[policarpo]

Originally Posted by Ken Case

We actually experimented with that, but it turned out to be a terrible user experience which we didn't (and don't) want to promote.

Have you guys checked out the Universal version of 2Do on the iPad and on the iPhone? They managed to get a rather rich UI to work great on both platforms.*

The devs are able to leverage the Universal framework to focus on features and quick turn arounds on updates. They've already updated the app twice with some major features and are soon bringing MobileME syncing to the next update. Their Delegation, Sorting, Editing and Deferral tools are fantastic.

Thinking about the design from a Universal perspective might be a better strategy in the near future, since it will allow your team to focus on a single release and maintain a unified User Experience as well as Feature set on the iOS platform. It just makes sense from a Design, Engineering and Implementation standpoint, and really allows your team to focus focus focus and not think about 3 different problems when it comes to development.

If I were thinking about the future of OmniFocus, I'd look out about 3 years to really envision where it should go and focus on integrating that vision into a unified Desktop and Mobile experience.

Some core tennets of the vision could be things like:

. Unified Delegation Tools
- allow users to email Full Projects or N# of Tasks to one another and allow the back and forth transmissions to maintain the history of the Project (allow users to view completed tasks @ any point in the transaction)
- Allow the emailed Tasks to have a "Sent From" and "Version & Date" trail.
. Cloud Based syncing
- you guys do a good job of this already but I would keep pushing this to make sure you focused on a system which is extensible and highly portable
- maybe a Client managed Server Solution like Daylite offers for Teams wanting tighter security around their content
. Unified Look & Feel across the Product Line
- OmniFocus should look like OmniFocus from a mile away and should maintain some core design principles which unify it as a family
. Robust Note Taking Tools
- Imagine having something with the power of NoteBooks or Awesome Note be native on the iOS versions of OF. We already have a nice Note Feature on the desktop, and I see no reason not to make the iOS versions as robust
. Integration with Evernote
- This is just smart since a lot of people use Evernote for their centralized Reference system (a key element of GTD) and having this integration would attract a lot of Evernote users to OF
. Nicely formatted Email Task view
- You touch on this with the iPad, and I like it, but it should be a standard Layout on all devices so it is seen as an OmniFocus Task regardless of which device or platform it came from.
- The layout could offer a beautifully designed template option for users to select so that it emotionally communicates Tasks as: Business, Personal, or High Priority, etc.
. Multi Object Sorting and Editing Functionality
- Allow me to move, delete, defer, share, tag multiple items @ a single time from within any list view on iOS. Moving 30 items on iOS isn't fun nor very functional (really look @ how Taska and 2Do manage this simple function)
. Smart Functions
- Allow users to set up rules on Projects so that specifically Tagged items automatically show up in them. This could allow users to have Tasks appear in Multiple Projects if need be.
. Nicer Layouts for Projects & Areas of Focus
- Things does a nice job of visualizing this distinction, but totally misses the boat on making the user have to manage these features.
. Team Member Classifications
- I use Contexts to get my Team Member Views via a Perspective, so I'd think about shipping custom Perspective Views which account for certain types of workflows in order to get people up and running quickly in OmniFocus.
- You could offer 3-5 Perspective Bundles to the end user: Team Work, Projects & Areas of Focus, Now, SomeDay & Forecast.

I could go on and on, and I am sure you guys already are thinking about this stuff. I love GTD, and I just want it to get better and more fluid and enjoyable for all of us.

I think GTD Apps are now a dime a dozen, but there are a few keys apps out there which are really making waves and trying to help the user in Processing this Philosophy into their daily work and life flow. OmniFocus sits @ the top of the heap of GTD Apps currently, and you guys should remain there provided the current and near term vision is about taking us GTD Geeks to new levels of Focus and Horizons we didn't think were attainable with software. :^)

Cheers,
-policarpo

*note: Taska isn't a Universal app, but they've managed to create a rather compelling and unified design language to both of their products which really brings them into line as a family of apps on iOS (but the app is too buggy to be worth using on a daily basis).