MemoZy is the new note taking app from DesignPlusD, and it promises to be the easiest note taking app you’ll ever use. This promise is based on the simplicity of its user interface. The MemoZy UI isn’t just simple, it’s also efficient, streamlined, and innovative. Users create category families, add items, create hierarchies (think color-coded bullet points), and can easily strike through, reset, move, and delete these items in a flash. MemoZy notes can be shared via email and Evernote, and printed directly from the app as well.
The gimmick here is the revolutionary user interface, and in truth MemoZy stakes its fate on whether or not users adapt to and enjoy such a departure from typical list making app commands. All of its eggs are in this one basket. Overall, the user interface is a strength. Aesthetics, ease of use (for the most part), flexibility, and customization are all points strongly in its favor. The problem arises when new users pick up MemoZy and come up against its learning curve. The UI is almost entirely gesture based, and the gestures for each command are extremely similar. The plus is that they’re easy to remember (other than moving items, almost every command is some variety of horizontal swipe). The minus is that no matter how many times MemoZy calls it intuitive, it’s difficult to remember what a long slow swipe versus a short slow swipe versus a fast swipe might indicate. There are visual indicators to help users adjust, and these work well—but expect to mistakenly delete a few items the first few days. (Not to mention accidentally crossing out a multitude of them. That’s easier to fix, however.) Once I had fully adjusted to the MemoZy interface I found it was far faster than any other note taking app I currently use.
It’s also just plain fun to use, which is a surprise to find in the rather boring field of note taking utilities. Something about the color-block based aesthetics, the lack of menus in your face every second, and slick feel of handling just about everything but typing with some thumb swipes had me making up excuses to create more categories and more notes. That’s not to say MemoZy doesn’t have its issues. The first is that the app is capable of doing so much more: it’s beautifully set up for creating schedules, if only adding a time tag was possible. Of course, one can type that in, but why, when it would be such an easy feature to add? There’s also no in-app alarm to set reminders for tasks, a rather serious lack in an app that revolves around task organization. Another issue is the text box in which new items are entered. MemoZy is enjoyable enough that I use it for longer notes. However, the field in which the new item is entered only takes up a small portion of the screen, leaving much unused space between the field and keyboard. Why let that screen real estate go to waste?
MemoZy’s appearance, however, couldn’t be better. Categories fill the main screen, indicated by contrasting blocks of color (and there are several different color schemes to choose from to suit the user’s tastes). This unusual set up is actually very functional in addition to eye-pleasing; it makes opening the app and selecting the appropriate category something that takes no time whatsoever. Within categories, each tier of items in a list alternates between the category color and white, much easier on the eyes than bullet points and much more space efficient than dramatic indents.
MemoZy is available in the iTunes App Store and it’s free to download here: https://itunes.apple.
