Person Card vs. Person Side Sheet: Given the choice, which would YOU prefer?

Clif Bergmann

We have received very strong feedback in both directions. As we consider the future, we want to make sure you have a chance to voice your opinion. Disclaimer: popularity of a choice is no guarantee of its implementation, but it will impact our future decisions.

CONTEXT:

The previous version of the pedigrees would show a lightweight person card whenever a person was clicked, with basic birth/christening and death/burial information, counts for various attachments, and links to various parts of the website:

The new version of the pedigrees opens a pullout-style side sheet whenever a person is clicked, showing all vital events, in addition to three more sections containing all other events and facts, and the life history:

This new side sheet does take longer to load, given the additional data that it needs to display, but you have the advantage of being able to see much of what exists on the dedicated person details page without actually navigating there--even to the point of being able to add missing data, but not edit (this is on purpose). This extra data also requires dedicated space, and so the side sheet pushes the other page data out of the way to make the necessary room, and on wide screens, the displayed information can show up significantly far from the person clicked.

On the other hand, the person card loads in quickly right where you click, on top of the pedigree view, but with a limited set of vital information. It is worth noting that the new version of the person card in use on the person details page includes a "View my relationship" button, so this feature would exist if person card were chosen.

Both designs have benefits. Let us know what you prefer.

Gordon Collett

I'd vote but my choice is not there:

• I would use the Person Card all the time to navigate to the person's detail page or to make that person the root of the tree and I would use the Person Side Sheet all the time to check the person's information without leaving the pedigree page.

I've been using the pedigree page more often recently and do find it rather bothersome to move the mouse so far to go click View Tree or View Person. But I really like all the information so readily available in the Side Panel when I do want to see it but not go anywhere.

I think you should look into splitting the two very different functions of both the card and the side panel. That is, not try to use a single item for both navigating and presenting information.

Miss Jessie

Let me choose! (add a preference to pedigree view options)

I really appreciate the side sheets both in pedigree and person page views. But the ability to choose a preference would be great. I most often access FamilySearch on a large iPad Pro Safari browser or iOS Family Tree app.

Even using browser iPhone 12, the side sheet can be helpful, maybe more so than with a larger device simply because it’s faster than navigating to the person details page

Gordon Collett

Have you considered putting this poll under FamilySearch-Help or FamilySearch-Family Tree or Suggest an Idea? Or all three? This group has never gotten much traffic. In all the months it has been up it has only gotten 43 new posts. More people would probably vote if they ran across it in one of those other areas.