Android UI discussion

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

Is that a widget being used for the app launcher? Do you know how this one was done?

mycolorscreen.com

it's on the front page somewhere. They generally have some info on what apps and widgets were used.

 

[grkM3]

I'd like to know what lock screen that is also, it looks really good.

PS sorry for going off topic in the other thread but its hard to not defend android when people are posting things that are not true about it.

My s3 is not rooted as I just got a replacement and my screen shot above took litter ally 5 min to make it look like that vs the stock themed Samsung setup.

I install nova launcher and picked jellybean icons and that was it.my stock cell now looks like vanilla jellybean.

I was on a bunch of custom roms before and I'll wait it out before I go back to official jellybean for it.

It does not take hours to make your ui look good and the s3 right out the box is amazing other than its over aggressive spell check.

But thats an easy fix.download jellybean asop keyboard from market and use that.that's pretty much the only things I've done on my new s3 and got it to look smooth and run great.

It just annoys me when you hear things coming from iOS user on how the ui on android is junk.

 

[Jodell88]

This was one of the complaints about Linux-on-the-desktop. Utilitarian interface. Other complaints included poor support, ergonomics, workflow, etc.

This is one of the funniest things I've ever read on these forums.

 

[zsdersw]

Here's my GSM Gnex homescreen, Jellybean:

Everything I use with any frequency is on here.. everything else in the app drawer. No swiping to other homescreens. It's simple, efficient, and elegant.

 

[Anubis]

im not really sure how anyone can argue that stock android looks bad. its a "desktop" with icons on it with a clock, ISO is a bunch of icons on a desktop you cant really change

they for the most part are identicial, only real differences is that all IOS icons are the same size and shape where android does not lock you into a rounded square.

im sure people think mine is ugly or some crap but its just icons on a screen, its 100% functional

 

[ControlD]

This is one of the funniest things I've ever read on these forums.

I'm not sure where that came from either. I can remember working in an X (HP-UX) environment back in 1994 and it was by far the most advanced, best looking, and most functional desktop I had ever seen. My Linux box at the time was a much better desktop than anything MS or Apple had out at the time. I still think the Linux desktop is pretty good honestly.

 

[Jodell88]

im not really sure how anyone can argue that stock android looks bad. its a "desktop" with icons on it with a clock, ISO is a bunch of icons on a desktop you cant really change

they for the most part are identicial, only real differences is that all IOS icons are the same size and shape where android does not lock you into a rounded square.

im sure people think mine is ugly or some crap but its just icons on a screen, its 100% functional

What people need to realise is that people like different aesthetics. What might look awesome to you and I, might look like shit to someone else.

 

[dlock13]

What people need to realise is that people like different aesthetics. What might look awesome to you and I, might look like shit to someone else.

Precisely. You can't say Android in general looks bad. Especially when you can customize it immediately out of the box. You don't like the TouchWiz UI launcher/icons? Go get a new launcher and go get some icons and new widgets for free or paid from the Play Store!

Stock Android looks great, but companies need to have a way to differentiate so they incorporate their own design scheme. Some like those schemes more than others, but like you said... it's all opinionated.

 

[halik]

Looks like most of you have no idea that UI design has very little to do with looking pretty. Android is simply not there, because google just don't have the tendency to hire good UI people. They have a ton of very talented engineers, but that does not a good UI make.


Also the argument about being able to change is moot as best, because you most likely aren't a UI person and flashing a different rom on your phone doesn't fix it either.

Android has shitty affordances left and right (alarm clock input screen is a great example), contextual menus in inconsistent locations (top right most of time, but sometimes bottom right... or random icons all over), reeally stupid radio button affordance (drag the underline like a scroll bar? of course not)

The widgets are the only edge I would say that android has over IOS, but even that should be standardized somewhat (moreso than just the dimension, give it the same form to put things on)

 

[zsdersw]

Looks like most of you have no idea that UI design has very little to do with looking pretty. Android is simply not there, because google just don't have the tendency to hire good UI people. They have a ton of very talented engineers, but that do not a good UI make.

What, exactly, is "not there" about the Android UI?

 

[Red Storm]

Looks like most of you have no idea that UI design has very little to do with looking pretty. Android is simply not there, because google just don't have the tendency to hire good UI people. They have a ton of very talented engineers, but that do not a good UI make.

