Originally Posted by Craig

That yellow is not unneeded noise - it tells me at a glance that I'm looking at Context Mode rather than Planning Mode!

It is not message-free, but a color fill, and the meaningless but prominent white to yellow edge, are stronger visual stimuli than are required to convey the simple binary message of context vs project.

It is not meaningless decoration, but it is weak design.

[adgirard]

Originally Posted by zxspectrum

it's really not about taste people...there is a new wave of Mac APPs that are taking advantage of the Mac(+10.5). that's one of the main reasons that we are using a MAC.

Delicious Library
Pixelmator
Things
Cha-Ching
Disco
Xtorrent

Most of the programs you list above prime examples of "all sizzle, no steak". They _look_ pretty, but they don't work pretty. Call me old fashioned, but I use my computer to get things done, not look at pretty interfaces. I know that functionality and aesthetically pleasing interfaces are not mutually exclusive options, but most developers seem to think so.

Delicious Library - pig slow on even the fastest Mac if you put more that a few hundred items in it.

Pixelmator - pretty, no doubt, but not much to it. It doesn't do much that GraphicConverter hasn't been doing for years and doing faster.

ChaChing - pretty, but not intuitive and lacking basic functionality. Moneydance gives you more features and better performance for $10 less, and it's a Java app for goodness sake.

Xtorrent - Eye candy. Transmission gets the job done, for free. (And who wants to give money to the slimy David Wantanbe?)

[ptone]

Before this thread deteriorates quickly in to too much discussion of other apps, I'll throw in my 2 cents on OF.

I came to OF because I had been using OO for a LOOONG time for this sort of thing.

I like the clean interface. However there are a couple subtle - non-critical ideas where animation would improve things.

I'd like expanding and collapsing tree elements to be animated the way threads in mail.app expand and collapse, it doesn't slow things down, but makes the interface less jarring. When a long list expands, you know why the things below it are now off screen...

I like the dock style of drag-rearrange. That is, have things "move out of the way". This would be great in the sidebar.

You could also have little quick animations of items sucking into projects or folders when you drop them on. While some may consider this candy, it can help you see when you've dragged onto the wrong container.

I think some of these little touches can be done in a way that does not get in the way, but enhances the overall feel.

As an example of where this IS used, look at the subtle animation in the view bar when it is hidden or shown. That is the sort of thing I'm talking about, but that can all come later (There will of course be screams of horror from those who would rather not have ANY flash).

Also to those who say function trumps everything, note that other smartphones can do nearly everything an iPhone can, but nearly everyone tends to agree, its the design and the way things are done.

I'd say I'm %95 happy with OF from a design point of view.

-P

[zxspectrum]

Delicious Library - pig slow on even the fastest Mac if you put more that a few hundred items in it.

Pixelmator - pretty, no doubt, but not much to it. It doesn't do much that GraphicConverter hasn't been doing for years and doing faster.

ChaChing - pretty, but not intuitive and lacking basic functionality. Moneydance gives you more features and better performance for $10 less, and it's a Java app for goodness sake.

Xtorrent - Eye candy. Transmission gets the job done, for free. (And who wants to give money to the slimy David Wantanbe?)

[/QUOTE]

i agree with you on most of them...that said, why can't we have a software company that will combine the 2...except APPLE!!!

[zxspectrum]

I'd say I'm %95 happy with OF from a design point of view.

don't get this the wrong way...but - did you always use a MAC?

[Toadling]

Originally Posted by RobTrew

It is not message-free, but a color fill, and the meaningless but prominent white to yellow edge, are stronger visual stimuli than are required to convey the simple binary message of context vs project.

It is not meaningless decoration, but it is weak design.

I agree that design is not simply a matter of taste, and I've long been a fan of Edward Tufte, having seen him speak on multiple occasions and read several of his books.

But your claim that the yellow sidebar is stronger visual stimuli than required is largely subjective. What concrete evidence do we have that the stimuli is too much other than your personal reaction to it?

I see the switch between Planning Mode and Context Mode as, perhaps, the most significant mind shift in OmniFocus. It's one that allows the user to see the data from an entirely different angle. If this doesn't beg for strong visual stimuli, what does?

[Toadling]

Originally Posted by ptone

I came to OF because I had been using OO for a LOOONG time for this sort of thing.

I like the clean interface. However there are a couple subtle - non-critical ideas where animation would improve things.

I'd like expanding and collapsing tree elements to be animated the way threads in mail.app expand and collapse, it doesn't slow things down, but makes the interface less jarring. When a long list expands, you know why the things below it are now off screen...

I like the dock style of drag-rearrange. That is, have things "move out of the way". This would be great in the sidebar.

You could also have little quick animations of items sucking into projects or folders when you drop them on. While some may consider this candy, it can help you see when you've dragged onto the wrong container.

I think some of these little touches can be done in a way that does not get in the way, but enhances the overall feel.

[snip]

I'd say I'm %95 happy with OF from a design point of view.

I'm with ptone on this (maybe even 96% happy :), but some light animation could add value. It's a thin line, though, so it's wise to err on the side of moderation. Any animation needs to perform flawlessly, too, or it rapidly begins to lose value and become an annoyance.

But your claim that the yellow sidebar is stronger visual stimuli than required is largely subjective.

Not really. Even without the yellow there are enough visual cues to make it clear which view we are looking at.

In terms of information design the yellow is redundant. The vertical yellow to white edge is the strongest visual stimulus on the page, but it certainly does not convey the central message of the page. In fact it is practically meaningless.

[Toadling]

Originally Posted by zxspectrum

don't get this the wrong way...but - did you always use a MAC?

I'm curious where you're taking this.

Personally, I've been on a Mac, almost exclusively, for over 20 years.

Does that make one more likely to prefer "whizbangery" or less likely?

[Toadling]

Originally Posted by RobTrew

Not really. Even without the yellow there are enough visual cues to make it clear which view we are looking at.

In terms of information design the yellow is redundant. The vertical yellow to white edge is the strongest visual stimulus on the page, but it certainly does not convey the central message of the page. In fact it is practically meaningless.

What other significant visual clues do we have besides the color of the sidebar, the state of the toolbar's Mode button, and the sidebar's content?

If we eliminate the sidebar color differentiation, and the user chooses to not display the Mode button in the toolbar (or hides the entire toolbar), all we have left is content. Am I missing something?

Depending on content alone for mode identification feels like weak design to me.