Previously:
- The Anatomy of an RSS Reader (Part 2)
- The Anatomy of an RSS Reader (Part 1)
- Why I’m Building My Next App in Public (Part 2)
- Why I’m Building My Next App in Public (Part 1)
Reading
Depending on your perspective there are either one or two pieces of the puzzle with regards to reading in an RSS reader. One could conceivably view reading articles to be the whole reading experience. However, I think we spend more time in the timeline / list view triaging what we’re going to read, which is also part of the reading experience, to my mind.
If we cast our net into the broader app category of readers, rather than just RSS readers, there tends to be one of two approaches. The first is a more text based list / triage experience. The second is a glossier, more image-based experience. I think the real issue, for me, is that neither approach works in all scenarios. Different feeds require different layouts / experiences. Even within each approach, each feed needs a slightly different treatment.
The solution, it would seem to me, would be to allow customization of the experience, on a per-feed basis. Viewing content from uncrate.com would benefit greatly from large images, for example. Some feeds have excellent summaries / subtitles, some really do not. Simply choosing between a list or gallery view is offering neither the best nor the worst experience. Only something middling.
Beyond the triage experience, we have to actually read the content at some point. Some feeds offer embedded content, some don’t. Some feeds offer embedded content, but the experience of their website is superior. Again, this needs to be a per feed setting. When you tap on an article, what do we present to the user?
I understand that some read later apps allow content beyond RSS, but that most RSS readers don’t offer a comparable reading experience to most read later apps is surprising. Is it historical? Are there legitimate, unresolvable points of difference? Is it a perception of feature creep? Perhaps the feature set of read later apps (notes, highlights, text to audio, etc.) are outside the bounds of what most RSS readers want from their app of choice?
Finally, I think customization of both aspects of the reading experience is important, not only to help the user improve their use of the app, but also for the issue of accessibility.
We often talk about accessibility in terms of specific conditions, around vision, hearing or motor skills. But there is a boarder issue, when you consider, say, neurodivergence. Sensory overload can be debilitating to some. The ability to customize your experience is, therefore, essential for some users. This also extends to color schemes, typography, etc., as well as layout and information visibility.
Next
If you’re still here at this point, you’d probably like to see some screenshots or code. So, you’ll be relieved to know that next I will be explaining (and showing) what I’ve built so far and the specific choices I’ve made.