Windows Phone 8.1 StartScreen Customization

[cbreze]

All I'm going to say is... Thank goodness it's just an option, right? I mean, nobody is making you use it, so why outrage over it?

I think the tile approach is freaking awesome, and I can't wait. I'm already thinking about how I want my new tile layout to be! I think having actual backgrounds would be hideous, since I'd never be able to see them anyway. Then again, I also like the option that I can just leave it alone and stick with what I have today too.

And really, that's what's important to me... options and flexibility.

With a nice background wall set and a few transparent tiles in the right places I could see this working very well. One thing I'm getting here is folks seem adverse to transparent tiles. I hope we have plenty of options so everyone is happy, but to be able to really customize the start screen and make it your own I don't think having it full of nothing but colored tiles is an option or very unique at all, at least for me. Needs to be different and set apart for that really personally unique look. Looking forward to seeing what we end up with.
Another thing I haven't seen mentioned is the ability to delete the title of the tile. I don't need to have "my mail" on my mail tile. I know what it is. Same as "phone" next to the phone icon..... DUH!
Would love to delete most of this crap.

 

[despertador]

I personally don't like it...

 

[TonyDedrick]

For those who are all in believing that Start screen actual backgrounds work, here are some (poorly photoshopped) renditions that I made quickly to show you wrong:
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3rd column of tiles:
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I mean some generic backgrounds work (like the lumia coloured tiles, for example) but if you want actual backgrounds it would block up 80% of the picture; and with the so-called 3rd column of tiles you get even less of the background. So personally good call Microsoft for making the 'tilegrounds'. I would agree with others and say that perhaps a few more solid colours instead of just black and white for backgrounds couldn't hurt, but then I can see why they wouldn't (imagine if you had a bunch of blue tiles with a similiarily blue background with a blue 'tileground'. Not realistic but you get the point - it would be hard to distinguish anything).

I understand the gist of your point. But that doesn't preclude one from arranging their start screen in a manner where you can see a background image or pattern. The examples you showed all cover up the screen and therefore support the argument against it. I'm sure there are some.neat examples out there that shows how it can be done effectively

 

[poiman]

For those who are all in believing that Start screen actual backgrounds work, here are some (poorly photoshopped) renditions that I made quickly to show you wrong:
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3rd column of tiles:
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I mean some generic backgrounds work (like the lumia coloured tiles, for example) but if you want actual backgrounds it would block up 80% of the picture; and with the so-called 3rd column of tiles you get even less of the background. So personally good call Microsoft for making the 'tilegrounds'. I would agree with others and say that perhaps a few more solid colours instead of just black and white for backgrounds couldn't hurt, but then I can see why they wouldn't (imagine if you had a bunch of blue tiles with a similiarily blue background with a blue 'tileground'. Not realistic but you get the point - it would be hard to distinguish anything).

Sure, custom background photos don't work, but having a wide selection of solid colours (instead of just black and white) or a few pre-included photos that were previously tested by Microsoft would be great.

 

[jojoe42]

I understand the gist of your point. But that doesn't preclude one from arranging their start screen in a manner where you can see a background image or pattern. The examples you showed all cover up the screen and therefore support the argument against it. I'm sure there are some.neat examples out there that shows how it can be done effectively

Yeah but most people are going to have relatively full start screens anyways...then there's more scrolling involved and that ruins Microsoft's vision of 'glance and go' information with the tiles.

And if you're going to say 'leave an option for a small bunch of users', every WP owner I know has a full first "screen" of tiles. Which is why tilegrounds for the most part are more effective

 

[Boris Lozac]

Can more people quote those pictures? It's not enough..

 

[abel920]

JoJoe42 just had to find the worst pictures he could find. Of course his examples look terrible, but what happens when you actually use a simple gradient, or a simple design as a wallpaper.

 

[cbreze]

, but what happens when you actually use a simple gradient, or a simple design as a wallpaper.

it can look fantastic, that's what. With a couple or three well placed transparent tiles. The possibilities are great.

 

[abel920]

it can look fantastic, that's what. With a couple or three well placed transparent tiles. The possibilities are great.

