65 replies to this topic 3 votes

[grayscale]

With all due respect, I'm with theyarecomingforyou on this one. I find the default one better than this, but nice try.

I like the Zune-inspired mockup by Sputnik8 from The Verge but I don't see it happening. It's easy (relatively) to make a mockup than to actually implement it.


The Office route is more of a possibility since Office seems to be used as a test for their UI concepts:

[amnesia-]

Arceles, on 11 August 2012 - 00:06, said:

It's official, Neowin designers doesn't receive a coin, yet they outlast by far the designers of MS that literally, did a POS of Win8.

Plus, all those concepts were probably made in a few days. MS really screwed up this time.

[honolulu110]

My intension was to react on the colors you can select in metro settings:




For example I you choose the forth from the left, File Explorer might look like this:




@grayscale
this scribble uses for 95% metrics of current File Explorer of Windows 8 Release Preview.
Implementing is not that problem.

@all
I think main problem is the missing contrasts and that Metro icons are monochrome.
For this I guess grayscales post with the Office Route with an inverted version makes sense.
I'll try to make a mock up.

[honolulu110]

Adaption of Office 2013 style for File Explorer.
I did not find all icons in the Office 2013 applications – some are handmade and do not look integrated yet:



Missing icons in Office:

• Desktop
  
• Downloads
  
• Favorites
  
• HDD
  
• Netzwork
  
• File properties
  
• File edit
  
• File history
  
• File rename

[BigGiantHead]

honolulu110, on 11 August 2012 - 10:58, said:

My intension was to react on the colors you can select in metro settings:

windows-8-colors.png


For example I you choose the forth from the left, File Explorer might look like this:

windows-8-file-explorer-concept-3.png

The theme colours are okay, but it's the appearance of the navigation bar that's really jarring. It forces me to focus on it, rather than the contents of the window.


@grayscale: The Zune-lookalike UI is the best I've seen to date, but hell would probably freeze over before MS implements such an attractive UI to the entire OS, so I'd settle for the Office UI being applied to Windows. A little more UI consistency would go a long way too.

[Brebenel Silviu]

old concept

[veternan]

honolulu110, on 09 August 2012 - 22:21, said:

This week, I did some scribbles for a Windows 8 File Explorer that is more Metro like the current one.
What do you think about it?

windows-8-file-explorer-concept.png

MS should hire you as its UI designer! Bravo

[hungb.nguyen]

I started a post similar to this one few days ago, but didn't receive any reply,... Anyway, here is mine:

I redesigned the layout in order simplify it and save space,... I know the icons aren't metro yet, but trust me, metro icons look horrible when I try to use them for this concept.

[The King of GnG]

Yay, Windows 1.0 is finally here!

[Jan]

I made one as well:

[grayscale]

Jan, on 12 August 2012 - 10:35, said:

I made one as well:

This one looks awesome. Minimal and elegant. I wonder where you'll put the options though.

[honolulu110]

Thanks for posting other concepts.
As you see, I did not go as far as you and dared to omit metrics currently used in Windows 8 Release Preview.

@Jan
It is a good idea to remove the upper header and to combine window buttons (close, maximize, minimize) and path, history and search in one line!
But how can you move this window?

@hungb.nguyen
Samme issue in your layout: how can you move a windows with this layout?

@Brebenel Silviu
Have you more details of your concept?

[hungb.nguyen]

honolulu110, on 12 August 2012 - 12:54, said:

@hungb.nguyen
Samme issue in your layout: how can you move a windows with this layout?

You can drag and drop blank space of the title bar or the left side bar to move the windows, if you drag and drop inside the windows, it means multi-selection

[grayscale]

hungb.nguyen, on 12 August 2012 - 14:31, said:

You can drag and drop blank space of the title bar or the left side bar to move the windows, if you drag and drop inside the windows, it means multi-selection

The problem with that concept is that it defeats the purpose of focusing on the content. The left sidebar attracts attention of the user a lot more than the content itself. This is the same problem I see on honolulu110's earlier mockup where the ribbon is colored.

[FMH]

I liked the taskbar changes.

The text in the purple bar is a bit hard to read because of lower contrast.