Version 5
It’s here, it’s ready!
(Not that anyone knew to want or expect it; I’m just not much of a hype man and, like in the past, I’ve kept this project very much on the down low.)
So what’s Version 5 all about?
Beauty and joy of using.
And if we’re talking of beauty, I suppose I’ve beaten this drum before in this very space: I just finished rereading the blog posts around the release of 2017’s Version 3, 2020’s Version 4, and 2021’s more modern design. And in each there’s a sort of “Check out how slick it looks now!” proclamation, carrying with it an undertone of throwing shade on the old.
Now to my sensibilities, four rounds of that that feels like some sort of climbing of MC Escher’s endless staircase. Can’t help but feel a little sheepish over what a common refrain this ostensibly is becoming, even if spread out over nearly 7 years.
But DANG, I really do like the pretty pixels of Version 5! Steven Bannachan of Putty Design has done a fab job of defining the aesthetics this time around. And I don’t mean to throw shade on the previous design yet again, but I can’t deny: the look of the last incarnation of CA just doesn’t look so hot under comparison1.
Such is the nature of sustained progress, I suppose. May we all be proud of what we create today, and slightly embarrassed by it a year or two down the road. :)
But enough of waxing philosophical, let me show you the broad stokes of what’s new in Version 5!
What’s New in Version 5
Aesthetics Galore
New font, new icons, news styles, new UI elements. There’s no shortage of changes to find, big and small, which add up to a gorgeous look and feel.
Here is the main screen, Clients listing, in Version 4:
And here it is in Version 5:
Layouts for mobile and tablet sizes have been extensively polished for pixel perfect flowing of elements, and dark mode is looking mighty fine as well:
I kinda dig the lilac color scheme.
After switching you may have reason to revisit your Branding page, for you now have 4 options for styling the app frame to get the look and feel that perfectly suits your branding:
Named Original, Bold, Satin, and Satin Light, respectively. I’m bullish on Satin myself.
More Cohesive Navigation
The settings menu has been moved and remixed.
That gear at the bottom left toggles it in and out.
You might notice there’s a lot less going on in this menu. Business elements of setup have been moved to the new Business Center (more on that below).
My apologies to all the long term CA users who are already super familiar with CA’s menu layout, for breaking their muscle memory! A temporary slog for sure, but I’m betting you’ll find the change up to be, on balance, more than worth the effort to relearn the new.
My Style and Team Style
The new “My Style” and “Team Style” pages consolidate many areas of setup that previously had to be visited and configured one by one. The Team Style page allows authorized team members to manage setup for other coaches, including never before possible parts like Notifications and Happenings Reports.
All sorts of stuff that can be centrally managed for other team members.
Business Center
The new Business Center allows you to view and manage all aspects of your business from one area: Invoices, Engagements, Agreements and Offerings.
Being able to configure Offerings with the configuration of Engagements and Agreements living right next door on the same page is, I daresay, rather nice.
Fully customizable widgets in the new Business Center Offerings area give you a nice overview of how things are going in your business:
Drag to sort, add or remove whichever you like.
Better Drop Down Menus
Have a ton of Worksheet Templates or Files in your Library? You’ll now find it easier to find the right one with a search-enabled drop down menu, which supports filtering by folder and fuzzy, partial matching for ease of use.
Got a ton of files or templates? No problem!
In select places, when picking a coach or client, you’ll now see avatars next to the names.
Remixed Client Page Appointments
The Appointments on a Client Page are no longer relegated to a separate tab in the Overview section. Instead they now live in the left sidebar itself, like so:
Click on Appointments and…
…the next one shows. Click “view all upcoming” and…
…you’ll see all upcoming Appointment with this client.
Also contact info of the coach or client there has been tucked away, accessible by clicking the contact card by their avatar:
Click that little white icon that looks like a name badge to reveal.
Branding Colors in the WYSIWYG
This one’s subtle, but a nice way to craft content that is more fully consistent with your branding: the WYSIWYG color chooser now includes your primary and highlight branding colors.
