Windows 10: I'm Torn (let's talk about design)

longcipher

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I love the Metro design - in fact - I try to avoid the desktop whenever I can. I simply love the Metro design language and am torn over the look of W10's desktop.

I think all of the changes are smart so far. While I absolutely loved W8, I understood that it was too radical for my mom. My mom wants a desktop. But why don't they alter the look of the desktop to feel more Metro-ish? I know they are flattening and changing icons, but it still feels XP-ish in many areas. I want the most minimal, sleek looking thing -- they should offer that as an option at least -- perhaps even a few different themes, keep one that looks like Windows 7 for secretaries but then have a Metro theme.

It's so jarring going from the beauty of Metro to Windows 7. I hope, as we move closer to release, that they make a major UI overhaul and give it that last look to make it look like 2015. I really think people will be fine with a UI overhaul as long as the elements they need, like the Start Menu, still exist.

Thoughts?
 

jomarr

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Windows 10 is basically Windows 7 and 8 combined from what I saw.

The most amazing feature here is Anti-Windows 8 people can actually disable the 'live' start menu and make it look like Windows 7 but with a flatter design. I have a low spec PC (join me in my prayers that I'll have enough money to waste for a new desktop this year) and I basically don't use then live tiles but I keep the live tile menu because it looks really good.

The images looks like 2016. We're actually transcending from 2009 to a confusing 2012 to actually the future. I love Windows 8 but at the same time I understand why people didn't like it. But now there's absolutely no freaking way why people wouldn't want to upgrade to Windows 10. A LOT of these newly added features can be disabled to make it look like Windows 7 but without the skeuormophic design.

Also, I don't know how you mean by sleek but the images presented were sleek enough for me. I'm sure the final and release build will contain icon changes so there's no need to sweat. Belfiore stated multiple times that the build isn't final and this is actually true with other previous OS' previews.

I was thrilled when the Dev Preview of Windows 10 came out but now I just can't WAIT to actually get my hands on Windows 10. Gonna buy two licenses for sure at the minimum.

Good grief, my 1520 is still under repair and it's taking FOREVER. Give me that device! I'm so sick of Android right now! If the grass be greener with Tablets, I'm getting a Windows 8 tablet.
 

mjrtoo

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People say they want modernization, said Windows was tired, needed an overhaul, said it for years. Hated what they got (I love 8.1, even without a touch screen), now they want to go back.

What do we learn? People can never tell you what they want, they can only tell you that they don't like what they got. 😊
 

longcipher

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Don't get me wrong, I like all the changes, I just want everything to look a little sleeker and more minimal. I'm hoping they will showcase some cool UI stuff at Build this year.
 

jonnythedennis

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They will for sure keep redesigning as we go forward. You can see this by some of the reworked icons and the push for wireframe design. See below for the leek before the windows 10 live stream... It'll be pretty:)

Swindows10themefull.0.jpg
 

tangledW

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Design is cool... but at the end of the day, I value function over all.

In other words, I don't care what it looks like as long as it works and works well.
 

mjrtoo

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Design is cool... but at the end of the day, I value function over all.

In other words, I don't care what it looks like as long as it works and works well.

I don't think it functions all that well. Hopefully they don't ruin the tablet experience they created with 8.1 because they feel the need to 'do something'. With the latest build it sure feels that way though.
 

werstardust

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Agreed, definitely does not feel as fluid in a tablet. I also wish the UI was a little more minimal. It seems to be more distracting than W8. Seems like the goal should be how to do more with less. I like a simple UI so the content is front and center. I wish there was an option to swipe left to change from one app/program to the next. Maybe swipe and hold to bring up task view and a left swipe and release would function like w8.1. Also, in the task view, I don't just want the ability to click on an app, I want the ability to move that app to a position in the snap view by dragging it to that region of the screen. So, if I single tap, it would open full screen. Else, I have to option to drag it and snap it to format it on the screen with my last open program. What would be icing on the cake would be the option to flick, (initiate movement) toward the portion of the screen I'd like the app to open in. It's motion would continue until it hit the boarder of the screen, then it would expand and snap. These thing would make the OS feel so much more natural on a touch screen. Please implement something like this in the final build. I know ms is trying to win back mouse users, but they should not neglect touch. I think the touch experience can and should be top notch without having to modify or lessen the mouse experience. They both should coexist naturally.
 
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Wevenhuis

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Hi LongCipher,

I agree with your sentiment. I also notice with friends and parents the windows 8 experience does have a lot to get used to. When I let friends use my surface pro. They get the hang quickly of using search in the charms bar. But when opening internet explorer they choose the desktop version over the modern UI one. Friends even ask where is chrome or firefox, which I don't use natively.

What I notice that when my parents use windows, they're increasing getting lost in the flashyness of advertisement bars, endless buttons and menu's. I think they would benefit from a cleaner design of website pages in general. But not too clean. I get the impression my parents see the buttons and links as a switchboard. If something is not supported on the screen it doesnt exist and small icons virtually don't register. So signifcant tabs, menus and editing buttons need to be bold and big and clear, preferably icons with word at at least size 12 or higher.

For the average user, I think the biggest market, microsoft has a big job and responsibility, and to that end a compromise will always be made. I think that is why microsoft can only afford an incremental update. Probably windows 8 would have done much better if windows 10 came out first. For advanced and moderate users I think the windows 8 update was better understandable although not everyones piece of cake. I think with windows 10, certainly to the average consumer and business, an OS tailored to the more trusted pc/desktop and mouse and keyboard use will fair will with the majority, certainly the free update and promise of more stability and security will do well.