Exactly! These naysayers are thinking that we'd bound to use terrible images, as if we don't know what looks good and what doesn't. Of course the images he used are horrible as it is too much. But with the right images, it can look fantastic. SMH people.
It's okay, I'm really excited for the parallax tiles! I just hope Windows Phone 8.5 gives us more customization features.

 

[TonyDedrick]

Yeah but most people are going to have relatively full start screens anyways...then there's more scrolling involved and that ruins Microsoft's vision of 'glance and go' information with the tiles.

And if you're going to say 'leave an option for a small bunch of users', every WP owner I know has a full first "screen" of tiles. Which is why tilegrounds for the most part are more effective

We honestly can't say what every user is doing with their phone. So I don't know how anyone could possibly know how every Windows Phone start screen looks like. I have seen some request for the feature on various forums. But ultimately I don't know what features anyone wants outside of online communities seeing as I don't know anyone personally with a Windows Phone.

For me, its not a deal breaker either way. I just think its premature to dismiss the idea entirely without exploring scenarios in which it might be a viable feature

 

[GoodThings2Life]

I do think that offering patterned/solid background colors would be a nice option versus just black/white. But I think what Microsoft is doing is a nice, and unique feature. Frankly, I would choose unique vs. cluttered copycat any day of the week.

 

[jojoe42]

Exactly! These naysayers are thinking that we'd bound to use terrible images, as if we don't know what looks good and what doesn't. Of course the images he used are horrible as it is too much. But with the right images, it can look fantastic. SMH people.
It's okay, I'm really excited for the parallax tiles! I just hope Windows Phone 8.5 gives us more customization features.

The reason why I didn't make some images with patterned backgrounds/gradients is because I just wanted to show how much the live tiles cover up the background - with the 3rd column of tiles you block up even more so of the background. When I get home I'll create a makeshift render in Photoshop with the generic gradient/pattern backgrounds. I am worried however that if we are allowed accent colours AND tilegrounds AND backgrounds it'll become too much like Android and we'll lose some UI consistency that WP8 currently has

 

[jojoe42]

Here are some renderings with some less complex backgrounds (literally just typed phone backgrounds into Google and pulled them out):


3rd column of tiles:



I can see where some users are coming from, but personally I still think that the tilegrounds are a much better overall solution for an effective feature that users were looking for.

 

[Iki Taba]

Here are some renderings with some less complex backgrounds (literally just typed phone backgrounds into Google and pulled them out):
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3rd column of tiles:
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I can see where some users are coming from, but personally I still think that the tilegrounds are a much better overall solution for an effective feature that users were looking for.

For ME this looks beautiful and I like the real background wallpapers more but it obviously want happen.
Lets be honest no matter which option someone likes more, if you choose the wrong wallpaper both options gonna look horrible. So the hole discussion is pointless, it's like usual no matter what the subject is there are always people that think different about something.

 

[Iki Taba]

IMHO the best solution would be both options. So when you choose one the other is not available.
Means that you can't skin the tiles and apply a background image at the same time.
When you click on choose background there should be a option to pick where the image should be applied, for the tiles or the background.

 

[Oliverspin]

Honestly I think the feature is nice. It's more dynamic than a background image. It makes the OS unique. We want to put ourselves above and apart from other OSs. If you don't like it, you can turn it off and if you want a background image I'm sure it will come in the future as we move closer and closer to ONE.

 

[mariusfilip]

Samsung Galaxy S3 Textures Wallpapers, Backgrounds HD Downloads All time ?€” WallpapersCraft

Hi...for months i've searched a good site for wallpapers...and now...with the 8.1 preview...we've gor a lot of 'work' to do ) i use a lumia 720 but discovered that the 720x1280 is better than the native 480x800,hope you enjoy it :smile:

 

[mariusfilip]

http://forums.windowscentral.com/wi...er-his-wonderful-app-he-seems-too-modest.html

 

[X0LARIUM]

Absolutely hate it..absolutely detest the tile+image thing!! horrendous is not the word...


Sent from iCeborg's iPad.