Just a little Photoshop job on Windows 8.1 Start Screen. Thoughts?

[floopydoodle]

You didn't overdo it, so I'll give you that. Well executed. But what I don't get is, just because one prefers the minimalist metro UI you're labeled as a MS fanboy. Flat and minimalist UI is not a fad and it will stick around for quite some time. There's a reason why wayfinding signs in airports and metro stations are flat, simple, and to the point. Because the focus is on the information. There is no reason to adorn surrounding non-essential elements. Let the content provide the "eye candy", not the chrome. Of course, this doesn't mean the UI has to be ugly. But it shouldn't overshadow the actual content (Good examples: iOS/OSX/Vista). Most people I know say they love how easy WP and W8 (granted, once you learn how to use the hot corners) is to use, and that they love the clean look.

[Sandor]

dem gradients

dat gloss

 

>being this out of fashion

[benthebear]

Looks nice.I'd tone it down a little bit more. Reminds me of the recent Windows 8 ads that shows a hand putting tiles on a start screen that has gradients and such,and then they all turn flat once everything is in place. 

[Mohitster]

Is there a possibility that some developer might be able to come up with a theming application for Start screen tiles? Is it technically feasible? Just putting it out there .. haven't heard of any such app myself.

[Captain Peasant]

I'm really digging most of the feedback this has received.  Quite a few people here have responded very well to this.  There are a few troubling posts though.

 

 

 

Well executed. But what I don't get is, just because one prefers the minimalist metro UI you're labeled as a MS fanboy.

 

Nope, that's not at all what I was saying.  I was merely saying that flat interface is what's hip right now, and this photoshopped image is the complete 180 of what Microsoft is attempting to do.  Microsoft wants flat solid colors with no drop shadows, no bevels, no gradients... frankly I'm surprised they even allowed the 1px border on their tiles.  I'm expecting a lot of MS fanboys to respond to any semblance of anti Microsoft sentiment.

 

 

 

There is no reason to adorn surrounding non-essential elements. Let the content provide the "eye candy", not the chrome.

 

 

There's a problem with that belief: App developers don't care about platform, they only care about their audience... and they want to release their app on as many meaningful platforms as possible.  Keyword: meaningful.  So far, Windows 8 hasn't been well received.  Maybe that will change once Windows 8.1 is released... and maybe battery life has a huge role in this too.  8.1 mobile devices should have much better battery life now...   To back up my claim, Microsoft has actually begun paying app developers to make apps... that should give you an idea of how meaningful Windows 8 has been so far.

 

So one of the most obvious key ways to differentiate your platform is aesthetic.  In all truth and honesty, there wouldn't even be a start screen if it wasn't for that fact.  Example: You would click your start button and a bland alphabetized list of your applications would appear.  Which if you recall, that's what we've received for the past versions of Windows...

 

I respect the idea that content should provide the eye candy, but humans naturally want to organize and brighten their lives.. and I think a flat boring interface just isn't the answer (my opinion).  I realize some people like the way flat solid interfaces look.

 

 

 

 

Way too much in the opposite direction. The new windows ui could use a bit more depth but I feel this was a bit overkill. Perhaps a happy medium?

 

I went through a few revisions before settling on this version.  This technically already is my happy medium.  My original had a lot more gloss and was a lot brighter.  I'm really happy with the way this version turned out because it manages to keep the saturation without increasing brightness... it doesn't have extremely hard glossy reflections.  I really think I've struck a balance with this one, but I'm not a closed book.  I could experiment with reducing the gloss even further.  How would you suggest making a happy medium?

 

 

 

Why would you ruin the UI with gloss and gradients? All that extra noise goes against what Metro stands for. The age of the "busy" UI is over with. Remember, K.I.S.S.

 

Fanb... nevermind.  Can you elaborate on how this ruins the UI... as this is just a photoshopped image? lol  Also, I've taken great care not to busy the Start Screen.  The bevels on the icons are really subtle... the gradients are really subtle.  The glows and gloss could potentially be more subtle, but then the effect would barely be noticeable.  The dropshadows honestly improve things imo because it separates the solid tile color from the background image, making it easier on your eyes.

[Sszecret Veteran]

First of all, thanks for using my screenshot.  :)

Second, I do like how the gradients look on the Mail, Music and One Note / PC Settings tiles. The ones that to me look a bit strange are IE, Skydrive and Reading List. Maybe tone it down just a little bit on those? 

Overall, interesting concept. 

[greenwizard88]

I don't like it. But I don't like the Metro interface much either. I'm hoping that by 8.2 they'll have most of these issues figured out :p

[cooky560 Veteran]

I quite like it :) Nice work (y)

[moloko]

I like the drop shadows on this.  A bit of gloss adds a bit too. 

[redfish]

I like the flat look, and not because I'm a 'fanboy', I liked flatness in visual design before Microsoft ever implemented it and was glad when they did. I'm a big fan of minimalism and simplicity.

[Skwerl]

Not a fan, but it's a nice idea.  In 2002, I grew tired of the federally mandated drop shadows.  In 2005, everything had to have a gradient.  In 2008, if your rectangles weren't rounded, you were sooooo 1995.  Now, everything has to be shiny.  Stop the madness. :)  I'm pleased with the simplicity of large fields of flat color.