Client Roster Download Options
When downloading a client roster, you’ve got options now on which clients you want included: active, inactive, or all:
Sometimes, you just want one or the other!
And those are the broad strokes of what’s new in Version 5! Well, that and a completely redesigned marketing website, which does much better justice to the new and improved platform.
Migrating to Version 5
Migrating to Version 5 is easy: click “Enable Version 5…” from the top right user menu, and you’ll be on your way.
Just a few clicks and you’re there, you can even seamlessly preview it!
Fun fact: both before AND after you migrate, you can quickly toggle between the old and the new by hitting Shift + 4 on your keyboard (whenever you’re NOT typing in some text area). This allows you to do a side-by-side comparison of any part in the system: it’s kind of fun to see the differences woven throughout and, if you’re like me, the look of 5 really makes clear what was lacking in 4.
Summing Up
Last summer I wrote about my return to being a one-man shop after 6 years of having employees, and in those missives I mentioned returning to my studio to focus on creating art. THIS is what I’ve been working on. THIS is what I’ve been up to in my studio, taking up the mantle of being artist rather than art teacher. I’ve had a ton of fun making CoachAccountable Version 5, and I hope you and your clients enjoy the result.
Onward and upward. I’ll be updating screenshots in the CA Knowledge Base if you need me.
Actually, you know what? I think I’m gonna take a beat; maybe start a new farm in Stardew Valley. Then I’ll get to those screenshots. :)
- To the ostensible competitors that tout themselves as a “modern” alternative to “dated” CoachAccountable: one, that’s rude, and two, I would say that notion itself is now dated. ↩
More recently: Impressions of Version 5
Previously: Nine Apps Rolled Into One
“one, that’s rude, and two, I would say that notion itself is now dated.” Hahaha — I love knowing there is a real person behind this.
August 1, 2023 @ 4:06 pm
Awesome update John. Really love how clean and structured it is. Nice job
August 1, 2023 @ 6:09 pm
I love the look! And it’s so much easier to read on my phone. I use CA on my laptop and my phone. I can’t wait to start really getting into it and see all the new stuff.
August 1, 2023 @ 6:15 pm
Great news John! I’m so impressed with the care that you take to deliver rock solid quality and zero hype.
This has clearly been a labour of love. I can only imagine how it must feel to be able to tell everyone!
Thanks for taking such care in keeping things under wraps and simply focusing on the delivery. I’m looking forward to getting to know my new home for coaching!
August 1, 2023 @ 6:54 pm
Bravo John!! The redesign is beautiful! Thank you for your thoughtfulness in the efficient structure and easier navigation.
August 1, 2023 @ 7:04 pm
Now that is pretty
And so very nicely and intuitively organised.
CA has come a long way since those heady days just 11 years ago. Honoured to be part of the journey.
August 1, 2023 @ 9:25 pm
Amazing news today! The updates are sleek. You never cease to amaze me. What a wonderful surprise today! Thank you for the heart and dedication you put into everything you do.
August 1, 2023 @ 9:47 pm
The CA website and Version 5 both look great, John! Your excitement about this reveal shines through in all media.
Now, off to deep-dive into training myself on the new layout and features (especially the sleek Business Center) so that I can help usher all the coaches I serve (and their clients) into the new functionality with confidence they’re using it all fully.
Nice!
August 1, 2023 @ 11:42 pm
Hi John, nice surprise! thank you, appreciate your work and creativity!
Great timing too, I am just starting to sign up a new group in August, looking forward to using the new interface and upgrading my branding options too.
August 2, 2023 @ 12:05 am
Beautiful John. Appreciate all the hard work that you have put in and the elegant results. Thank you.
August 2, 2023 @ 1:01 am
As always, I am super excited about what you have come up with and I am sure to find much more changes that you haven’t advertised yet haha.
Thanks and enjoy your holiday!
August 2, 2023 @ 3:01 am
Great as always!!!
