Windows 8 Start Screen: Boring UI or F****n’ Sweet?
On Friday Microsoft revealed a video demonstrating Windows 8 booting up from post in just 2 seconds. You can watch the video here.
What is not so exciting is Windows 8’s Start Screen which was revealed at the end of the video. Now don’t get me wrong, I am definitely liking the new design approach, it’s just that knowing Microsoft they are not going to consider every small detail when it comes to the design, even if what they release is not final code.
What I hope has been done is allow the Start Screen to be fully customisable (not merely changing tile layout). But similar to the ‘advanced’ controls under Appearances in the legacy environment, these new controls will enable options such as:
- Adding a background image from the computer
- Adjusting the tint level added by default onto every background (the tint is to separate the background from the tiles to avoid them conflicting visual)
- Adjusting the opacity level to all or only specific tiles and an option to reveal tiles (revert to 100% opacity) on mouse-over or touch
- Allowing users to select any tile colour, not just a list of pre-chosen swatches
People love Windows because of this level of personalisation. In the image below you see an example of how I drastically enhanced the UI by simply adding a background image and reducing the tile opacity. This is the small detail I referred to earlier.
I am hoping Steven Sinofsky does not let everyone down by revealing unfinished code because they have had plenty of time since AllThingsD to consider every aspect of the OS.
What are your thoughts. If you walked into a store which UI would catch your eye first and would you want to see on your computer or TV?
Windows 8 Explorer Metro Ribbon UI with Touch First in mind
With the Microsoft BUILD conference nearing closer there has been an increased surge of excitement throughout the developer world as Steven Sinofsky, President of the Microsoft Division begins to openly discuss the in-depth look into the mechanics behind their new ”Redesigning Windows” approach.
He recently posted an article on ‘Improvements in Windows Explorer’. Where he discusses how the Windows Explorer (They should change it to File Explorer) has developed over time and ends with introducing the new Windows 8 Explorer that features the ‘ribbon’ we see today in applications such as Microsoft Office or Live Essentials.
This GUI (a static kitchen sink) had it’s uses in feature rich applications, however Microsoft should consider developing this further and provide a “dynamic and intelligent” ribbon that is not only configurable but is smart enough to change it’s UI based on device type and window size. (i.e: icon size, text placement, number of rows and columns, spacing etc.)
As it stands this Ribbon interface is ideal for legacy applications as it provides a function but I assumed the whole idea of Windows 8 was to move away from standard Windows environment and provide something revolutionary and innovative. Like mentioned previously, a “Dynamic and Intelligent” Metro ribbon that understands the users needs.
See full Size with annotation
That is exactly what I designed in the above image to try and communicate this point. By simply borrowing the design from IE9 (chromeless window) and moving the ribbon below the navigation bar it makes everything more legible. I have also increased the spacing between elements to maximise touch performance, provided a better way to collapse the ribbon and added additional functionality [see full size image]
Microsoft needs to give Windows a personality, this is what I mean by ‘intelligence’. The Explorer should be something that is centric to the OS experience not just a boring environment that lists your files but is an all-in-one GUI - library, document viewer, control panel and so on. For example, Explorer should have an organisation tool that allows me to organise and structure my entire PC in a simple method by creating virtual groups, libraries and tags so that I wouldn’t need to create a number of actual directories just to organise my files. All it takes is a simple search to find everything without ever navigating to a folder.
These are just some ideas of what I see as a truly “Reimagining of Windows” but whatever we see at BUILD I am hoping it will truly be something innovative and different (by that I mean totally touch-first and Metro styled UI - no legacy stuff at all but completely “redesigned”).
What are your thoughts on Windows 8 so far? Do you agree with how Microsoft is presenting the Ribbon to users in it’s new operating system or should they redesign it similar to how I explained through my concept design?
