Now that the Android app is officially in the Google Play store, I've been spending my time on the next update for The Daily Smark. It's called version 1.2.0 and it's going to be full of some great new features. Let's break them down.
Ever since I built The Daily Smark, the Home feed has been a simple chronological list of the latest wrestling news. That's not bad, but I think I can do more with it. Right now it's too easy for a good story to get buried.
So I want to introduce grouping. When a batch of fresh articles is all covering the same show or the same big return, I can group them together instead of letting them stack up one after another. That should cut down on the clutter of five articles all telling you the same thing.
I'm also considering moving the Videos tab into the Home feed. Articles and videos go together, and the same grouping idea would keep it from feeling crowded.
The Events screen has also been one of the simpler parts of the app. It's a flat list of upcoming wrestling shows, which is easy to scroll and does the job. Much like the Home feed, I think there's more here.
I want to give Events a proper revamp so it shows not just the upcoming televised shows but live wrestling events near you. That would make The Daily Smark a real destination for finding wrestling wherever you are.
Then there's a group of smaller features that should make the app easier to live with day to day.
That's everything I have for now. It's a lot of work, but I think it will make The Daily Smark a noticeably better app. If you have ideas or comments, I'd love to hear them. You can reach me on Threads or send me an email.
— Rich