Should Xara's interface change?

**Soquili** · 21 July 2008, 01:35 PM

Web 2.0 is more of a catch phrase rather than a technology upgrade.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

Making the UI skinable (is that a word??) may appeal to a younger crowd.

Although we have young members joining the forums and using Xara Xtreme with the current UI.

I'm not against improvements to the program. I just do not see that changing the look (skins) can improve the tools.

BTW I'm old enough that skins refers to pelts (animal skins)

**pauland** · 21 July 2008, 01:46 PM

Originally Posted by Soquili

Web 2.0 is more of a catch phrase rather than a technology upgrade.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Web_2.0

Making the UI skinable (is that a word??) may appeal to a younger crowd.

Soquili I'm not sure how old the 'younger' crowd is, but I'm 50 and think that a modern skin on this old interface is vital. If there's anything that really makes me cringe it's people referring to users as 'young' or 'old'. I think that 'progressive' and 'staid' might be more appropriate.

Although we have young members joining the forums and using Xara Xtreme with the current UI.

True, but visually Xtreme is very dated in appearance and that will just put off so many prospective buyers.

I'm not against improvements to the program. I just do not see that changing the look (skins) can improve the tools.

It won't, but at least it will make the software accessible to a larger pool of prospective buyers.

BTW I'm old enough that skins refers to pelts (animal skins)

LOL, no comment.

**Soquili** · 21 July 2008, 01:55 PM

Fair enough Paul. But in the end neither of us have as much input to the look of the program as Charles Moir.

**pauland** · 21 July 2008, 02:04 PM

Originally Posted by Soquili

Fair enough Paul. But in the end neither of us have as much input to the look of the program as Charles Moir.

Quite true.

I know many people on TG think the issue of the UIs appearance is trivial. From my point of view it reflects (a lack of) empathy with a significant sector of the potential professional market for design software. In contrast the dominant market for Xara is the home enthusiast consumer who is probably just glad they can do cool things with the software.

Paul

**Soquili** · 21 July 2008, 02:22 PM

If changing the appearance of Xtreme would attract more professional graphic designers I would support the change whole heartedly.

Unfortunately I do not see that happening.

The professional designers I have personally spoken with are not willing to learn a new program. Nor are they willing to use one that works the same as the one they learned in school.

One lady as head of the graphics department of a large corporation told me that Photoshop is the only program any designer should use and only the Mac version. "Because the Windows version cannot do the same things as the Mac."

**pauland** · 21 July 2008, 02:26 PM

Anyway, it's nice to flog a dead horse every now and again!

At one time there used be a saying "nobody got fired for choosing IBM", but times change.

I think that over the next few years there are going to be BIG changes with the way software works and is perceived.

Paul

**covoxer** · 21 July 2008, 02:30 PM

"There's no interface that can make a software great. It's a software that makes an interface great."

If you know what I mean...

**pauland** · 21 July 2008, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by covoxer

"There's no interface that can make a software great. It's a software that makes an interface great."

If you know what I mean...

I think it's the wrong way around..

**RickX** · 21 July 2008, 03:29 PM

Outdated GUI. Modernize it with an option to have the classic GUI.

**iamtheblues** · 21 July 2008, 07:14 PM

Hate to quote myself, but perhaps not all the posts are receiving due consideration (post#14):" I think that a new interface is probably overdue. With one proviso...an option to switch to the "Classic" interface, when the program loads, perhaps?"
Saludos,
Bob.