[Concept] New Ribbon UI !

[Zain Adeel]

Hello guys.

As sad i was to hear that ribbon is here to stay in windows 8. Sad not because i dont like it. I dont. But good that we can minimize it. Sad because i was hoping for a metro desktop environment. Something like i did in my earlier concepts but i understand its too early and people will not like such a drastic change to their much loved Aero UI.

Realising that Ribbon is here to stay. I challanged myself to make a Ribbon UI that is consistent. And beautiful. (also something mature)

I ended up with this. I did all the icons myself. Not really an iconist. But these alone took me a few days.

I did this just to show MS how its done!. Like a boss! :p just kidding.

Its my humble request to their design team to please improve the ribbon UI so my eyes dont bleed.

Everything is self explanatory. Remember. This is not a NEW RIBBON CONCEPT. I wont do that because its useless as MS is sticking to this UI. What i did is redid the whole UI elements. Like a skin or theme. To show it can look alot better with better graphics.

First 2 files are MS Beta shots. (almost beta).

The other 3 are my designs. I would go with a single size icon. Small yet touch friendly. With no text. But a simple option to enable or disable it. I am showing both the options and also a minimized Ribbon UI aswell.

Hope you like it all.

[Astra.Xtreme]

I think how it's organized really nicely, but I don't like how it's colorless. Any reason why you chose to go that route? It just seems too bland without color.

[Roger H. Veteran]

OMG, that's gross. :x LOL Sorry but i rather the other one much more. Monotone UIs don't help with easily finding stuff. You may not use it but that "blue E" on the desktop for most people is where they find the internet. If you were to change that to a red or something else most people would just complain.

The good thing with Windows I guess is that you can change some stuff on your own to make it "Personal" so you do that :p

[Jason S. Global Moderator]

i just hate how the ribbon takes up so much real estate. it's like 30% of the window is ribbon...

[remixedcat]

dark version please!

[pack34]

i just hate how the ribbon takes up so much real estate. it's like 30% of the window is ribbon...

It's collapsed by default so if you need it you click the tab, then action, and it disappears again.

[Charisma Veteran]

I like it, but then, I'm kind of a minimalist. I'm not a big fan of the ribbon thing, but if I have to have one, I prefer yours. :) Well done.

[LaP]

It's better than MS ribbon imo. But i must say i dislike ms ribbon a lot so ...

I like the concept of the ribbon. I have Photoshop CS2 at work and the tool bar is kinda like a ribbon and i like it.

My main problem with MS ribbon is it's way too big and crowded. Yours is less crowded but it's still a little bit too big imo. You could reduce the height by a couple of pixels.

It's collapsed by default so if you need it you click the tab, then action, and it disappears again.

It still take 30% of the window space for no reason when not collapsed. It's simply too big and crowded for no reason.

[tsupersonic]

I like it, but then, I'm kind of a minimalist. I'm not a big fan of the ribbon thing, but if I have to have one, I prefer yours. :) Well done.

That is anything but minimal. I don't like the concept, because it is too cluttered, and takes up way too much real estate. I like how Windows 7 presents Windows Explorer. I like how the menu (File, Edit, View, Tools, Help) is hidden by default. I don't use it often enough, and even if you do need it, just hit the ALT key.

[Detection]

The main thing MS need to address is the ancient yellow folders, yes they have updated the look of the icon, but the colour is still ancient

[Charisma Veteran]

That is anything but minimal. I don't like the concept, because it is too cluttered, and takes up way too much real estate. I like how Windows 7 presents Windows Explorer. I like how the menu (File, Edit, View, Tools, Help) is hidden by default. I don't use it often enough, and even if you do need it, just hit the ALT key.

I don't see how you think it's cluttered--it is a lot simpler and cleaner than the original. I like the monochrome as well. I do think it's still too large, though, yes. A thinner ribbon would be nice.

The main thing MS need to address is the ancient yellow folders, yes they have updated the look of the icon, but the colour is still ancient

The majority of physical folders you buy like that are still the yellow manila folders, which is what they were trying to emulate. It's rather iconic (excuse the pun) at this point, so I don't think it's quite as much of an issue.

[Brian Miller]

Why so grey?

That's bad HCI.

Microsoft, STOP copying mistakes by Apple and start hiring learned HCI researchers and not idiots with a 2bit degree with zero industrial experience.

[+Frank B. Subscriber²]

You Lion-ified¹ Windows Explorer. Which isn't a bad thing; I prefer the monochrome version. In a way it reminds me of Windows 2000 with its monochrome toolbar icons which only were coloured when active. Great job - if anyone from the folks in Redmond is reading this topic: Copy license Zain Adeel's design to use instead of the messy looking one in your screenshots please.

¹Apple changed the sidebar icons in Finder from coloured to monochrome in OS X 10.7 'Lion'.

[Azies]

No

[+virtorio MVC]

As is Lion, I find the grey icons are too hard to distinguish from one another (especially the 16x16) icons.

It also doesn't address the problem I have with the ribbon (other than it's existence) which is it's too big for no real reason. My notebook has a fairly low-res screen and I don't consider having my toolbar "minimize" a valid solution.

Why so grey?

That's bad HCI.

Microsoft, STOP copying mistakes by Apple and start hiring learned HCI researchers and not idiots with a 2bit degree with zero industrial experience.