As has been said countless times, what makes widgets great is not their form, it's their function. It makes it more efficient, easier, and quicker to use the interface.

 

[Eug]

Would you be ok if Android was just a linux shell interface? You can customize the crap out of everything still.

Bingo.

Maybe MTV should pilot a new TV show, called "Pimp My Phone".

I'm not sure where that came from either. I can remember working in an X (HP-UX) environment back in 1994 and it was by far the most advanced, best looking, and most functional desktop I had ever seen. My Linux box at the time was a much better desktop than anything MS or Apple had out at the time. I still think the Linux desktop is pretty good honestly.

Well, back in 1994, I thought Mac OS sucked too. However, 1994 is almost 20 years ago now.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

As has been said countless times, what makes widgets great is not their form, it's their function. It makes it more efficient, easier, and quicker to use the interface.

the question is why separate form from function?

It seems like lots of people here see them as mutually exclusive. The thing is they shouldn't be. There are an assload of GOOD widgets out there that look great too. Mycolorscreen.com shows how you can use simplistic text widgets and build awesome UIs.

I love widgets and all, but a lot of them do look like crap.

 

[grkM3]

Looks like most of you have no idea that UI design has very little to do with looking pretty. Android is simply not there, because google just don't have the tendency to hire good UI people. They have a ton of very talented engineers, but that does not a good UI make.


Also the argument about being able to change is moot as best, because you most likely aren't a UI person and flashing a different rom on your phone doesn't fix it either.

Android has shitty affordances left and right (alarm clock input screen is a great example), contextual menus in inconsistent locations (top right most of time, but sometimes bottom right... or random icons all over), reeally stupid radio button affordance (drag the underline like a scroll bar? of course not)

What version of android are you talking about because since ICS nothing of what you say makes sense.have you ever ran vanilla android on a nexus? Its perfect right out the box and I've been trying to get my s3 to look and run like my old nexus on jellybean.

 

[Eug]

the question is why separate form from function?

It seems like lots of people here see them as mutually exclusive. The thing is they shouldn't be. There are an assload of GOOD widgets out there that look great too. Mycolorscreen.com shows how you can use simplistic text widgets and build awesome UIs.

I love widgets and all, but a lot of them do look like crap.

Yeah. I think iOS is behind the times, because they should have widgets as part of their (i)OS already.

However, my comment above was that the widget that grkM3 posted first looked absolutely horrible. It was plain ugly.

Widgets are a great idea, and I use them on my Nexus 7, but I hate the ugly ones. So much so that if it's ugly I simply don't use it.

What version of android are you talking about because since ICS nothing of what you say makes sense.have you ever ran vanilla android on a nexus? Its perfect right out the box and I've been trying to get my s3 to look and run like my old nexus on jellybean.

Yeah, since ICS, Android is much better. But that was the point: Before ICS it was a lot worse.

 

[Red Storm]

the question is why separate form from function?

It seems like lots of people here see them as mutually exclusive. The thing is they shouldn't be. There are an assload of GOOD widgets out there that look great too. Mycolorscreen.com shows how you can use simplistic text widgets and build awesome UIs.

I love widgets and all, but a lot of them do look like crap.

I didn't say they were mutually exclusive. In my experience widgets have not only made my phone look better, but it's much more efficient as well. The number two reason why I switched from an iPhone back to Android was because of the incredibly limited, stone age interface of iOS. It has not fundamentally changed since the original iPhone. That's just sad.

It doesn't matter if 85% of widgets out there look like crap. You aren't forced to use ugly widgets. We aren't trying to pretty up products to sell, we're just customizing our own phones so they look and act like we want. Having the option to do so is huge IMHO.

 

[halik]

What version of android are you talking about because since ICS nothing of what you say makes sense.have you ever ran vanilla android on a nexus? Its perfect right out the box and I've been trying to get my s3 to look and run like my old nexus on jellybean.

I have a Galaxy Nexus with 4.1, 4.0.2 wasn't any better. Take a look at the contextual menu button location in the calendar versus google maps.

The date/time input dialog box (alarm clock) has been lifted from iOS in the worst possible fashion - there is nothing suggesting that you can "spin" the date pickers until you accidentally swipe across. Don't start in the middle though, because it will do something else. In 4.0.2 they had little up arrow down arrow thing that were clickable, suggesting that you should click up down to get it increment/decrement. Complete fucking disaster.

