Microsoft: Please give us start screen backgrounds instead of skinned tiles!

[linking1990]

It was a sad day when I found out that this is what Microsoft is planning for WP 8.1. I keep asking myself why and never get an answer.

Why I believe that skinned tiles isn't the way to go:

• It would clutter the home screen.
• Flipping skinned-tiles will make the background image look like a chess table with pieces on it!
• If you used a background with some white spaces, text and other white stuff on tiles won't be readable.
• Non accent-colored tiles won't show the background beneath them.
• It's just plain ugly and ruins the simplicity of WP.

Why I believe that background image is the answer (with tiles grouping + Semantic Zoom):

• It's a step closer of unifying the experience between WP and Windows 8.
• Users can choose from a pre-set of simplistic backgrounds (Just like Windows 8), which keeps the OS simple too.
• Grouping tiles is a must, especially for people who have more than 50 pinned tiles on their start screen.
• Semantic Zoom can be used to quickly jump between tiles on your start screen (it's the answer for Androids pinch out that brings all the different home-screens in a quick jump, small view list).
• Grouping tiles creates gaps between them, so the background can show (this argument is for people that always say there is no point of having a background.)

I have made some mock-ups (with interactive tiles, which is not my subject today). Please check them out and let me know what you think:







(You can visit my other post named: Windows Phone 9 Concept-linking1990)

Update: Added two more mockups, one isn't my design but I don't know whose is to give credit for:






If you agree with me, please give me your vote on the feature suggestion page for Windows Phone. HERE

 

[Ma Rio]

Skinnery tiles could look good, and to be honest, the windows phone start screen already looks like crap. The tiles are just bad, there is no simplicity, and you can read only a few useful information from them. While puting a image on top of that may look bad, I still feel like it's better than a background since you could see most of the picture. If you put a background you would see only like 10% of it, and those would be the edges, while like this you see 90% of the image.

Eather way I would like for everyone to be able to choose, so both options would be great.

 

[anon(7900571)]

I love your concept as I said earlier

 

[linking1990]

I love your concept as I said earlier

I don't wanna keep posting this, but it really is a big deal for me that Microsoft goes the right way. At least with the backgrounds and grouping+semantic zoom!!!!!

 

[xandros9]

Honestly, I love both looks, they are both nice looking. (sue me)

Hopefully we have both.

 

[anon(7900571)]

I don't wanna keep posting this, but it really is a big deal for me that Microsoft goes the right way. At least with the backgrounds and grouping+semantic zoom!!!!!

I just voted for your idea. Please Microsoft hire this guy , he will shape the next update for windows phone


Sent from my iPad using WPCentral Forums

 

[linking1990]

Skinnery tiles could look good, and to be honest, the windows phone start screen already looks like crap. The tiles are just bad, there is no simplicity, and you can read only a few useful information from them. While puting a image on top of that may look bad, I still feel like it's better than a background since you could see most of the picture. If you put a background you would see only like 10% of it, and those would be the edges, while like this you see 90% of the image.

Eather way I would like for everyone to be able to choose, so both options would be great.

I agree with you on the options side. Other than that, I think it would mess up the entire live tile system.

 

[linking1990]

I just voted for your idea. Please Microsoft hire this guy , he will shape the next update for windows phone


Sent from my iPad using WPCentral Forums

Haha, thank you a lot for your enthusiasm and support ))))

 

[travis_valkyrie]

[*]How would they manage having a very tall wallpaper to cover up a long start screen? God please not by repeating the background!

From the newer leak with notification center, the background image actually stays static, while the tiles move over it as if the tiles were transparent.

 

[Shubhankar Yarnal]

Ur concepts damn gr8...hope Microsoft does have a look at it...having images on tiles will make wp look dumb...it wud be better to hav backgrounds like win8...

 

[Michael300]

I wouldn't like to see this replace the current homescreen, instead you could introduce the SortBy category where the default will be the current homescreen, with the current order preserved, then next is sort by Category and that would be what OP suggested, then sort by Name, date the apps where installed and so on ...
What do you think.

