Interface Design and UX Thread - How our App Looks

[StevenWWinters]

Folks, the project is just getting started and the team is just getting organized, sorting out who has what skills, what needs to be done, how to divvy up tasks, etc. Aside from that, several different time zones are represented by those participating, which makes collaboration interesting.

I think that these are all good ideas and questions, and would encourage everyone interested to keep coming up with suggestions, but also be patient. Things will likely move slowly, at least for a while.

A standard Windows program, is generally the boring text boxes, check boxes, tabs, menus, dialog boxes, etc that you're used to seeing on most typical Windows apps. When I look at Barbara's design, I jump to, "Wow, that's pretty cool! How would I implement that?" Truthfully, I don't know how many of us have designed a "Kai's Power Tools" style interface, but I know I have not. There's a lot of detail to work through.

For my part, I've never actively participated in an open source project, so I can't say how this will go. I hope it's successful because I think it's a good idea. The main thing is to have fun in the process.

[gracehjs]

See inline

Hi Grace, Steven, Pete and the other programmers,



So to the programmer's I ask, what are the requirements for a Standard Windows Program?

If the rectangular program window ( not a floating app) includes:
1. A title bar: Program logo --> Program Title --> Minimize Restore/Down and Close buttons
2. A menu bar: with File Help About
3. Content Window ( the space between the titlebar/menu and any vertical or horizontal scroll bars or status bar.

A. A Background similar to the pasteboard background layer or body background on a web page or wallpaper.
B.The multi-page form field that contains the options that the user will select or deslect or otherwise modify.
a. The form itself uses check boxes, sliders, drop-down, list boxes, form entry fields etc.
C. Controls for the form - choose which form page displays
D. Some kind of control that chooses which program's registry options are being worked on.
E. Some kind of control buttons like OK Cancel Apply Finish etc.
F. Maybe tool tips or information buttons bringing up context sensitive help or just a help or support buttons
G. Status Bar

Questions - must the the form field B be rectangular? Microsoft's Page, Changing the Appearance of Windows Forms has a section on How to: Create Nonrectangular Windows Forms and other forms related info. Would creating a non-rectangular form be possible given the programming tools you have or is it unreasonably difficult?
With C# and using the framework toolbox we would need a square Form, and I could not find any way to change the colour of the title bar.

The controls within the form field (B.a) do they have to be the default ones provided by the OS or your programming library or can custom ones be used. Again, once custom looking sliders or check boxes or toggles are designed, and provided to the programming team in whatever formats and sizes they need to be, are they unreasonably hard to use and or maintain?
Again I would prefer to use the standard controls, although I have pretty good control as to colours and background graphics.
Pete brought up the idea of scaleablity. I can see where having the controls in a circle could make it difficult to add new tabs. New artwork at the very least would be required (although I think you will always have a stable of capable and willing artists available), but I'm guessing that the coordinates would also have to be adjusted in the code which adds complexity. So...

Is it possible to have a vertical list of tab buttons that is not visually attached to some kind of non-rectangular form field display. And could those tab buttons have a distinctive look the way web menus can?
I am not sure but I will think about this
Once some of these questions are answered then I think the design part of the team can come up with reasonable, but graphically interesting designs that meet programming needs.

Good Programming takes time and it doesn't occur in a vacuum - that is understood. But good graphical interfaces also don't happen overnight. I truly believe that they have to evolve side by side.
I think basic controls is the way to go initially. As this is open source others can also start playing with it and see what they can come up with. However, a major advantage of KISS is that people who come after us have something that is familiar to them

[Rik]

Well. I had already started to do this one.
So, as I've finished it, I'll post it and hope that it helps to give another choice.

Also. Unless I've misread things, it seems that no more designs are wanted.

[jamesd]

Well. I had already started to do this one.
So, as I've finished it, I'll post it and hope that it helps to give another choice.

Also. Unless I've misread things, it seems that no more designs are wanted.

So far this one get my vote

[StevenWWinters]

Also. Unless I've misread things, it seems that no more designs are wanted.

Not necessarily.

[Gare]

I humbly propose, that in the interest of cooperation and to make more signal than noise—there's nothing wrong with posting design ideas on this thread...I thought this is what this area is for.

Steve, Grace, there's no reason why designers posting here needs to equal "pressure". Those who cannot program are interested in contributing, and for most of us, these are graphics ideas.

We realize that nothing is carved in stone, there's no winner, there's just posts and people liking or disliking them.

Let's all agree on mutual respect and let's pay some deference to those who have the most work ahead of them at this point.

By the way, I thought this was interesting: designers are already coming up with beautiful "flat designs", for mobile devices and Win 8

Pixeden free flat design icons

My Best,

Gary

[gracehjs]

Ok, to clarify, we do no want you to stop playing - only be warned that it won't happen "soon". That being said there are a lot of elements in RIK's design that I think are useable on the first release. What I would like to offer you is the "splash screen", In the past the splash screen would appear to hide the fact that the app was taking time to load. That would not be the case for this tiny app, but I think it would present a nice introduction to the programme. I also posted a screen shot of the ""About" page. This page is where the copyright etc. will be shown, I think we can also make this attractive.

[Gare]

Grace, I was thinking that the About page might contain a tribute to Bill?

Can you think of a more appropriate screen?

Thanks!

-g

[wizard509]

Barbara that is a very good design. I hope Gracehjs can figure out how to implement it.

[gracehjs]

I really like this look and I think it is quite doable.

Are we settled on the Wheel, or is it worth considering a different look?

Obviously, the colours can be changed to suit.