 

[grkM3]

I have a Galaxy Nexus with 4.1, 4.0.2 wasn't any better. Take a look at the contextual menu button location in the calendar versus google maps.

So change your calender!

Look at the new gallery from the galaxy note 2 I think its the best gallery ever and we already have the apk to install it on the s3.

I was using yesterday on my cracked s3.if you don't like something change it.

I hate the stock email and browser on the s3 and I'm going to use Alsop vannila jellybean along with the email app from the ICS to make my experience the way I like it.

If you haven't checked out the note 2 gallery I suggest it as its way better than the stock jellbean/ICS version and that's what I love about android like when people start making custom ROMs taking the best things from different cells and themes and making them all come together.

 

[zsdersw]

But that was the point: Before ICS it was a lot worse.

... which is as useless as the fact that older cars are a lot worse in terms of reliability than new cars.

It doesn't matter that there are quite a few older cars out there in use. New ones are available. By the same token, it doesn't matter that Gingerbread and Froyo are still quite commonly found on existing Android phones. ICS and Jellybean are available.

 

[halik]

So change your calender!

Look at the new gallery from the galaxy note 2 I think its the best gallery ever and we already have the apk to install it on the s3.

I was using yesterday on my cracked s3.if you don't like something change it.

I hate the stock email and browser on the s3 and I'm going to use Alsop vannila jellybean along with the email app from the ICS to make my experience the way I like it.

If you haven't checked out the note 2 gallery I suggest it as its way better than the stock jellbean/ICS version

The date picker is part of the android API, so is the location of the contextual menu. Some 80% of the apps have it top right, some apps have it elsewhere.

The phone is supposed to be a tool for me to get shit done, not fuck around on xda-developers to try to assemble a collection of least-shitty ui apps. This is literally the same thing that plagues Linux on desktop... google should be providing something with an awesome UI solution out of the box, not a halfass starting point. You clearly are missing this point.

 

[ControlD]

Bingo.

Maybe MTV should pilot a new TV show, called "Pimp My Phone".


Well, back in 1994, I thought Mac OS sucked too. However, 1994 is almost 20 years ago now.

lol true. Funny how it hasn't really changed that much.

 

[Eug]

... which is as useless as the fact that older cars are a lot worse in terms of reliability than new cars.

It doesn't matter that there are quite a few older cars out there in use. New ones are available. By the same token, it doesn't matter that Gingerbread and Froyo are still quite commonly found on Android phones. ICS and Jellybean are available.

Not sure what you're getting at, buy my point was that before Android 4.0, the OS was quite behind iOS. It's a much closer race with 4.1.

Before 4.0, Google was emphasizing function, at the expense of form IMO. In 4.1 they're emphasizing both, which is what they should have been doing all along.

 

[zsdersw]

Not sure what you're getting at, buy my point was that before Android 4.0, the OS was quite behind iOS. It's a much closer race with 4.1.

Before 4.0, Google was emphasizing function, at the expense of form IMO. In 4.1 they're emphasizing both, which is what they should have been doing all along.

What I'm getting at is that your point about pre-ICS Android isn't relevant because it is out of date.

 

[Red Storm]

I have a Galaxy Nexus with 4.1, 4.0.2 wasn't any better. Take a look at the contextual menu button location in the calendar versus google maps.

Seriously? :|

In Calendar:

In Maps:

I dunno, I think it makes a great deal of sense to move the menu button up for Calender since there's no other buttons on the bottom. This is a very, very weak complaint.

 

[Spoooon]

I have a Galaxy Nexus with 4.1, 4.0.2 wasn't any better. Take a look at the contextual menu button location in the calendar versus google maps.

The date/time input dialog box (alarm clock) has been lifted from iOS in the worst possible fashion - there is nothing suggesting that you can "spin" the date pickers until you accidentally swipe across. Don't start in the middle though, because it will do something else. In 4.0.2 they had little up arrow down arrow thing that were clickable, suggesting that you should click up down to get it increment/decrement. Complete fucking disaster.

I think you have a point about inconsistencies, but I don't need little arrows to tell me how to use the "date picker." The faded out numbers above and below the selected number do a good job of telling you what to do without extraneous bits. Unless you're referring to something else.