But on paper/digital screen many of us know that windows 10 could be so much more, certainly after what microsoft offered us with windows 8.x. I think for many the current windows 10 will be a good transition from desktop to tablet. But for more moderate to advanced users windows 10 could be improved to a better end user experience, as is shown by the amazing comments provided so far in many windows 10 threads on windows central.

As for me, Im looking for what would make the best, efficient and most productive windows experience on my surface pro. A computer that enjoys both the pc and tablet side of things. I use my surface for a blanced mix of entertainment consumption, work related things like reading and making documents and browsing the web. On occasion I edit videos and photos.
I prefer the startscreen design of windows 8 as the the most used apps are right at your disposal presented as live tiles. The live tiles also directlyl provide a myriad of glancable information that already helps organize my work and see an overview of what is necessary or interesting first. Get in, get out done. The charms bar helps quickly to change settings in an app quickly and the searchbar can quickly be found. It does a recent job of semi-indexed searches across apps and to a degree the desktop and peripheral storage devices as well. App design, switching between apps, multitasking and app snapping and closing app in the startscreen environment, which I think is a tablet environment, works nicely in my workflow. When I get into the desktop though, touch is a whole different experience. Because menu's and tiles and buttons are bigger in the tablet environment, pressing things there with the finger is more fluent and relaxing. In desktop you have the typical windows 7 styling with windows, taskbar and systemstray, operating it with your finger is tense experience, because the icons and buttons and lettersize are smaller, thus the errorrate of pressing the wrong button or missing the target button on pressing is greater. At first sight it may be a minor issue, but in the long run it starts nagging at you, leaving you frustrated and evading the startscreen in tablet mode.

If I look critically at my workflow with the surface pro I mostly use the startscreen (tablet environment). The only reasons I go to the desktop is to use office, advanced computer settings and options and filemanagement and microsofts free movie editing software (is good!) movie maker. These are not available as native apps yet on the startscreen environment. Hopefully this could change in windows 10 if they decide to make office apps for the modern UI, just like onenote. The pc settings from desktop and tablet mode are now combined, which is a good development. I hope they also consider making a modern UI app of windows movie maker. For me it is then not hard to imagine that the desktop environment could be phased out, in favor of a more (hybrid) tablet experience. But again that is my wish, which does not per se mean what is best for everyone. But I do wish microsoft would consider some more options for surface pro owners to be able to introduce more advanced features with windows 8.1 as the springboard designbasics and perhaps through toggles be able to switch on more tablety features and toggle off desktop features. Perhaps that would be af fair compromise.

Now, where do I sign up for those features....:)

I hope this helps LongCipher.
 

mjrtoo

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For those that don't know, you can just start typing in the current 8.1 start screen to search, you don't have to activate a charm search. It appears that is also gone, you have to open the taskbar and click in the search, then hit enter. Then pick your search item. Much less fluid...
 

etphoto

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Good thread. I did a clean install of 8.1 on my Windows 7 desktop. I never understood the people that got lost with Windows 8 and cried to have the desktop back. However, I must admit. After using 8.1 for almost a year now, I kind of miss the old desktop and was really looking forward to 10 so I can have both. Now, I see the a number of threads popping up with people crying about Windows 10, lol. (Unfinished Windows 10 to boot)
 

Nicholas Maguire

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For those that don't know, you can just start typing in the current 8.1 start screen to search, you don't have to activate a charm search. It appears that is also gone, you have to open the taskbar and click in the search, then hit enter. Then pick your search item. Much less fluid...
You're wrong. You can still just start typing once the Start is open to search. Why do so many people think they removed that? It still does it.
 

mjrtoo

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You're wrong. You can still just start typing once the Start is open to search. Why do so many people think they removed that? It still does it.

I'm trying it right now and it doesn't work, maybe it's the hyper -v install, bit I cam tell you 100% that it does not work on this install.
 

Nicholas Maguire

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I'm trying it right now and it doesn't work, maybe it's the hyper -v install, bit I cam tell you 100% that it does not work on this install.

Do you have the taskbar at the bottom of the screen? Right now there's a bug where it only works if you leave the taskbar at the bottom. Gabe Aul has said this many times on Twitter. But it works perfectly fine on both mine and my brother's PCs.
 

floopydoodle

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I don't mind refinement of the Metro UI, although a bit sad to see the side swipe features of Windows 8 go.

What I really hate is this wireframe design of the icons. It's just looks tacky and like something inspired by Android. It's going to look a complete mess next to the Metro 1.0 icons that MS won't bother to update, not to mention third party apps. Company logos like Facebook and Twitter translate really well to the Metro 1.0 style. I don't imagine they're going to adopt a wireframe design on their Windows apps.

The wireframe icons, in my opinion goes against everything Metro stands for. Almost to the same extent as skeumorphism. A favorites icon (star or heart) does not need to be hollow. It just brings visual clutter for the sake of looking "good". You can tell it's a star or heart because of it's shape. A clock icon however needs to be hollow because it needs something within it to represent the hour and minute dials. The Metro 1.0 icon style respects this and you only see wireframe where it's needed.
 

mjrtoo

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Do you have the taskbar at the bottom of the screen? Right now there's a bug where it only works if you leave the taskbar at the bottom. Gabe Aul has said this many times on Twitter. But it works perfectly fine on both mine and my brother's PCs.


I'll give it a go, I don't twitter so I'll never see those. :)
 

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