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Designing NotebookLM

jasonspielman.com

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Re: Designing NotebookLM

#41

Post by R_D_Olivaw »

da_chicken wrote: post #8

NotebookLM has been one of the more useful projects I've used. Being able to focus a language processing model directly to the content you're looking for is really useful. I currently support a data application where the vendor's documentation for it is not particularly well organized. It's spread across dozens of PDFs, sometimes without particularly well reasoned organization. Dumping all those PDFs into NotebookLM…

Ha this is one of my uses as well! I'm running an FFG SWRPG campaign and being able to ask it questions about overarching connections between plotlines helps quite a bit.

The mind map feature is also handy, although last I used it, it was a bit clunky to export.

Re: Designing NotebookLM

#42

Post by troupo »

ashwindharne wrote: post #7

This post has the same issues as NotebookLM for me -- overdesigned, overengineered for what at its core is a simple and valuable UX. NotebookLM: obviously useful, but I just wanna select some files and chat w/ them or have them summarized for me. It's got low info density, way too many cards/buttons/sections/icons, and it makes the core UX really difficult for me to navigate. This post: I wanted to know what cool tho…

I mean, this is from a company that judges its designs for "feeling of rebelliousness" and "courage" [1]

The entire text is rationalizing post-factum for a promotion package.

[1] In case you missed it https://design.google/library/expressive-material-design-goo...

--- start quote ---

We found a 32% increase in subculture perception, which indicates that expressive design makes a brand feel more relevant and “in-the-know.” We also saw a 34% boost in modernity, making a brand feel fresh and forward-thinking. On top of that, there was a 30% jump in rebelliousness, suggesting that expressive design positions a brand as bold, innovative, and willing to break from convention.

--- end quote ---

Re: Designing NotebookLM

#44

Post by epolanski »

ashwindharne wrote: post #7

This post has the same issues as NotebookLM for me -- overdesigned, overengineered for what at its core is a simple and valuable UX. NotebookLM: obviously useful, but I just wanna select some files and chat w/ them or have them summarized for me. It's got low info density, way too many cards/buttons/sections/icons, and it makes the core UX really difficult for me to navigate. This post: I wanted to know what cool tho…

Really disliked the author's tone: "me, me, me, me, me, me. Also somebody promote me."

All this paragraphs telling us what a great job he's done and this charlatan's product (with great potential)...doesn't even save your chats.

So you start discussing about something in your notes, come back and...the messages are gone.

But sure come tell me what a genius you are with your 3 column layout.

Charlatans, and those people become multi millionaires with those projects and such a crap work.

Re: Designing NotebookLM

#45

Post by greymalik »

101008 wrote: post #28

Any reason why when I upload a set of books to NotebookLM and have an interesting conversation about them with NotebookLM, the conversation is not stored? I can't revisit it later, I can't continue from there. I don't understand why they changed the UX/UI from the other AI solutions (Gemini or GPT). I also don't get why NotebookLM refuses to write things either, I can't make it write an essay based on the information…

Somewhat related, I also find it bizarre that they all but prevent you from getting information out of the app. Export to/Open in Google Docs seems like a no-brainer, but copy-paste is the only option.

Re: Designing NotebookLM

#46

Post by epolanski »

pqs wrote: post #36
cube2222 wrote: post #29

As a non-user who just played with the podcast thing a while back, is notebooklm actually better than just using something like Claude Projects to dump all your files into it, and then chatting with it in that project? Other than the podcast thing of course which is unique. Mostly curious about perspectives of folks who used both and can compare them.

I came here to say exactly the same thing. Now the I have Claude Code and Codex CLI I just creat a folder with all the documents I need and I work from there.

Then NotebookLM has one point in it's favor: you can use it on your phone with ease too.

Re: Designing NotebookLM

#47

Post by rs186 »

nextworddev wrote: post #23

I stopped using NotebookLM after one use. Not sure what’s the fuss aside from the podcast generation gimmick

Podcast generation is quite interesting as a concept, but if you listen to more than a few hours of podcasts a week, you'll probably find it uncomfortable to hear anything coming out of NotebookLLM -- too unnatural, the pace is off, and the thing feels more like two robots taking turns to read a script with exaggerated reactions than two humans chatting with pauses and interruptions. At least I stopped after 3 minutes of that.

Re: Designing NotebookLM

#48

Post by jayspiel »

This is my website! I love seeing everyone’s perspective, design is all about iteration and constant evolution. I have no doubt NLM will continue to evolve and change. I feel immensely lucky to have been there towards the beginning of that evolution.

As I designer I was trying to skate to where the puck was going technically. We’d get some insight on what was coming from the model side and we’d try to build UI around that future before it arrived. The labs team at Google has done a solid job of trying to build with that mentality.

We were in a mad dash for 1.5 years launching early and listening to user feedback then iterating our way to where the product landed. As I mentioned, those close to me knew how all consuming this process became. It was an amazing time taking a new product from 0 to 1 inside Google.

I Definitely never expected my portfolio site to make the rounds like this!

Re: Designing NotebookLM

#49

Post by scarface_74 »

chatmasta wrote: post #31
scarface_74 wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I am a post sales consultant. Meaning I’m the first deeply technical person that a client talks to after they sign the contract that pre-sales has worked on. Pre-sales has already had a couple of meetings by the time it gets to me. I put the transcripts of their calls and the contract (statement of work) into Notebook LLM to ask the high level questions like the objectives, the challenges, priorities, risks they have…

Wait until you find out that the client who signed the contract, the lawyers who wrote it, the pre-sales who designed it, and the account executive who started it… also all used NotebookLM for their stage of the deal. (btw, it’s “NotebookLM” – one “L” – not “Notebook LLM”)

That’s why my kickoff meetings always involve validating what the client wants as far as business outcomes instead of blindly trusting account executives and sales.

On the other hand, part of the reason I never desired to go independent is because working for a company, we do have a sales department to get clients, a legal team, and finance to chase payments. I can just concentrate on the client and the project.

Re: Designing NotebookLM

#50

Post by dev9n »

I would've preferred the original design. You can't even resize each panel - why can't I read a summary by itself without the chat taking up 2/3 of the screen?
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