V 6.5? | Midjourney Office Hours Recap May 29th 2024 | Midjourney News

Future Tech Pilot
29 May 202403:08

TLDRThe MidJourney office hours on May 29th focused on user testing and design improvements for their website, aiming to make it more user-friendly, especially for new users. They discussed design challenges, the website versus Discord experience, and upcoming features. David mentioned they are close to releasing version 6.1, potentially called 6.5 due to significant updates. Personalization and a potential discount system for server space were also discussed. Despite delays, they are working towards a more streamlined and accessible platform.

Takeaways

  • 🔍 MidJourney is working on user testing for their website, focusing on new users and identifying areas of confusion.
  • 🎨 David mentioned that they are considering improvements to the website's overall design, especially the creation and social pages, and the lightbox feature.
  • 📉 They aim to establish a baseline for the new user experience and compare it with Discord's usability.
  • 🚀 MidJourney is leaning toward releasing a less-than-perfect version of the website to the public, with plans to refine it over time.
  • 🤔 David pointed out the challenge of making MidJourney simple enough for new users but not too simplistic for advanced users.
  • 💻 Future plans include simplifying the interface, which could take up to a year.
  • 📈 Despite many users preferring the website, a large percentage have not tried it yet, complicating the platform shift.
  • 🔄 They are working on making transitions clearer and improving settings synchronization between Discord and the website.
  • 📱 Enhancing the mobile experience is also a priority for them.
  • ⌛ Version 6.1 is close to release, but the final training run could take several more weeks, and it might be labeled as version 6.5 due to significant improvements.
  • 🔧 Personalization features are nearing completion, though not all functionalities are ready yet.
  • 💡 A potential discount system is being considered, possibly offering cheaper fast hours due to excess server space.
  • 🎨 The art featured in the video is by Helen Dardik, and the prompt can be found on the MidJourney website.

Q & A

  • What is the main focus of Midjourney's current user testing?

    -The main focus is on new users, specifically on identifying and addressing confusing aspects of the website for them.

  • What design aspect is Midjourney considering improving?

    -They are considering improving the overall design of the website, particularly how the creation page should differ from the social pages and how the lightbox should better reflect the idea of navigating in and out of images.

  • What challenge did David mention regarding Midjourney as a product?

    -David mentioned that Midjourney is currently too complicated for new users but not complicated enough for advanced users, making it challenging to balance the user experience.

  • What approach is Midjourney leaning towards for releasing new updates?

    -They are leaning towards releasing updates on the 'sloppy side' rather than waiting for them to be perfect, with plans to improve the design over time.

  • What is the user preference between the Midjourney website and Discord?

    -Most people who use the website prefer it, but a large percentage of the user base has not tried it yet.

  • What is Midjourney working on to improve user experience?

    -They are working on making transitions clearer, syncing settings better between Discord and the site, and improving the mobile experience.

  • When is the new version 6.1 expected to be released?

    -The release could take several more weeks, as they need to complete a final training run once all major aspects are working.

  • Why might the new version be called 6.5 instead of 6.1?

    -The new version might be called 6.5 because it includes many improvements that were initially planned for version 7.

  • What did David mention about personalization features?

    -Personalization features are getting closer to completion, but not all features are ready yet.

  • What potential new system is Midjourney considering for users?

    -They are considering a discount system, potentially offering cheaper fast hours due to excess server space. This is still in the early stages of development.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Mid Journey Office Hours Recap

The script provides a detailed recap of Mid Journey's office hours from May 29th. The focus is on user testing for the website, particularly for new users, to identify areas of confusion. David discusses the need for design improvements, considering the overall website layout and the creation page's differentiation from social pages. He also mentions the light box and how it can better reflect the user's interaction with images. The goal is to establish a baseline for the new user experience and compare it with Discord. The team is leaning towards releasing an imperfect version and improving it over time, acknowledging that Mid Journey is complex for new users but not enough for advanced users. They are considering simplifying the interface in the future, which might take a year. Most users prefer the website, but many have not tried it. They are also working on making transitions clearer and syncing settings better between Discord and the site. Mobile experience improvements are also in the works. David hints at a potential 6.1 release, but it's not ready yet. Personalization features are getting closer, and there's a mention of a possible discount system due to excess server space, which could potentially bring back a free tier.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Midjourney

Midjourney refers to the company or product that is the main subject of the video script. It is a platform that is undergoing user testing and design improvements, as discussed in the office hours recap. The term is used to describe the ongoing development and user experience considerations of the Midjourney website.

