Ah i've been curious about what improvements folks would like to see most in SRS learning and this thread is gold! It does seem as though Anki’s core is undeniably solid, yet its power can also feel like a hurdle for non power users. Additionally, i'm not sure "boring" is necessarily bad, as i've heard and to agree that learning may be best when it feels like a strenuous workout.
I've been exploring some of these questions in my personal foray in design. If anyone’s interested, I posted an early experiment here: https://dribbble.com/shots/25737616-Descartes-Design-Flashca...