Has Midjourney Lost it's Edge?: Website 2.0 Review

Making AI Magic
6 Nov 202311:23

TLDRMidjourney's new website 2.0 has launched with a clean interface but lacks some key features from the old site. While the search function has improved, the absence of grids, organizational tools, and community features has raised concerns. The alpha website, still in testing, offers more advanced features, but the final version prioritizes simplicity over functionality, which may impact long-term user retention.

Takeaways

  • 🌐 Midjourney's new website 2.0 has received mixed reviews, with some users finding it confusing and lacking certain features.
  • 🔍 The new site has an improved image search function that is fast, but it is limited to searching by prompt words and does not include advanced search options.
  • 🎨 The absence of grids on the new website means each image is individual, reflecting the reality of version five where all images are already upscaled.
  • 🔗 The old website is still accessible due to some important tools being missing from the new site, such as the ability to batch download daily work.
  • 🖼️ Faved images are now found under the 'likes' section on the explore tab, but they are mixed with images from other users, unlike the old website.
  • 🚀 The alpha website, which was tested with super users, included features not present in the current version, such as direct image creation from the community page and additional tools.
  • 📈 The new website seems to prioritize newer users with fewer images, potentially affecting long-term user retention.
  • 🔄 The missing organizational tools in the new site, such as collections and keyword tagging, make it difficult for users with large numbers of images to manage their gallery.
  • 💡 The alpha website's workspaces and collections suggest a more forward-looking approach that could have been beneficial for the current version.
  • 💭 The new website's design may have been too focused on technical aspects, leading to a potential neglect of user experience and community features.

Q & A

  • What was the general reception of Midjourney's new website 2.0 at its release?

    -The release of Midjourney's new website 2.0 received mixed reviews, with some users finding it confusing and lacking important features that were present in the old website.

  • How long was the Midjourney website 2.0 in development before its release?

    -The website had been in development for several months before its release at the end of October 2023.

  • What significant change can users notice about the images on the new Midjourney website?

    -The most obvious change is the absence of grids, with each image being individual and not part of a collective grid. This is because all images are already upscaled, making it faster to display them.

  • How has the image search functionality improved on the new Midjourney website?

    -The new website has significantly improved image search functionality. It is now lightning fast and can handle a vast number of images, unlike the old website.

  • What is the new name for the Community Feed on the updated Midjourney website?

    -The Community Feed is now named the Explore page on the updated website.

  • How has the rating system for images changed on the new Midjourney website?

    -The rating system has not changed much. Users still see pairs of images and choose which one they like best. The top 2,000 Raiders also get an extra hour if they participate in rating images.

  • What information is available when a user opens an image on the new Midjourney website?

    -When an image is opened, users can see the prompt and parameters used for the image, information about the upscale (if any), and they can also copy the seed and job ID. Additionally, the image and its URL can be copied.

  • What feature from the old website is missing on the new Midjourney website that allowed users to organize their images?

    -Collections and the ability to keyword images are missing from the new website, which were used for organizing images on the old website.

  • What is the current limitation regarding the search tool on the new Midjourney website?

    -The search tool on the new website is faster but is limited to prompt words only. Users cannot search by parameters or other tools, nor can they search by user.

  • What community features from the old website are missing on the new Midjourney website?

    -The new website lacks several community features from the old website, including the inability to share one's gallery, missing personalization features, and the absence of the ability to follow other creators.

  • What is the main concern expressed about the image download feature on the new Midjourney website?

    -The main concern is that the image download feature may encourage stealing of others' images, rather than promoting collaboration and sharing of prompts, which goes against the ethos of the Midjourney community.

  • What notable features from the Alpha version of the Midjourney website did not make it to the final release?

    -The Alpha version included features like direct image creation from the community page, additional tools like Shuffle, Prompt Transform, and Describe, workspaces, and collections. It also retained the images uploaded by users for reuse as image prompts.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Introduction to Mid Journey Website 2.0

This paragraph introduces the release of Mid Journey's new website, which has been met with mixed reviews. The speaker expresses initial reservations but is gradually warming up to the site. The new website has been in development for months and is now live, replacing the old site. The speaker plans to navigate through the website, compare it with the previous version, and discuss its evolution. Notable changes include the absence of grids, a clean user interface, and the introduction of search filters for easier image navigation. The paragraph also highlights the new website's speed and navigation system, as well as the hidden parent grids and the changes in community interaction and image rating.

05:00

🔍 Evaluation of New Features and Missing Elements

The speaker delves into the new features of the Mid Journey website, such as the community feed, now renamed to the explore page, and the improved image search functionality. However, the paragraph also points out the absence of certain features from the old website, such as the ability to share galleries and the personalization options. The speaker expresses concerns about the lack of community features and organizational tools, like collections and keywording, and the impact this might have on user retention. Additionally, there is a critique of the download feature, which is seen as promoting a lack of collaboration rather than fostering a community spirit.

