[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by gerben

And if i look at Omnioutliner the omnigroup does have it in house to make it all a bit more osx 2009, so i guess we will see that in the near future.

What about OO looks more "osx 2009" than OF, in your eyes?

[Toadling]

Originally Posted by gerben

Out of the box OF isn't my cup of tea either, but after some major tweaking I got it looking a lot like "things"; for instance try using Lucida grande 11 point. Itunes and Things use this.

I set my sidebar font to Lucida Grande 11 pt too, which seems to be the standard for most (all?) Apple apps and many other apps (not just iTunes and Things).

I also set my main content font to Lucida Grande 12 pt, which is the default for the list view in Apple Mail and in the Finder, I think. Lucida Grande 11 pt isn't bad either, but it's a bit small for my tired, aging eyes.

My notes use Helvetica 12pt, Apple's default for user-styled text.

The end result is an appearance very similar to themes used in typical Apple apps (e.g. Finder, Mail, iTunes, etc.).

-Dennis

[Brian]

Originally Posted by uxable

My ideal scenario involves a 'theme' functionality that would allow any designer to customize the UI to some extent to achieve their optimal easthetic, no matter what that may be...

Theme support was added in v1.5 - the gear menu in Style Preferences allows you to save/load them.

[gerben]

Originally Posted by whpalmer4

What about OO looks more "osx 2009" than OF, in your eyes?

Well it looks and feels more osx to me, for instance the way rows fold in and out, it's just smoother. I'm not an omnioutliner user, so it's just an overall feeling really.
But what i can imagine turns some people down in OF aesthetics is that out of the box it looks somewhat dated and therefore doesn't blend in well with the rest of the osx applications. I don't think eyecandy will do the trick, but i can imagine a graphic designer who works in a more is less way could do some amazing stuff. I mean with something like omnifocus i would like to have the interface disappear as much as possible, the eyecandy should be in the content, and thats our responsibility. And it is a matter of taste too, i for one really like the design of devonthink; simply because i can tune it and it does disappear. But some people seem to dislike that too.

[uxable]

Originally Posted by Brian

Theme support was added in v1.5 - the gear menu in Style Preferences allows you to save/load them.

hey thanks for pointing this out. I had forgotten about that feature. More of a style tweek than full theme flexibility but still , allows me to adjust it enough to where it's more inviting to use. also found a thread on themes that provided a bunch.

[Toadling]

Originally Posted by uxable

hey thanks for pointing this out. I had forgotten about that feature. More of a style tweek than full theme flexibility but still , allows me to adjust it enough to where it's more inviting to use. also found a thread on themes that provided a bunch.

What?! How can you discuss OmniFocus interface aesthetics without being intimately familiar with the style preferences? ;-)

-Dennis

[AntonEngblom]

Agree.

More graphical love!!

[AntonEngblom]

Originally Posted by uxable

I'm sure you're happy with the existing look of the UI based on what you stated, but let's be clear about aesthetic elegance and usability. An appealing aesthetic is not about sacrificing functionality in any way, in fact quite the opposite. Software can be beautifully elegant and aesthetically pleasing in a way that enhances usability. It may be that you're perhaps eluding to a misguided stigma you may have that's associated with what you refer to 'pretty' interfaces that involve easthetic elements that do not play any role in usability, because it seems to be something you perceive negatively, and good visual design should rarely if ever leave such impressions. What I'm suggesting is much like the design philosophy employed by companies like Apple. Now, I'm sure there are those out there that mightr argue that the design and interface of the iPod is awful and they might not like it, but it's very obvious by the market cap of the product that the vast majority actually appreciate the elegant visual design of the product and its associated interfaces. Good visual design is not about aesthetics for easthetic's sake at all.

Perhaps the answer is flexibility. If the OMNI team did enhance the visual design of the UI, I doubt there's any reason they couldn't also provide the option of the more sterile, bland, stripped down look as well. My ideal scenario involves a 'theme' functionality that would allow any designer to customize the UI to some extent to achieve their optimal easthetic, no matter what that may be...

I totally agree. I like your parallel to Apple. They always improve their design. I don't know about you guys, but I don't call SnowLeopard dysfunctional...
They match the functionality with quality design.

People who don't want to improve when it comes to design are the same type of people who think "it should be as it always have been..." and "it was better in the old days.."

BORING!

There is a strong reason why Apple, Newspapers and many more invest in improving design ALL THE TIME.

There is a reason why people want a beautiful car rather than a ugly one even both of them will take you from point A to point B.

[whpalmer4]

Originally Posted by AntonEngblom

There is a strong reason why Apple, Newspapers and many more invest in improving design ALL THE TIME.

Unfortunately, in the case of publications, they don't always get it right. I've seen all too many magazines with new editors or publishers roll out some "new, improved design" which is a step backward, not forward. And you aren't really suggesting that everything Apple changes is an improvement, are you?

[Toadling]

Originally Posted by AntonEngblom

There is a reason why people want a beautiful car rather than a ugly one even both of them will take you from point A to point B.

I absolutely agree. Design is extremely important, not just in the way the app looks, but in how it works. This quote from Steve Jobs really drives it home:

Most people make the mistake of thinking design is what it looks like. People think it's this veneer -- that the designers are handed this box and told, 'Make it look good!' That's not what we think design is. It's not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works.

Originally Posted by AntonEngblom

People who don't want to improve when it comes to design are the same type of people who think "it should be as it always have been..." and "it was better in the old days.."

BORING!

There is a strong reason why Apple, Newspapers and many more invest in improving design ALL THE TIME.

But I don't think anyone in this thread is arguing for OmniFocus to stay the same. The Omni Group certainly hasn't taken that position.

So who are these elusive "it should be as it always have been..." and "it was better in the old days.." strawmen?

I think the opposition in this thread is merely saying that OmniFocus, as it is today, is pretty good, especially if you tweak the style preferences (functionality sorely missing in the competition). But there's still room for improvement, of course.

Considering that, what I'd still like to see are some concrete suggestions from all the UI designers in this forum. It sounds like we've got a lot of knowledge and experience to draw on. But other than RobTrew, few have offered solutions, only criticisms.

-Dennis