[zxspectrum]

Also, I'm no fuddy duddy. I've absolutely no objection to OmniFocus being made to look a bit more smart. I just don't think an app meant to increase our productivity would benefit from the liberal application of needless glitter.

who is talking about glitter??? if used correctly, design increases productivity more than anything! not to mention the other great side effects..

[zxspectrum]

Originally Posted by zedboy

I find it funny that you are criticizing Omni Group using an example - Delicious Library, created by a company, Delicious Monster, started by a guy, Wil Shipley, who before that was the founder of Omni Group.

I tend to be on the side of those who are saying that most of the examples you gave are all style and no substance. Disco is perhaps the one of the most pointless pieces of software I can think of.

Make it work, then make it pretty.

true! but see my answer to 'justG':

(if used correctly, design increases productivity more than anything! not to mention the other great side effects..)


*also, Wil Shipley was smart to hire Mike Matas..for him, Design was a pure marketing tool! (unfortunately)

** and regarding your 'Make it work, then make it pretty' statement. i wonder what would happen to APPLE if they took your advise (90's anyone)

[Toadling]

Originally Posted by zxspectrum

i was asking..not telling.

I don't understand. Your original question was: "did you always use a MAC?".

So I'm asking you: why do you ask? Are you suggesting that long-term Mac users are more likely, or less likely, to appreciate good design?

Sorry for being obtuse, I'm just trying to understand. :)

[zxspectrum]

Originally Posted by Toadling

I don't understand. Your original question was: "did you always use a MAC?".

So I'm asking you: why do you ask? Are you suggesting that long-term Mac users are more likely, or less likely, to appreciate good design?

Sorry for being obtuse, I'm just trying to understand. :)

feel free to ignore my retarded english (i wasn't really born in SF:)

anyway, the answer is 100% yes! and they are willing to pay for it. i can prove it.

[brianogilvie]

Originally Posted by RobTrew

Not quite my point. It is the dyspeptic yellow to white edge which is both visually central and virtually meaningless. The association of yellow with context is not particularly a problem.

Is your monitor properly calibrated? I don't find the contrast particularly striking. I used SuperCal to calibrate my monitor and I think the default OF Context mode sidebar color is not that shocking when contrasted with the white background of the outline pane.

[bas42]

I just finished looking at THINGS. I know this is a conclusion short on detail, but I think OF is the clear leader. It does have a tendency to be bloated, but an informed user can benefit from this.

[zxspectrum]

Originally Posted by bas42

I just finished looking at THINGS. I know this is a conclusion short on detail, but I think OF is the clear leader. It does have a tendency to be bloated, but an informed user can benefit from this.

i completely disagree! THINGS is so much smarter, easier, and cleaner.

zx

(playing with it for 3-4 hours)

[justG]

I'm evaluating OF and Things side-by-side. Comparing them is pretty pointless. Things is necessarily simpler because it's a task manager, not a GTD app. While I consider GTD glorified task management, the vocabulary and concepts specific to that methodology necessarily add complexity to OmniFocus. This is neither good nor bad; they're just two different apps with two different objectives. This discussion would be far more fruitful if we could stick to OF's design and how it could be improved *for OF* and not as compared to something else.

[zxspectrum]

Originally Posted by justG

I'm evaluating OF and Things side-by-side. Comparing them is pretty pointless. Things is necessarily simpler because it's a task manager, not a GTD app. While I consider GTD glorified task management, the vocabulary and concepts specific to that methodology necessarily add complexity to OmniFocus. This is neither good nor bad; they're just two different apps with two different objectives. This discussion would be far more fruitful if we could stick to OF's design and how it could be improved *for OF* and not as compared to something else.

they are both tasks-management application! GTD is just a fancy word...also, Things is still in Alpha! but you can take a look at the future features, he got everything covered.

*the main difference is that OF is basically stickily following David Allen's methodology, while Things is more of an evolution of it...the next step.

**but when it comes to Design, you obviously can't compare them since Things is superior.

[zoltok]

Okayyy... I'm not going to touch this "Things" discussion - I jumped in here because there was a comment from someone from Omni saying they'd love to hear design feedback. So here's my 2 cents.

I definitely think both the design and some aspects of the UI could use some work. Here are my comments - I'm an interactive designer, not an application designer, but I will critique this as if it was being developed in my studio.

1. The overall look of the program doesn't gel with the new (finally) unified palettes of Leopard – in it's current state, OF looks like Mail.app on 10.4. Typography-wise, I wouldn't mind seeing the "Library" use the small-caps style of sections in Mail.app in 10.5, which would avoid the need for basic project folders to already be indented one level. Same for treatment of Contexts. Likewise, I'm really hoping that we use the same unified grey chrome that is standard on Leopard.

2. The "add action" and "Set Flag" buttons can align with the left of the actions panel, as they're actions that apply to tasks, not projects. Again, works a bit like mail on this one, that has the individual message action buttons above the viewing panel.

3. This is a tricky one but... each action item could have a bit more hierarchy punch to it, and in planning view, have a better visual relationship to the project name. To use an example: when I'm in the context section and I look at the first item in the list, it's a bit close to the top of the window, and is interfering visually with all that stuff at the top (the view bar, the sorting columns, etc). If I have OF set to only show me the next action, I want that next action to really stand out!! That's what this whole program is designed around, so it doesn't have to follow any kind of a plain list paradigm here!

4. The notes icon is way over on the right side of the screen, as is the flag icon. I would want these very important (and small screen-footprint) items to be on the left side, for easy access with my mouse.

5. If I have a link in my task notes, it's hierarchy interferes with the actual task I'm supposed to be accomplishing, which should be front and centre. Notes should look and feel secondary to the task.

6. I am currently using what I consider to be hacks for a few things, and it seems a bit silly that there is no native support for these things: namely, a "Waiting For" context, general folders for my Work/Home life (as many of you are using) and a folder under each of those for Someday-Maybe. I would NEVER have known to use those hacks if I didn't read these forums constantly. Call me crazy, but I think it's possible there might be a more elegant way of solving these problems.

7. How about making the little coloured due today/soon numbers in the dock match the ones used for Mail? They're currently a little tiny and practically falling off my screen.

8. Hate to say it as I've said it before but... I still think the view bar is awkward and in a weirdly unintuitive spot. The fact that they sortof-kindof look like column headings, and that they're all aligned horizontally... It just doesn't seem to reflect the logic of what they're actually sorting. Moreover, it seems having a series of dropdown menus there isn't best or only solution. I would explore the possibility of moving that whole view bar out of there entirely, and perhaps combining it + the perspectives window into a unified section that one can hide/view.

Don't get me wrong, I think this is a great app that has loads of potential. I bought the thing yesterday! BUT, I do think that the design has some problem areas that I'd like to see improved.