10:02

🚀 Insights from the Alpha Website and Future Prospects

In this paragraph, the speaker reflects on the Alpha version of the Mid Journey website, which was tested with super users and included additional features not present in the current version. The Alpha site offered more advanced tools, workspaces, and collections, and even allowed for direct image creation from the community page. The speaker laments the omission of these features in the new website and suggests that the focus may have been too heavily on technical aspects at the expense of user experience. The paragraph ends with a call to action for viewers to try out the new website and share their reviews, and a hopeful outlook for future improvements.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Midjourney

Midjourney is a company that specializes in AI technology, particularly in the realm of image generation and upscaling. In the context of the video, it refers to the subject of the review, which is the newly released website 2.0 of Midjourney. The video discusses the features, improvements, and shortcomings of this website in comparison to the previous version and the alpha version that was tested with super users.

💡Website 2.0

Website 2.0 refers to the latest version of Midjourney's online platform. This term is used in the video to describe the updated interface, features, and user experience that the new version of the website offers. The reviewer discusses the pros and cons of this version, comparing it to the old website and the unpublished alpha website.

💡User Interface

User Interface (UI) refers to the look and feel of a website, including its design, layout, and navigation elements. In the video, the user interface of Midjourney's Website 2.0 is described as clean and minimalist, but the reviewer also points out that some important features are missing or hidden, which can lead to confusion for users.

💡Upscaled Images

Upscaled images are those that have been enlarged or improved in quality through the use of AI technology. In the context of the video, this term relates to the core functionality of Midjourney's platform, which is to take original images and enhance them to a higher resolution or quality. The absence of grids in the new website indicates that all images are already upscaled and ready for quick access.

💡Search Filters

Search filters are tools that allow users to narrow down their search results based on specific criteria. In the video, the reviewer praises the new website's search filters for making it easier to find specific upscaled images. This feature is particularly important given the vast number of images available on Midjourney's platform.

💡Community Feed

The Community Feed, now renamed as the Explore page, is a feature that showcases a variety of images created by users of the platform. It serves as a space for users to discover new content and interact with others' creations. The video discusses how the selection system for the Community Feed has changed with the new website, potentially affecting the diversity of images displayed.

💡Rating Images

Rating images is a process where users evaluate and compare images by choosing which ones they prefer. This feature is used to provide feedback to the system and improve the quality of image generation. In the video, the reviewer explains that the rating process remains largely unchanged, with users still able to rate images by comparing pairs of images.

💡Discord

Discord is a communication platform where users can interact in real-time through text, voice, and video. In the context of the video, Discord is mentioned as an integral part of Midjourney's ecosystem, where users can sign in, access the website, and participate in the community. The reviewer also discusses the challenges of integrating Discord with the website and the potential loss of community spirit.

💡Alpha Website

The Alpha website refers to a pre-release version of Midjourney's platform that was tested with a select group of super users. This version contained many features that were not included in the final release of Website 2.0. The video discusses the Alpha website to provide context on the development process and to highlight some of the missing features in the current version.

💡Organizational Tools

Organizational tools are features that help users manage and categorize their content, such as images, on a platform. In the video, the reviewer expresses disappointment in the lack of certain organizational tools, like Collections and keyword tagging, which were available in the old website and are missing from the new one. This absence can make it difficult for users to find and manage their images effectively.

💡Community Features

Community features are the aspects of a platform that facilitate interaction and engagement among users. In the video, the reviewer notes that while the new website emphasizes community, it lacks several features that promote social interaction, such as the ability to share galleries and follow other creators. This omission could impact the platform's community spirit and user retention.

💡Stealth Mode

Stealth mode is a setting on Midjourney's platform that allows users to hide their images from public view, providing a private space for experimentation and creation. The video discusses the reviewer's preference for using stealth mode to prevent image downloads and the controversy surrounding the visibility of stealth images on the explore page.

Highlights

Midjourney released a new website with mixed reviews.

The new website has been in development for months and is now live.

The new site has a clean user interface but is missing some important features.

The absence of grids is a notable change, with each image being individual.

Image searching has improved significantly on the new website.

The Community Feed is now the explore page, with a variety of images.

The rating system for images remains largely unchanged.

Images created in Discord and on the Midjourney mobile app appear in your gallery.

The favorite button has been replaced with a subtle rating feature.

The alpha website was tested with super users and had many features not in the current version.

The new website lacks some community features, such as sharing galleries and following creators.

The search tool is faster but limited to prompt words, not parameters or user searches.

The new site does not allow users to download specific images from their daily work.

Organizational tools like Collections and keyword tagging are missing from the new website.

The ability to delete images is missing, requiring users to open the image in Discord to delete.

Some features from the Alpha version, like direct image creation and additional tools, did not make it to the final release.

The new website seems to prioritize newer users with fewer images, potentially affecting long-term user retention.

Despite the focus on community, the website limits basic social media functions like following creators.

The download feature may encourage stealing rather than collaboration, according to the reviewer.