💡Office Hours

Office Hours in this context refers to a scheduled time during which the Midjourney team is available to discuss updates, address concerns, and share insights with the community or users. It's a common practice in many organizations to foster communication and transparency.

💡User Testing

User Testing is a process where real users interact with a product to identify usability issues and provide feedback. In the script, Midjourney is conducting user testing to understand what new users find confusing and to improve the overall design of their website.

💡Design Improvement

Design Improvement involves making changes to the visual and functional aspects of a product to enhance user experience. The script mentions that Midjourney is considering how to better reflect the concept of navigating through images and is working on making the website's design more intuitive for both new and advanced users.

💡Creation Page

The Creation Page is a specific part of the Midjourney website where users can create or generate content. The script discusses the need to differentiate this page from the social pages and to ensure it is user-friendly.

💡Lightbox

In the context of the script, Lightbox refers to a feature that allows users to view images in a larger, more immersive format. Midjourney is exploring ways to improve how this feature helps users 'go in and out' of their images.

💡User Experience

User Experience (UX) is the overall experience a user has while interacting with a product. The script highlights Midjourney's efforts to establish a baseline for new user experience and to compare it with other platforms like Discord.

💡Discord

Discord is a communication platform that Midjourney is using as a point of comparison for their user experience. The script mentions that they are trying to determine how the user experience on their website compares to that on Discord.

💡Product Complexity

Product Complexity refers to how complicated a product is to use. The script notes that Midjourney is in a challenging position where the product is too complex for new users but not complex enough for advanced users, indicating a need for balance.

💡Interface

Interface in this context refers to the user interface of the Midjourney website. The script discusses the possibility of simplifying the interface to make it cleaner and more accessible to users.

💡Mobile Experience

Mobile Experience pertains to how a product functions and is used on mobile devices. The script mentions that Midjourney is also focusing on improving the mobile version of their website to ensure a good user experience across all platforms.

💡Release

Release in this context refers to the launch of a new version or update of the Midjourney product. The script indicates that they are getting closer to releasing version 6.1, with the exception of one major aspect that still needs work.

💡Personalization

Personalization refers to the ability to customize or tailor a product to individual user preferences. The script suggests that Midjourney is working on personalization features, although not all features are ready yet.

💡Discount System

A Discount System is a mechanism that offers reduced prices or special deals to users. The script mentions that Midjourney is considering implementing a discount system, possibly related to server space availability, which could be an exciting development for users.

Highlights

MidJourney is focusing on user testing for the website, especially for new users.

They're looking at what confuses new users and considering design improvements.

Discussions are ongoing about how different the creation page should be from the social pages.

There is a focus on improving the light box and the overall user experience.

MidJourney aims to establish a baseline for new user experience and assess Discord's usability.

They are leaning towards releasing a version that's 'on the sloppy side' rather than waiting for perfection.

David mentioned that MidJourney is too complicated for new users but not complex enough for advanced users.

Future plans include simplifying the interface, which may take up to a year.

Most users who have tried the website prefer it, but many have not tried it yet.

The team is working on making transitions and syncing settings clearer between Discord and the site.

Improving the mobile experience is also a priority.

The 6.1 release is nearing completion, with most major aspects working except one.

This new version might be called 6.5 due to significant improvements originally planned for version 7.

Personalization features are also being developed, though not all are ready yet.

There's a potential discount system being considered for cheaper fast hours due to excess server space.