The main reason this feedback is in Notion rather than in Leaflet, is (a) I like it to be in one place where I can access it later rather than it being lost, but, more importantly, (b) I really want toggles in leaflet for controlling information overload visibility.
Last tested Jul 13, 2024
Testing on Jul 13, 2024
This is the first time I am trying Leaflet. Instead of trying to use Leaflet and then jot down my notes later, I instead decided to record my thoughts and then summarize them.
tl;dr
(disclosure: generated with gemini)
Initial Setup & UI Quirks:
- Link Redirection with Notion-esque IDs: Right off the bat, Leaflet generated a unique ID for my document. The format reminded me a lot of Notion, which threw me for a second.
- Button Placement & Responsiveness: The layout is clean with a top button and a cool gradient button at the bottom that says "Write something." Resizing the window works well; the buttons adjust nicely.
- Confusing Toolbar Situation: Clicking "Write something" unleashes two toolbars – one at the top right and one at the bottom. Here's where it gets weird:
- Both toolbars stick around even when the screen size changes.
- Three icons are duplicated on both toolbars. Not sure what the thought process was there.
- Tooltips on the top icons appear faster than the bottom ones. I almost missed them entirely!
- There's a random black "icon" on the bottom toolbar that seems pointless.
Writing Experience & Missing Features:
- No Slash Commands: Sadly, my beloved slash commands don't work here.
- Intrusive "Add New Block" Toolbar: Typing a slash transforms the bottom toolbar, while the right toolbar awkwardly shifts below. It's very in-your-face, even when grayed out.
- Image Handling:
- Adding images is smooth – rectangles, squares, pasting – it all works.
- No column blocks, which is a bummer.
- Link Functionality:
- Pasting a link renders a preview with the OG image and description.
- Pasting a Leaflet link into Notion doesn't work as expected. It doesn't pull the Leaflet document title.
- The Leaflet link structure is cool though, not as clunky as Notion's.
- Mobile Friendliness:
- Link previews render fully on mobile, unlike Notion's cropped versions. More like Craft, which I prefer.
- Not a True Block-Based Editor:
- This was a letdown. I was expecting block-based functionality.
- Adding content above existing elements, especially images, is a nightmare.
- No drag-and-drop for rearranging content. Huge miss!
Text Formatting & Highlights:
- Basic Formatting Toolbar: Selecting text reveals a standard toolbar (bold, italic, etc.).
- Keyboard Shortcut Confusion:
- Tooltips show "Control + B" for bold, which is odd for a Mac. Should be "Command + B." And neither shortcut actually works.
- Highlight Color Choices:
- Default gray highlight is an odd choice. Green would fit the "Leaf" theme better.
- The color picker options don't look interactive at first glance.
- You can select and overwrite the hex codes, which is a plus.
- The color selection pop-up stays open even after you've picked a color. A bit strange.
- Love the real-time preview when changing highlight colors!
- Inline Links:
- No keyboard shortcut for adding inline links.
- Pasting a link over selected text doesn't auto-create a link (unlike Notion or Github).
- Clicking the inline link button makes the text selection disappear, which is disorienting.
- Markdown Support:
- Basic Markdown for headings (H1, H2, H3) works.
- Converting between heading levels is clunky. It seems to append hashtags internally instead of properly converting.
- The paragraph behavior is strange, especially when switching from a heading.
Cards & Collaboration:
- Card UX:
- Opening a card creates a right-side pane, but it doesn't auto-scroll to the center.
- Cursor placement in the "Write something" field is slightly off, which is visually distracting.
- Card Design Similarities:
- "Add a card" and "External URL" look too similar. Different colors or backgrounds would help differentiate them.
- Real-Time Card Updates:
- The card preview dynamically updates with content and formatting changes. Super cool!
- Only the H1 and the paragraph directly below it appear in the card preview.
- Collaborative Features:
- Collaboration works smoothly.
- Gradient Button Confusion:
- The gradient button controls document design, which isn't immediately obvious.
- Design Options:
- Background colors, images, and accent text customization are all great additions.
- A color picker for the page color would be fantastic.
- It's unclear what "accent" text affects until you have content on the page.
- Card Focus Issues:
- Clicking on a card with existing text doesn't place the cursor in the document or center the pane.
- Document Navigation:
- "Cut" functionality works despite the message saying it's not supported.
- Block selection doesn't seem to work on desktop.
- Inserting content between images remains a challenge.
- The "multi-column view" seems to refer to the side tabs, which is a neat feature.
- Card Overload:
- Adding multiple cards can lead to a long scroll. Collapsible sections or a way to limit visible cards would be helpful.
Missing Features & Future Ideas:
- Essential Text Editing:
- Table of contents or navigation for headings is a must-have.
- Find and replace functionality is needed.
- Columns within pages would be a game-changer.
- Embeds & Rich Content:
- Embeds for services like Partiful or Luma would be amazing.
- Comments and annotations are essential for collaboration.
- Power User Features:
- Ink & Switch-style math input fields would be incredible.
- A built-in sketch block would be a huge differentiator.
- Toggles for hiding and revealing content are crucial for organization.
- Media & File Handling:
- File uploads, tables, and video embeds are important for various use cases.
- Lower Priority Features:
- User accounts, home pages, and granular sharing aren't critical right now.
- "Key-value blocks" seem like Google Docs variables, which could be interesting but not a high priority.