Before I started contributing to Hackernoon, I used to be a reader. When I first read some articles on the platform in 2020, it felt strange. Everything had a green tint to it, from the fonts to some of the animations on the website. It almost felt like I was browsing the internet in the 90s, with the earliest internet enthusiasts.
However, despite the quirky appearance, the wealth of knowledge available on the platform was truly priceless. As I spent more time reading and learning, I started to apply the knowledge I gained to my work, and I could see the positive changes it was making.
Finally, in 2023, I decided to contribute my first article to the platform. Over time, I went on to write a total of 8 articles and even trended on the platform for the first time. It was a great feeling to be recognized for my contributions and to see the impact of my writing on others.
Why I am so excited about the app? learning in a classroom will be a thing of the past, we can learn wherever we are on the globe with our smart devices and unlock some skills for the future of work.
I believe that in the future, people will no longer be hired just based on their credentials. Instead, they will need to show their knowledge and ability to adapt to a world that is increasingly being governed by AI and other emerging technologies. With over 25,000 technology professionals contributing and 4 million monthly readers, Hackernoon is an excellent resource for anyone looking to learn about tech.
App review
1. Installation and setup
As a cross-platform app,it’s available on playstore for devices running android,and appstore for iOs devices,i took me less than 5 minutes to install the app on My samsung galaxy A03s running android 13, Infinix X657 with android 10, Xiaomi Redmi A1 with android 12 ,the installation was easy with no bugs and fast no matter the devices.
2. The user interface (UI)
The Hackernoon app is intuitive, after installing it took me less than 5 minutes to understand how it works, it’s not complicated to use, not cumbersome with some useless features, the navigation is smooth and makes learning easy and fun to explore a plethora of content, the responsiveness is top-notch.
Design elements:
- Colors: the app makes me feel like in the 90s, Hackernoon will always be recognizable by its philosophy, I appreciate the color.
- Typography: the font used is good for better readability on the app
- Layout: The app is of top-notch quality and it attracts me to spend more time exploring its content.
- Personalization: Yes to the green color, it always reminds me of the 90s era, why not let the user personalize the app with the color they want, the pride theme, Ukraine and so much more?
3. Functionality
The app was flawlessly designed, and I have not encountered any issues or bugs since day one. It has been incredibly helpful in exploring various tech topics.
4. Features
The app is well designed and here are some of the features I appreciate:
- The article feed: displaying the latest published articles, categorized by topics such as Programming, Web3, Writing, Machine-learning, Cloud, Startups…
- User profiles: personalized user profiles for readers and contributors
- Notification system: push notifications for new comments, replies…
- Search discovery: a great search functionality for finding articles on specific topics
- Trending articles: it shows all the most read articles by readers on the platform
- Subscription: Allows readers to subscribe to their favorite contributors by joining their newsletter.
- Bookmarking: Allows readers to bookmark their favorite articles for later reading
- Audio player: the audio experience is top-notch, you can listen to your articles by choosing your preferred robot voice.
Features to add?
- Offline reading: Readers can save favorite articles to read offline, prioritizing mental health over a constant internet connection.
- Author Tools: Allow contributors to submit their contributions from mobile devices, with built-in analytics on article performance and reader engagement.
- Profile sharing: it’s possible to share an article, not the contributor profile directly from the app, most of the time I have to copy the link from the web browser and share it with people on different platforms,add a button.
- Dark mode: to allow readers to protect their eyes and improve sleep quality with less blue light.
Conclusion
The app keeps improving every day. On a scale of 1 to 5, I would give it a five-star rating for the learning experience it provides me with daily. The app is smooth, and it offers a plethora of content. Even as a contributor, my experience with the web version has been great. Kudos to Hackernoon for the fantastic job! This review is honest, and I strongly recommend that you download the Hackernoon app today. With it, you can discover amazing content, unlock new skills, and remain curious in a rapidly changing digital society.