Thank You John!!
August 2, 2023 @ 4:42 am
Nice work John, V5 rocks! Thank you for taking so much care in our businesses and providing us with ongoing support and improvements. CA was already fantastic but just keeps getting better and better!
August 2, 2023 @ 8:31 am
Looks great. Will you be doing any changes on the courses section? I always find it quite clunky and not very user friendly for clients.
August 2, 2023 @ 9:32 am
Aw, what a delight to wake up to all of this lovely feedback! Thanks everyone; this all comes to yours truly as quite nourishing to the creative spirit after all that heads down work.
@Elizabeth, aye, I’m quite happy myself to be a real person behind all this! I’ve rather doubled down on being unabashedly me as the force behind CA of late, and am rather enjoying it.
@Peter, I appreciate your assessment of rock solid quality amid zero hype. I’m all about substance over style, but y’all are of course most welcome to hype from here. :)
@Morgan, thanks for getting up on all the things that you may usher in all the coaches you serve, love that you do that.
@Ashot, glad the timing of this release is good! May your incoming group have all the better experience of working with you for it.
@Shorombo, hah! I suppose you may find a few bits I haven’t advertised, but probably not much, I’ve been pretty thorough in this account. That said, I DID forget to mention the entire Business Center in my first take of the “Introducing Version 5” video above, so who knows…
@Justin, thank you for the generous read of the CA arc, and I’m happy to report that I plan to continue on with the whole “getting better and better” thing.
@Kerry, hey now, you’re kinda bringing down the mood! Just kidding, it’s cool: to the notion I just said to Justin, this venue admits criticism as an avenue for further improvement. To your question, I consider Courses to be complete as is. I’ll certainly continue to evolve and improve them (like virtually every other area of CA), but at present I have no clear projects in mind for that area. One may certainly find them clunky, but CA Courses are complex. And so the Course Builder itself will entail some inherent complexity. As for not very user friendly for clients, that’s news to me! I’d be happy to hop on a call with you some time to get some specific insight into what that looks like. The UI mechanics of getting around and working through a Course in Course Pages are pretty elemental and not something I’ve heard any specific issues with, so the real issue may be to do with the layout and structuring of the course content itself; there are ways to do that well, and there are pitfalls.
Actually heck, my Office Hours are coming up in…. 8 minutes. That could be a great venue in which to discuss!
August 2, 2023 @ 11:52 am
Hey John,
Love the changes. I can’t wait to dig in. Thank you for continuing to help raise the bar on our businesses. Keep up the superior work!
William
August 2, 2023 @ 9:58 pm
Bravo! Love the creative and purposeful enhancements John.
August 3, 2023 @ 7:56 am
Wow, John! I really love the new look! I can’t wait until we are ready to switch over. Will the help docs be updated to match the new layout already?
August 3, 2023 @ 6:48 pm
@Rhonda: that’s a good question! For the answer, I refer you to the last 4 sentences of this blog post. :)
August 4, 2023 @ 4:40 pm
Hey John! Bravo! Nice work!
Quick question: Do the client’s versions change when I update mine or do they get the same type of notification and option to switch over? If they automatically change when I did, is there some canned language that would be helpful to provide them from a client facing perspective?
Thank you!
August 4, 2023 @ 6:45 pm
@Anna, thanks! Like the UI says just above the “Looks great, switch us over!” button, migrating with have the effect of migrating things over for all users in your account, including all clients.
No canned language per se, but you might let them know to expect a new look-and-feel when they next log in, and that the upcoming Appointments is now moved to the left side bar. Beyond that, everything is pretty much the same for clients!
August 7, 2023 @ 12:48 pm
I have just switched to Version 5.
I love it.
My favourite features are the Appointments and the Engagement tab.
And I love the whole new look and feel.
Thank you for all the effort it took.
Cindy
August 14, 2023 @ 11:12 pm
Just switched over and definitely like the new look and flow. Great work!!
August 19, 2023 @ 1:10 pm