to the development of the user experience ("UX") of our learning platform: We want to provide our customers with a noticeable ease of daily life. Working with blink.it should be enjoyable and feel smooth and fluid. We also rely heavily on our customers' feedback about our packages.
In the first step, the re-design will lead to positive changes in the administrative area for trainers and coaches: Here, these packages will provide more existing as well as some brand-new features – of course, at the same price as before! You will find out what they are later in the article.
How will the introduction of the changes proceed?
The innovations, both on the design and functional level, will be implemented gradually. So as a customer, you don’t need to worry that everything will change completely “overnight.” You will always be informed promptly about the latest updates.
This means: 2022 is all about "new blink.it". Throughout the year, there will continuously be innovations. Customers can provide feedback directly in the app. Requests, praise, and criticism will be incorporated agilely in the process. This way, an outcome emerges over a longer period that truly meets the needs of the customers.
"Why is this all taking so long?"
A valid question! This question has also come up multiple times within the blink.it team. However, it can be simply answered:
The development of an app is a highly complex process. Experts from different fields work hand in hand. Design sketches must not only look good on paper but also be technically implementable.
Testing phases and customer feedback continuously provide new impulses and perspectives from daily practice. And not all requests can be implemented. Prioritization and planning also take a significant role.
Of course, any process can be accelerated – at the expense of quality! However, our goal is not to finish as quickly as possible. But to provide a high-quality, well-thought-out, and customer-focused product.
Insights into the new design
Here you can see an example of the new design for user management. What has changed?
The sidebar has been organized and collapsible folders have been added.
The tables (not just here but everywhere on the platform) are clearer and customizable in content and column widths:
The search and filter function has been fundamentally revised and now offers more quick options to really find what you’re looking for, such as the new calendar view for date searches:
Insight into quality-of-life improvements
The booster and professional packages now include a variety of new features that make everyday work easier and faster! Here is a selection of highlights:
Access to user management and the new tables (see above)
Billing management: Full overview of packages and limits for users and courses
Email logs: Always see at a glance which emails have been sent from the platform to users.
All these features come directly in the fresh new design!
How do you like the new design and the new package features? We would love to receive direct feedback on this. Because: Every feedback is valuable in developing the best possible blink.it for the future!
