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?
Great Software to Help with Productivity
Here are some great applications I started using that you can download to increase your productivity.
Postbox
If you are tired of using a slow and badly designed email client Postbox is a great alternative. It’s based on Mozilla Thunderbird so it loads up faster than say Windows Live Mail and allows you to install modules which extends the client functionality.
Dropbox is a cross-platform cloud storage app that allows you to store up to 2 GB worth of files on it’s servers with the ability to share those files online. Although I wouldn’t recommend using cloud storage for private backup, it’s good for syncing random documents from computer-to-computer.
I’ve always wanted to run a dual-monitor setup but can’t afford two of the same monitors, so I came across VirtuaWin. It’s a simple desktop utility that creates multiple desktop environments in order to increase screen space and improve productivity. It also supports mouse gestures which means you can spread out all your windows by dragging them to your desired screen. (top left, top right, bottom left, bottom right)
For serious writers or bloggers this app is amazing! It’s a simplified notepad with a difference, it focuses on creating a relaxing atmosphere using ambient background music for you to write without being distracted. I haven’t tested the paid version but the free one comes with only a few fonts (not good ones at that) and you can’t control the size. I’m not sure if this is on purpose or it’s a limitation but it’s still worth using.
F.lux: software that helps with eye-strain
If you are someone like me who suffers from insomnia and uses a computer till the early hours of the morning then you should give F.lux a go. According to their website it adjusts your computer’s display colour to the time of day (based on sunlight), giving the display an overall warmish or cooler tint making eye-strain less of an issue. — some may not appreciate the tint but I find the soft glow (tint) increases the aesthetics of my Samsung netbook.