[Kyang]

Looks okay.  It's the restraint that makes it work.

 

I'm fine with both the existing look in Windows 8 as well as gloss and shadow.  Both approaches can "look" good.  What's important is that the approach, and the steps taken to execute it, serve a purpose.

 

Something doesn't work is when it's made flat for flatness sake, or glossed to the point where the added shine starts to obscure the logo or image underneath it.

 

That's why I like Metro, which is so focused on "purpose", and why I'm a little ambivalent towards your mockup.  It adds unnecessary embellishments to the tiles.  They're unnecessary since none of the gloss and shadow really do anything to help the functionality of the tiles, the images within them, or the understanding of the user interacting with them.  At the same time they're done in a way that's so restrained they don't really hamper the things I just mentioned either.  I think the current implementations of the Metro approach have been built so solidly that it can stand more window dressing as you've shown here, or less of it like it has now, both in equal stride.

[Noir Angel]

I'm not sure why everyone's so in love with the modern trend of flat UI design, why not just go back to Windows 3.1 and ditch decent UI design altogether?

[Kyang]

I'm not sure why everyone's so in love with the modern trend of flat UI design, why not just go back to Windows 3.1 and ditch decent UI design altogether?

 

I think it's because the modern trend of UI design is about more than just looking, "flat", and Windows 3.1 doesn't hit on this, "more" part of said "modern trend".  As you implied, Windows 3.1 doesn't quality as a "decent UI" either.

[Noir Angel]

It's monocolour UI design, and cartoony UI design. The worst parts of XP and 3.1 all together.

[Skwerl]

It's monocolour UI design, and cartoony UI design. The worst parts of XP and 3.1 all together.

 

  "Monocolor?"  Try counting colors again.  As for comparing it to 3.1, that's just an ignorant thing to say altogether.  I don't think anyone who actually used 3.1 would find that to be an even remotely reasonable comparison.  Is "cartoony" really all you are able to bring to the table when complaining about large fields of color?  You didn't like XP's colors?  What is it about color that gets you so distraught?  Can't bear for there to be any joy or personality on the screen?  Does digital UI need to be as lifelessly tasteful as your beige walls?  Is your favorite marshmallow in Lucky Charms the brown ones, which really aren't marshmallows at all?

  You might not like the new direction, as design is subjective, but if you're going to spout off about it, at least try to do so in an educated manner.  If you read up about why these design decisions were made, you'll find that no direction was chosen willy nilly.  Each decision was made using science (be it psychology, user data or usability studies) and art/design theory.

[Dot Matrix]

I'm not sure why everyone's so in love with the modern trend of flat UI design, why not just go back to Windows 3.1 and ditch decent UI design altogether?

 

Because it's clean, sharp, simplistic, and functional. There's no superfluous eye candy distracting you, which keeps you focused on the content. Kyang also added: "They're unnecessary since none of the gloss and shadow really do anything to help the functionality of the tiles, the images within them, or the understanding of the user interacting with them.", which I agree with.

[Knife Party]

we need more detailed mockups, all must satisfied!

[Noir Angel]

Because it's clean, sharp, simplistic, and functional. There's no superfluous eye candy distracting you, which keeps you focused on the content. Kyang also added: "They're unnecessary since none of the gloss and shadow really do anything to help the functionality of the tiles, the images within them, or the understanding of the user interacting with them.", which I agree with.

 

Neither do wallpapers but people use them because they like things that are visually appealing.

[djdanster]

Very nice, looks a lot more appealing!

[The Dark Knight]

It's good, although I personally prefer flat and sharp. But it should appeal to gradient and gloss fans. :)

[AJerman]

See, I think the issue is that minimalism is definitely in right now, and I'm as big of a fan of minimalism as anyone else, but Windows 8 looks like Microsoft told the most artistically challenged person in the world to make it minimal. The massive expanses of flat colors, cluttered sharp squares all over, it really just doesn't look good. In fact, they've tried to make Win 8.x so minimalistic that they've gone too far and made it more complex and messy than it needed to be. I've said it before, but look at how they push squares like on the start screen, then news style apps try to use them for headlines and text gets wrapped horribly and makes the entire thing annoying to try to read.

 

I think your modifications on the stock look are massively better, without a doubt. Maybe even slightly more subtle than you've done in that picture, but more pronounced helps it show your modifications more. Some subtle gradients and shadows give it life without being overwhelming. You don't want too much or you go off the deep end the other way like KDE (older KDE more) where it just looks ugly, but EVERYTHING flat looks just as bad. It just feels.... I don't know, cold maybe, uninviting. Glass was a fantastic UI that MS did once they cleaned it up a little and perfected it. I'm not sure why they had to throw it all away and go as far opposite of it as they could.

 

I haven't looked into it at all, but can you skin Windows 8.x at all to where you could make a skin with these changes?

[Noir Angel]

You can do minimalism without doing ugly and that's apparently a memo Microsoft missed.

[Tomoko]

Looks better to me. I don't know why people say glass is "dated" just because Microsoft says it is. They aren't the lords of style after all.

[AJerman]

I like it, I don't know why everyone says glass is "dated" just because Microsoft says it is. They aren't the lords of style after all.

That's for damn sure. MS styling has definitely taken a turn for the worse recently. They can make Metro look decent... it just needs a little work.