This isn't a mockup from Microsoft.

[Detection]

When Windows 8 is released, if the above shots are the same, I would take OP's modded theme over the default one any day

This isn't a mockup from Microsoft.

No, its a design by the OP

[+virtorio MVC]

No, its a design by the OP

No s**t.

[.Neo]

While others hated it, I personally loved it when Apple went monochromatic with iTunes' sidebar buttons and later on system-wide with OS X Lion. It just radiates a sense of tranquility and allows you to fully focus on content rather than window chrome. To me the Ribbon on the other hand looks like an onorganized explosion of different sized icons, colors, text, blank space, tabs stacked on top of more tabs and whatnot. It seems cluttered, messy and really steals away the focus of what really matters: content.

When I focus on content while working with the Finder, Safari, Mail etc. the window chrome (on OS X Lion there's only the title and toolbar) sort of blurs away and doesn't take away my attention. When using Windows 8's Windows Explorer the Ribbon keeps screaming "HELLOOHOO! I'M HERE!!!", something I find extremely annoying.

You basically took what Apple did to OS X Lion and its apps and applied it to Windows Explorer. Your modification takes away the emphasis from the Ribbon and shifts it to the window's content, the way it should be. On top of that the window has a more balanced appearance instead of looking like it could collapse at any moment under the Ribbon's weight. I like it. (Y)

[floopydoodle]

Eww. Looks like some random Linux distro. :s

Sorry

[Charisma Veteran]

You know... I once heard the default, brightly-coloured Start menu in XP described as "Fisher-Price-like", and it stuck with me. That's what Metro and their ribbon UI seem like to me--clunky and colourful, like toys made for 3-year-olds. I would like an GUI for adults, please.

(I know, I know, I'll go back to Linux.)

[The Laughing Man]

Yea good job Microsoft lets add more crap to explorer (regardless if you can hide it or not) clutter clutter clutter!!!

[.Neo]

The Finder by comparison. Sorry, couldn't resist! :laugh:

[Quillz]

The main thing MS need to address is the ancient yellow folders, yes they have updated the look of the icon, but the colour is still ancient

They won't change it for the same reason save icons are still a floppy disk, even though no one uses them anymore.

[Detection]

You know... I once heard the default, brightly-coloured Start menu in XP described as "Fisher-Price-like", and it stuck with me. That's what Metro and their ribbon UI seem like to me--clunky and colourful, like toys made for 3-year-olds. I would like an GUI for adults, please.

(I know, I know, I'll go back to Linux.)

+1

Exactly what I said not a week ago, MS treating us all like blind children, XP the crayon drawing, Metro UI the childrens building blocks.

Linux is looking more and more tempting every day

[Zain Adeel]

I think how it's organized really nicely, but I don't like how it's colorless. Any reason why you chose to go that route? It just seems too bland without color.

It is not colorless. Its monochrome. And the reason is perfectly explained by Neo here.

dark version please!

Dark version is out of the question. For the same reason as explained by Neo.

Some text in the ribbonUI just gotta be removed like "Clipboard, organize, new, open, and Select". An we'll beable to gain some of that space back.

I think clipboard and such heading texts should stay. And other icon text should not be there.

You Lion-ified¹ Windows Explorer. Which isn't a bad thing; I prefer the monochrome version. In a way it reminds me of Windows 2000 with its monochrome toolbar icons which only were coloured when active. Great job - if anyone from the folks in Redmond is reading this topic: Copy license Zain Adeel's design to use instead of the messy looking one in your screenshots please.

¹Apple changed the sidebar icons in Finder from coloured to monochrome in OS X 10.7 'Lion'.

Thank you. I wasnt going for the OSX lion look .. But it looks alot like it because of the monochrome icons. I tried other color but i prefer this as its more professional

While others hated it, I personally loved it when Apple went monochromatic with iTunes' sidebar buttons and later on system-wide with OS X Lion. It just radiates a sense of tranquility and allows you to fully focus on content rather than window chrome. To me the Ribbon on the other hand looks like an onorganized explosion of different sized icons, colors, text, blank space, tabs stacked on top of more stacks and whatnot. It seems cluttered, messy and really steals away the focus of what really matters: content.

When I focus on the content in while working with the Finder, Safari, Mail etc. the window chrome (on OS X Lion there's only the title and toolbar) sort of blurs away and doesn't take away my attention. When using Windows 8's Windows Explorer the Ribbon keeps screaming "HELLOOHOO! I'M HERE!!!", something I find extremely annoying.

You basically took what Apple did to OS X Lion and its apps and applied it to Windows Explorer. Your modification takes away the emphasis from the Ribbon and shifts it to the window's content, the way it should be. On top of that the window has a more balanced appearance instead of looking like it could collapse at any moment under the Ribbon's weight. I like it. (Y)

Thank u Neo. This wouldve been my reply. Exactly this!!! Perfectly put by Neo. Thats the reason they are monochrome. Because they are too loud the way they are and distract us from the content.

To all the ignorant. THIS IS HOW I THINK RIBBON SHOULD BE THEMED! it is not MY CONCEPT of ribbon. I would imagine something different. This is just how they can choose to theme it for a change.

And to others.. Glossy glassy buttons are done to death!!!.. Metallic buttons are done to DEATH!. so like other with thick gradients. I went for something like rubber touch. Flatter.