Windows 8 designers are blind.

By SubZenit
in Microsoft (Windows)

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SubZenit

Posted
Posted

I just installed Windows 8 RTM, I thought that Windows 8 RP is still a work in progress and the RTM will be much better (in terms of visual), but I was completely amazed but what I've noticed in the first 30 minutes of using it, take a look at the screen shot.

I guess the white stuff just made them blind, they missed out so many things, a small screenshot couldn't contain them all, I'm wondering if they would be able to make any changes or this is the very final build which will come out, anyway ugly is too less to say, they weren't able to follow simple BASIC design rules...

Also making your Windows Borders black will make the Title text disappear completely as it is black too.

Click to see the image large.

post-348440-0-11046200-1345295606_thumb.

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https://www.neowin.net/forum/topic/1099489-windows-8-designers-are-blind/
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Enthusiast

SubZenit

Posted
  • Author
Posted

Yep, the theme is awful. However you can use the theme from the RP which is a bit less awful (although I don't think transparency has been enabled successfully yet)

It's not about the theme, it's about the whole desktop interface, they left it so messy - I think they are trying to move the users away from desktop to the metro interface, lol.

  • etacarinae and SoCalRox
  • Like 2
Grand Master

Steven P. Administrators

Posted
  • Administrators
Posted

Yeah, this is why the theme should have been included in the Release Preview so that real world testers could provide feedback.

If you want thinner Window Borders, save below as window_border.reg and merge (restart required)

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"BorderWidth"="0"
"PaddedBorderWidth"="0"

Result:

post-2-0-94812700-1345296378_thumb.png

Mentor

grayscale

Posted
Posted

Aero transparency -> subjective. I can't comment

Taskbar -> Since I always use black wallpaper, it's not much of a problem for me.

Messy Explorer Interface -> in what way?

No wallpaper -> Don't we always just download wallpapers from the internet anyway?

1-Pixel stuff -> I can't see that on first glance so I don't think that is something that will make me hate.

All others (inconsistencies) -> Agreed.

  • Adam Skelton and Dot Matrix
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Noir Angel

Posted
Posted

It's not about the theme, it's about the whole desktop interface, they left it so messy - I think they are trying to move the users away from desktop to the metro interface, lol.

I agree, it strikes me as being unlikely that they could make it that ugly and not realise how awful it looks.

  • andrewbares
  • Like 1
Grand Master

Max Norris

Posted
Posted

Eh some people are more focused on looks than anything else, and can agree, there are a few places where it could be improved. Personally, changing it out anyway, so for me it's squarely in the "don't give a f*" category, non-issue.

Mentor

grayscale

Posted
Posted

@Messy Explorer Interface -> in what way?

I use black color and a dark wallpaper, and you can't see the black text in the top border.

Very bad design, the RP with tranparent+white glow background behind/around the top border text was a lot better.

Well, as a user of dark wallpaper, that's problem for me too but wasn't it that way on transparent+glow as well? It's barely readable when it's just the wallpaper behind it. In Windows 8, I just used the black taskbar + white borders/titlebar and moved on :p

Grand Master

+virtorio MVC

Posted
  • MVC
Posted

I noticed the Areo Snap missing line the first time I used it. I can't remember if it was like that in Windows 7.

The Up/Down control looked like that in Windows 7, and it always drove me nuts. Same for the inconsistent spacing for links in the Control Panel.

Enthusiast

SubZenit

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I noticed the Areo Snap missing line the first time I used it. I can't remember if it was like that in Windows 7.

The Up/Down control looked like that in Windows 7, and it always drove me nuts. Same for the inconsistent spacing for links in the Control Panel.

It wasn't like that in Windows 7, neither Windows 8 RP, they messed up in the RTM as it removed the 'glossy reflection' from the Aero Glass effect and other stuff.

  • andrewbares
  • Like 1
Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber²

Posted
  • Subscriber²
Posted

Yeah, this is why the theme should have been included in the Release Preview so that real world testers could provide feedback.

If you want thinner Window Borders, save below as window_border.reg and merge (restart required)

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"BorderWidth"="0"
"PaddedBorderWidth"="0"

Result:

post-2-0-94812700-1345296378_thumb.png

For even thinner, Windows 7-like settings:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Desktop\WindowMetrics]
"BorderWidth"="-15"
"CaptionFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,\
  00,00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"CaptionHeight"="-270"
"CaptionWidth"="-270"
"IconFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,\
  00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"IconTitleWrap"="1"
"MenuFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,00,\
  00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"MenuHeight"="-285"
"MenuWidth"="-285"
"MessageFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,\
  00,00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"ScrollHeight"="-255"
"ScrollWidth"="-255"
"SmCaptionFont"=hex:f3,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,\
  00,00,00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"SmCaptionHeight"="-285"
"SmCaptionWidth"="-285"
"StatusFont"=hex:f4,ff,ff,ff,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,90,01,00,00,\
  00,00,00,01,00,00,05,00,53,00,65,00,67,00,6f,00,65,00,20,00,55,00,49,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,\
  00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00,00
"Shell Icon Size"="32"
"AppliedDPI"=dword:00000060
"PaddedBorderWidth"="-15"
"IconSpacing"="-1125"
"IconVerticalSpacing"="-1125"
"MinAnimate"="1"

Result:

Computer.png

Contributor

Luke777

Posted
Posted

Well, as a user of dark wallpaper, that's problem for me too but wasn't it that way on transparent+glow as well? It's barely readable when it's just the wallpaper behind it. In Windows 8, I just used the black taskbar + white borders/titlebar and moved on :p

Well. see the picture, you can read the black text because of the white glow behind/around the black text in msn window.

post-187318-0-65572400-1345298549_thumb.

Veteran

~Johnny

Posted
Posted

Complaining about thing's that aren't aligned to the search box might mean something if they were meant to be, but they weren't :p The search box spacing from the edge matches the other spacings between the boxes in that row - it's not meant to line up with the scrollbar, and I don't see why should it. It's how it's meant to be frankly.

Enthusiast

SubZenit

Posted
  • Author
Posted

I agree, the 1 pixel stuff really irks me. It's not that I notice it during daily usage but it makes everything look a bit rushed. :/

EDIT: Which reminded me of the stuttering busy cursor in Windows 7.

I remember back in the days when Windows 7 build 7000 had the "Send feedback" link right on the title border of the windows, I'm wondering what was so hard to include it in developer & release preview so that they can fix their ****ty effects.

Grand Master

+Frank B. Subscriber² Popular Post

Posted
  • Subscriber²
  • Popular Post
Posted

One of the problems with Microsoft is the lack of UI consistency across product teams. Take a look at the following screenshot:

capture.png

Four MS programs, four ever so slightly different UIs. How hard can it be to design a consistent HIG for Windows and all first-party applications, and force the various units within Microsoft to adhere to it?

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