 

[Ganesh Venkat]

It was a sad day when I found out that this is what Microsoft is planning for WP 8.1. I keep asking myself why and never get an answer.

Why I believe that skinned tiles isn't the way to go:

• It would clutter the home screen.
• Flipping skinned-tiles will make the background image look like a chess table with pieces on it!
• How would they manage having a very tall wallpaper to cover up a long start screen? God please not by repeating the background!
• It's just plain ugly and ruins the simplicity of WP.

Why I believe that background image is the answer (with tiles grouping + Semantic Zoom):

• It's a step closer of unifying the experience between WP and Windows 8.
• Users can choose from a pre-set of simplistic backgrounds (Just like Windows 8), which keeps the OS simple too.
• Grouping tiles is a must, especially for people who have more than 50 pinned tiles on their start screen.
• Semantic Zoom can be used to quickly jump between tiles on your start screen (it's the answer for Androids pinch out that brings all the different home-screens in a quick jump, small view list).
• Grouping tiles creates gaps between them, so the background can show (this argument is for people that always say there is no point of having a background.)

I have made some mock-ups (with interactive tiles, which is not my subject today). Please check them out and let me know what you think:

View attachment 58479

View attachment 58480

View attachment 58481

(You can visit my other post named: Windows Phone 9 Concept-linking1990)

If you agree with me, please give me your vote on the feature suggestion page for Windows Phone. HERE

i love it !! Just gave 3 votes

 

[TripsG]

I can't remember the last time such a benign option caused such a firestorm of opinions. I've never been into 'skins' myself but understand a lot of people like this kind of thing, but the vocal opposition to this simple update, an option at that, just seems so very over-reactive.

Good luck to you for your wishes, I sincerely hope you get what you desire, but pumping the brakes a bit seems in order here.

 

[Lumia 920]

This or nothing

 

[linking1990]

I can't remember the last time such a benign option caused such a firestorm of opinions. I've never been into 'skins' myself but understand a lot of people like this kind of thing, but the vocal opposition to this simple update, an option at that, just seems so very over-reactive.

Good luck to you for your wishes, I sincerely hope you get what you desire, but pumping the brakes a bit seems in order here.

All I am asking for is options. I know I won't use skinned tiles, but why wouldn't they give us the choice of having a different background other than black and white? If you read through the comments of any article reporting on this, you would see that lots and lots of people want having a background, instead of skinned tiles.

 

[linking1990]

This or nothing
http://imageshack.com/a/img706/773/n43c.png

It's practically the same thing, but with grouping tiles too, so more of your background can show.

 

[Michael300]

Hey linking1990, did you read my suggestion in #11?

 

[linking1990]

Hey linking1990, did you read my suggestion in #11?

I've just noticed it, sorry mate!

Umm, well I don't understand you quiet well, in my concept I have implemented sorting out your app list by the things that you mentioned (date installed, most used, name, category). But on the start screen, I am with the option of letting the user manage and sort the start screen the way he wants: arrange tiles, group them, name groups, etc.

 

[TripsG]

All I am asking for is options. I know I won't use skinned tiles, but why wouldn't they give us the choice of having a different background other than black and white? If you read through the comments of any article reporting on this, you would see that lots and lots of people want having a background, instead of skinned tiles.

I love choice as much as the next but I can't imagine it is simply some designer being stubborn (A stubborn designer? NEVER!)...I'm not a hardware engineer nor a software designer but there may simply be limitations to one or both that would prevent them from implementing this now. Or maybe they are actually just keeping it a secret until release. Hopefully they give it to you guys as it seems quite important to your overall experience. For me, I'm indifferent, though I think what they are offering now looks quite nice. Yet, I doubt I would use it as I'm sure it will just be another thing that kills my already tenuous relationship with my battery...

 

[onysi]

You don't speak for everyone. I prefer skinned tile if it doesn't require you to align them all. It gas to auto align.