Interface
The Accordance interface remains a paragon of efficient and powerful design. The tabbed workspace environment introduced in Accordance 6 is clean and organized. In this respect, it resembles the efficient use of screen real estate and easy navigation found in most popular web browsers.
Unlike most other Bible software products that rely on multiple windows and require users to navigate through extensive menus to access core features, Accordance immediately opens to a simple yet powerful working environment with an integrated search and results window, an integrated resource and amplify palette, an instant details box, and a top menu. From this environment, users can open multiple search and reference panes in a single tab and can open multiple tabs within one workspace. These workspaces can be saved and set to open immediately on launch or Accordance can default to the last session.
From workspace(s), users can gather critical details about words and phrases, jump to parallel texts at the click of a button, access lexical and reference aids, conduct simple or complex (word and verse based) searches, generate an impressive array of statistics and graphs on those searches, and so on. Despite the many powerful options, users with even the most basic computer skills should grow into this software fairly quickly!
Part of the success of the Accordance interface is the way in which it focuses user attention on the primary texts. Other software programs, most notably Logos, have interfaces that emphasize secondary texts, organizing and making accessible large libraries of texts on disparate topics. The emphasis on primary texts in Accordance means that users conduct intimate, self-directed research on primary texts (especially the Bible), unfiltered by secondary resources, except when users want to amplify their research with such resources.
The single biggest improvement to the interface in Accordance 9 is the revamped Search All. For some time now, I have chided OakTree for their poor implementation of this feature. To be fair, they have always noted that it was a rarely used feature, which in my experience is true. Still, it's poor implementation undoubtedly contributed to its neglect by Accordance users. Now, however, Search All returns partial search results if cancelled and it returns results in context. This is a huge improvement!
For Accordance 9, the developers have introduced a major new interface feature called zones. Essentially, zones allow users to open multiple workspaces within a workspace. My initial reaction, as Accordance 9 installs with zones active, was negative. It reminded me of a Windows Bible Software program and on my smaller MacBook grossly took up valuable screen real estate. As I started to use the program and the new zones proliferated, I rather frantically searched for a way to turn this feature off. Finally, I figured out that if I limited the maximum number of zones to 1 in General Settings (under Preferences), Accordance would stop creating new zones within my workspace. I can imagine that users with a lot of screen real estate could really benefit from this new feature. Indeed, judging from the early feedback, many users do not share my initial reaction and are very happy with the flexibility zones provide. OakTree provides some useful podcasts and blog entries on zones for those who are interested. Personally, I am thankful that the option exists not to use them.
In a similar vein, Oak Tree has introduced a new Assistant Window in Accordance 9.3 that, like zones, provides a user interface similar to that of a Windows Bible Software program. The Assistant Window provides a very easy way to look up passages, words, or phrases or open a daily devotional. I really appreciate the daily reading option. At present, the window feels like a bit of an afterthought designed to ease the transition from Windows Bible Software to Accordance. It'll be interesting to see if and how Oak Tree integrates the Assistant Window in Accordance 10.
I have experienced a few other minor irritants worth mentioning:
1. I noticed a problem with the refresh when switching between tabs and workspaces. More recently, this problem has been resolved.
2. The formatting/layout of secondary resources is not as attractive as a book reader or a program like Logos that preserves the original layout and formatting. While this allows greater customization of fonts and such, there is a trade off in aesthetics.
3. The interface is becoming a bit more unwieldy and I imagine intimidating for new users. For example, the display of lexical and root forms of Hebrew words in the Instant Details Box has not been improved and some of the notation, e.g., the double lamed, is not intuitive. More generally, users can set 185 preferences across 20 different categories—more even, if you count settings beyond the preferences menu! While I love that level of customization, how can that not be intimidating?
4. The interface is starting to show its age and could use a substantial overhaul in the next version. With zones and the assistant window, OakTree has introduced an interface option reminiscent of past versions of Logos. This may help them attract users from that market. However, I hope they will look to some of the more innovative and stylish designs of Mac products for inspiration in the future.
Despite such minor irritants, however, the interface has always been and continues to be one of the strengths of Accordance Bible Software and sometimes changes, such as zones, simply take an adjustment period! For example, I initially found the new "Add Context" slider less intuitive than the earlier drop-down menu. I spent a few seconds at least trying to figure out what the new slider did and only clued in after a search that allowed me to add context. Handy tool-tips do make it easier to adjust to such minor interface changes though and, in this case, I actually now prefer the slider.
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