[endoftheQ]

OK, I now have three different versions of OmniFocus (DeskTop, iPhone, iPad) with three different looking GUIs. For a premium priced product, I feel this is exceptionally shoddy.

Brian has previously stated that the new iPhone/iPad icons are loved and hated on a 50/50 split, but for those of us with failing eyesight they're nothing short of useless. I'm delighted that the designers discovered radial fill but why use it for the checkboxes? They now look like they need a good scrub! The use of tonally similar colours in the icons and other weird implementations such as grey-on-grey in the notes field do nothing for the visually impaired nor help give the impression that OmniFocus is a professional product.

Now, after looking at OmniFocus for iPad, IMHO the various implementations 'look' cobbled together separately, without any coherent overall design strategy.

[jlnr]

I full-heartedly agree. I don't even think failing eyesight has to be brought into the game.

Arguing about usability and aesthetics is really hard though, which is why I have completely given up on most free software. Design by committee (coming from e.g. this board) will only waste a lot of people's time for little result. Even using this board for statistical feedback is almost as biased as the App Store ratings coming only from people who already paid 32€.

The only thing that might help, IMHO, is if Omni would pick *one* really talented, brutal, OF-experienced UI designer and let them go over all three apps *at once*.

Please, please someone let the OF/iPad money be invested in exactly that.

[endoftheQ]

Originally Posted by jlnr

The only thing that might help, IMHO, is if Omni would pick *one* really talented, brutal, OF-experienced UI designer and let them go over all three apps *at once*.

I couldn't agree more!

[Brian]

Originally Posted by endoftheQ

Brian has previously stated that the new iPhone/iPad icons are loved and hated on a 50/50 split, but for those of us with failing eyesight they're nothing short of useless.

Sorry for the confusion, but I don't remember saying that - we've gotten more positive feedback than negative. I remember saying that you "can't please everyone", but that's not the same thing.

That said, if the interface is hard for folks to use, we do want to know about that. Email the support ninjas so they know about the issue. Thanks!

[jlnr]

Originally Posted by Brian

That said, if the interface is hard for folks to use, we do want to know about that. Email the support ninjas so they know about the issue. Thanks!

Done that, and the support ninjas are amazing!

But while some things can be easily argued and decided by consent, I think that design in general just can't. I couldn't give an undisputable argument for why the lack of alignment between some UI elements in the app distracts me more than working on the other platforms does. Really, might be that I am simply too quirky to be happy with the app, and it's certainly not a *bug*. Might also be that actually, it's something else that distracts me and I'm projecting it to the alignment because it seems obvious. (I really believe that the occasional flak that the font size gets is in part due to something else just *feeling* weird, but the font being the first thing to find odd. Is it objectively much larger than the text in other apps? Looks exactly the same as Mail to me?)

And I certainly couldn't validly argue why it would make me feel easier if the OF apps had something like a common, solid CI other than the purple icon. Criticizing UI design is complicated, and I wouldn't have tried to chime in if I hadn't read other people feeling that something vaguely seems strange. And I think that's where some UI magician with some distance to the iPad part could help clarify. I know I can't :)

[endoftheQ]

Originally Posted by Brian

Sorry for the confusion, but I don't remember saying that - we've gotten more positive feedback than negative. I remember saying that you "can't please everyone", but that's not the same thing.

That said, if the interface is hard for folks to use, we do want to know about that. Email the support ninjas so they know about the issue. Thanks!

Please accept my sincere apologies Brian, I should have looked up your quote. I'm obviously ready for the Maximum Security Home for the Terminally Bewildered. whpalmer4 is undoubtedly drawing up the committal papers! :)

[FatalError]

I'm "only" a user of the mac + iPhone version and also noticed the inconsistency of design and as stated above: the ipad now adds a third look. this should be unified. The new Icons for iPad + iPhone are lovely but please update the mac icon aswell. it doesn't fit at all...