Topic: Preview: Some UI changes in 1.98

Looks much more consistent than before. Nice changes Frits!
Even as a long time Podium user, some of your updates often make me think I am working with a complete new application 😛 which is very good btw! So, keep up implementing your excellent design ideas.. 🙂

Oh Yeah! Spot on! It seem like you nail it every time.

Can you provide a snapshot of what the button looks like when clicked?

JP

@Zynewave wrote:

Comments?

If I could I would pay you to simply design all day! Really nice Frits.

I was going to make some suggestions for Podiums UI but I have simply not had the time for a full mock up but I think this screen shot should tell the story…

A ribbon for Podium to eliminate drop down menus (or at least make them optional).

I read this articleon UI design and it was quite an eye opener. I definitely suggest you read it at some point and indeed anyone else interested in UI design in more detail.

The idea in more detail:

Arrangement properties should be taken care of on the Project start page before the arrangement is created. So the tabs for a new look UI for Podium could be for…

Composition
Editing
Mixing
Mastering
Save

Or (as it would be seen on screen horizontally)

Tabs for Composition Editing Mixing Mastering Save

Something that provides a logical progression for a producer. One would compose first , mix then (if doing so internally) move on to Mastering. Editing I would say might be placed aftercomposing as a tab.

This kind of placement of tabs is incredibly efficient for workflow and as of today I do not know of any host that provides this kind of logical layout for menus.

I have used Office 2007 for about 3 months now and there are many highly useful features in Word 2007, Excel 2007 and Outlook 2007 that were there all along that I just could not find easily and as a result not used them until now. The ribbon interface is far more logical, faster and incredibly intuitive to use.

Notice that the tabs are arranged in terms of the order of tasks you are likely to perform not just what you need. The order you will likely need them is the driver for the placement of the tabs. This makes far more sense.

Microsoft were running out of space for drop down menus and were getting requests for features in Office 2007 that were already in Office 2003! They simply had too many drop down lists and menus.
I initially tried the demo of Office 2007, Word 2007 in particular and was sold on the new interface very quickly.

It is sooooooooo different from the older drop down menu approach. I am getting things done far quicker and getting far more value for money out of the software as a result.

Also amazingly I have zero need for right clicking. Every feature I need is accessible from that Ribbon at the top. You can work in Word 2007 without anything ever dropping down to obscure your workplace. Same screenspace as previous versions of word but this time that same space is being put to far better use.

So how would this grouping work in Podium ?

Two ways…

1. Keep the current groups as they are but place them in their own ribbon. So instead of a drop down menu each for File, Edit, View and Setup we could use tabs with a Ribbon underneath it showing the contents of those tabs.

Something that can be dragged into view like the mixer so that one can easily revert back the older drop down menus if need be. A global option would be a good idea to set and forget.

2. Re structure the menus to reflect a logical workflow pattern. Something that will fit into a Save Compose Edit Mix Master Ribbon layout.

Even track level options can fit into these tabs as well as the File, View e.t.c menus to eliminate the need to use them. Everything as in Word 2007 can be accessed from a logical palcement of tabs that mirror a typical users workflow.

Thoughts?

very nice Frits!

Thanks for sharing the link Conquistador. Good stuff in there. I’m going to play a little devil’s advocate here with your example. My intent is not to totally disagree however, but to open things up a little more in the discussion.

I am a long time user of MS Office, back to Office 95. And like a lot seasoned users (with any newly updated app really) the new MSO was a mixed bag. Yes it looks nicer. And yes that new ribbon bar is probably helpful to new users and users who prefer to use their mouse. I am one of the MSO users that prefers the keyboard shortcuts though. And for me the new look of MSO meant that I lost more screen space for my spreadsheets in Excel without adding much for me as I prefer to keep my hands on the keyboard once they are there. Not a showstopper really but it wasn’t anything that was received with a warm welcome from me and those that work with me. As always, things change and one must learn to change with them.

I would only add that if Frits were to adopt this type of interface maybe a function key could be assigned to make it go away much like the F7 key functions for the mixer (I use that F7 key a lot!). And maybe not entirely away. Maybe this function key would toggle between the full-blown ribbon and a custom/minimal set of controls for the power/seasoned users. Just my $.02.