Comments on: Windows Theme Project (Progress Report) http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/2009/08/11/windows-theme-project-progress-report/ Rambling thoughts on life and design. Tue, 09 Mar 2010 23:09:26 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Firefox UI evolutiuon http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/2009/08/11/windows-theme-project-progress-report/#comment-38 Firefox UI evolutiuon Fri, 21 Aug 2009 11:00:26 +0000 http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/?p=33#comment-38 [...] https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/Sprints/Windows_Theme_Revamp https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/3.7_Windows_Theme_Mockups https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/4.0_Windows_Theme_Mockups http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/2009/08/17/menubar-and-toolbar-handling/ http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/2009/08/14/windows-theme-project-progress-report-2/ http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/2009/08/11/windows-theme-project-progress-report/ [...] [...] https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/Sprints/Windows_Theme_Revamp https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/3.7_Windows_Theme_Mockups https://wiki.mozilla.org/Firefox/4.0_Windows_Theme_Mockups http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/2009/08/17/menubar-and-toolbar-handling/ http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/2009/08/14/windows-theme-project-progress-report-2/ http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/2009/08/11/windows-theme-project-progress-report/ [...]

]]> By: Andy http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/2009/08/11/windows-theme-project-progress-report/#comment-6 Andy Sun, 16 Aug 2009 06:28:10 +0000 http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/?p=33#comment-6 Please, no. FF is one of the few browsers that doesn't mangle the established OS interface guidelines by hiding all the menus and messing with the title bar area. My first reaction to Safari 4b was 'oh god' and Chrome wasn't much different. Honestly, there's some things that don't need constant innovation and streamlining. This really is a case of chasing competitor's tails for questionable gain. Note that I mean no offense to the designers themselves with this comment, and it's more of a general question as to why so many app developers now feel the need to dumb down established interfaces that are already simple and benefit from OS conventions. Is it that user testing revealed people have problems with a text menu bar? Is it purely to remove 30px of chrome? Will the status bar go next, ala Safari? If this is implemented, will it still be possible to write a theme that restores the normal UI I've been using for nigh-on 10 years? Please, no. FF is one of the few browsers that doesn’t mangle the established OS interface guidelines by hiding all the menus and messing with the title bar area. My first reaction to Safari 4b was ‘oh god’ and Chrome wasn’t much different.

Honestly, there’s some things that don’t need constant innovation and streamlining. This really is a case of chasing competitor’s tails for questionable gain.

Note that I mean no offense to the designers themselves with this comment, and it’s more of a general question as to why so many app developers now feel the need to dumb down established interfaces that are already simple and benefit from OS conventions. Is it that user testing revealed people have problems with a text menu bar? Is it purely to remove 30px of chrome? Will the status bar go next, ala Safari?

If this is implemented, will it still be possible to write a theme that restores the normal UI I’ve been using for nigh-on 10 years?

]]> By: Dan http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/2009/08/11/windows-theme-project-progress-report/#comment-5 Dan Sat, 15 Aug 2009 19:00:26 +0000 http://blog.stephenhorlander.com/?p=33#comment-5 Hmm where have I seen that tab bar design before? ;) j/k I like it. Not sure about the "Shift Down" button, that may be better as a context menu option for right clicking on the tab bar or tab (or the window's system menu). I do like the Home button being in the tab bar, and the close buttons for toolbars when the customization pane is open, sorta like how IE does it but a little better I think (I think IE keeps the close buttons visible all the time...) Hmm where have I seen that tab bar design before? ;) j/k I like it.

Not sure about the “Shift Down” button, that may be better as a context menu option for right clicking on the tab bar or tab (or the window’s system menu).

I do like the Home button being in the tab bar, and the close buttons for toolbars when the customization pane is open, sorta like how IE does it but a little better I think (I think IE keeps the close buttons visible all the time…)

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