Every time I use Replit to make changes, add features, update my app, etc - which is frequently… the UI/UX is completely different. Tools, buttons, etc are all moved somewhere else. This is a horrible practice and experience for your users and it is a big issue with vibe coding in general today. This is what UX designers used to do. You want to add features? Great. Add them, but put them into an existing UI framework that you’ve carefully designed to be intuitive and LEAVE THAT ALONE for at least several months. And if you do change it, you do so very slowly. Case in point - I used to use the task board. A single button I could click to ‘open the task pane’ to find completed, planned and running tasks. That’s just gone now. Apparently. I’m sure it’s somewhere. The agent still plans and executes them, I just have no easy way of finding them. Replit has been great, but I’m starting to investigate other tools because I can’t spend half my limited time trying to figure out where you moved the cheese today.
I see where you’re coming from, and Iagree it’s annoying but it’s nowhere incovenient enough to the point where I am considering other vibe-coding services.
Wouldn’t you rather the UI change due to the constant addition of new features and take a day or two getting used to it than to have a stagnant or barely changing app?
Here’s the thing - just because you add new features doesn’t mean the UI needs to change. It’s called a design system. I add features and functionality to my software pretty much weekly. But the UI and ux don’t change. I update the UI perhaps twice a year. My users would revolt if I kept moving stuff around on them. Replit isn’t doing this. Things just randomly move or disappear. An example - the task board button is just.. gone. I used it all the time. I’d create an md with a feature or change and throw it in as a task and use the board as a backlog. It’s probably somewhere, but I’ve no idea where they put it. Also, clearing the chat used to actually clear the chat. I used to be able to start and stop my main workflow with the play button up top. That’s gone. It doesn’t respect the user’s time.
I totally understand your frustration.
It takes me a day or two to look for buttons and get used to the new UI as well.
But I think it’s important to keep in mind these two points.
1. Replit is a relatively young service
2. AI is constantly evolving -what is possible to do efficiently or cheaply is changing on a monthly basis.
These two factors means that new features are CONSTANTLY being added. I think the # of features has doubled since I started using replit a year ago. I’m no UI expert (or any IT related expert) but I’m assuming adding that many big features while keeping the UI the same format leads to poor UI design.
Should replit have thought ahead and planned a UI that easily accomdates new features from the get-go? Sure. Would I want a cluttered UI just for the sake of keeping it the same as the previous version? No.