KVR Audio

aciddose · Post by **aciddose** » Fri May 27, 2005 8:03 am

blue, if the code were OO, you could display a list of all properities of the control systems and let the user change the colors themselves. skinning, i guess. though i'd call it simply configuration.

infact, i did this by using a control color pallete on the tracker i wrote when i was a dumbshit at coding. you can use a global in your dll instance and configure all plugin instances at once from the same place, even. that is, unless you use bitmaps, then you're screwed.

JackDark · Post by **JackDark** » Fri May 27, 2005 11:52 am

I want to see more GUIs that don't resemble hardware components. Howabout a naked hentai chick that whimpers and squirms as you place naughty tentacles on her body in various places, each one affecting the sound in some strang way? Or a synthesizer set up like a chessboard that sounds wildy different depending on how you place the pieces... Fight the paradigms!

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Fri May 27, 2005 4:21 pm

Hi bluecat,

Looking at your revised example, one thing that comes to mind is that the monochrome approach might be working against your use of colour. Maybe try experimenting with mix-and-match of colours and contrast. I experimented a bit just by combining the colour schemes:

It isn't perfect by any means, but using the beige on green rather than green on green helps to visually delineate the sliders from the base. I also wouldn't bother with rackmount slots, etc, as in this case, the GUI doesn't look like hardware, so there doesn't seem to be a reason to have any superfluous hardware affordances.

Something to consider when designing a GUI is what are the most important elements visually for a user. Any moveable element, such as a slider knob, any graphic feedback, like setting display or a response curve display, and logo/brand identification should be given priority over general atmosphere/style. The reason being that the user needs to use the plugin, and so should be able to focus on what's of use to them without having to stop and think. Anything you can do while designing the GUI to emphasize the utility of the plugin is important. (A note on brand: it should be clear and obvious, but not intrusive. The cat ears relief logo here I find hard to actually see that is your logo.)

I think a great GUI is Bram's Supaphaser. It might not be to everyone's taste, but there is absolutely no question what's a widget and what's just neutral space.

I'd highly recommend reading up on GUI design and typography/information presentation. One book which I can highly recommend is Joel Spolsky's User Interface Design for Programmers, which is 50% free online (the print version added a bunch of chapters/new info after the online book was written). He really goes into detail about what to consider while designing.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Steve

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Fri May 27, 2005 4:37 pm

Thanks a lot. I have quite a bunch of ideas to work with...

emdot_ambient · Post by **emdot_ambient** » Fri May 27, 2005 4:39 pm

Sickle666 wrote:
bluecatonline wrote:I know I still have a lot of work (I didi not start looking at buttons, text and logo colors+fonts), but what do you think of this new direction?
A great step forwards.

Agreed. The most important part of a synth GUI is the lettering used. In your first example, the lettering blends way too much in with the background, making you have to strain to find the control you're after. In the second one, the letters pop out at you and BINGO! you know immediately where to go.

And the background color in the second one is virtually ignored by the eye--which is good. In the first example, my mind is constantly going, "Green. Brown/Green. Green. Brown/Green." I can't help noticing the background all the time. That's counter productive.

Oh, I do think the Kjaerhus GUIs are excellent. Everything is easy to see and makes perfect sense.

NPerez · Post by **NPerez** » Fri May 27, 2005 5:37 pm

I voted for classical guis. Detailed, colorful guis are better to look at(sometimes) but really a lot more tedious to work with. I prefer minimalist clean skins.

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 9:52 pm

What about this one?

shamann · Post by **shamann** » Mon Jun 06, 2005 11:17 pm

Definitely think that is easier to follow. Like that the knob colours match the response curve colours. And the logo is much easier to read.

Seems a bit big, though. I guess there is a lot of stuff to get in, what with 5 bands per channel and lo/hi shelves and master gain. But still, just looking at it, it looks a bit too wide. Part of that might be just there are a lot of repeated graphics over a fairly wide space, plus the smaller curve graphic makes the widget section out of proportion, like it's not makeing full use of space.

Not sure if this technically possible based on the effect's architecture, but it would fit better if you cut the shelves, added a function for the first and fifth bands to be switched into shelves, and change the position and appearance of the gain knobs. Maybe the 5-band +2 is a big selling point, but it seems like overkill to me. I know it might seem ridiculous to change function to meet form, but a certain degree of space economy goes a long way towards making something easier to work with. Ignore me if this suggestion offends.

So then it could be laid out something like this (but keeping the new colour scheme):

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Tue Jun 07, 2005 3:50 am

Thanks for your ideas. The issue is I already had to cut the number of bands

. And I personnaly like having 5 bands EQ + 2 shelving filters... It's never enough!
I agree with you that it's a bit big though... Mmh.. Going to look if I can do better here.
BTW I could remove some space here and there between components but it seems to me it's clearer when there is a bit of free space instead (maybe i'm wrong). Mmmhh... Another poll?

Any other remark?

hdouble · Post by **hdouble** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 9:14 pm

Functional, easy-on-the-eyes colors all the way.

kovacs · Post by **kovacs** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 10:20 pm

Colorful GUI's made by non-graphic designers simply don't do it for me. I need something that looks sleek and cool. It can be tacky sometimes, like most of the Kjaerhus Golden plugs. I like the analog look of PSP VintageWarmer but then again I don't fancy PSP Nitro too much (lookswise - the FX are awesome). Voxengo plugs are usually nice and simple but can be a bit tough to understand at first.

So I am pretty much in the classical school here...

McLilith · Post by **McLilith** » Fri Jun 10, 2005 10:48 pm

kovacs wrote:Colorful GUI's made by non-graphic designers simply don't do it for me. I need something that looks sleek and cool. It can be tacky sometimes, like most of the Kjaerhus Golden plugs...

You think the Kjaerhus plugins are "tacky"?

I think they are very clean, easy to read, and not plauged by problems resulting from some amateur trying too hard to make the GUI look like a 3D object. I'm talking about impossible shading and highlighting, obtrusive and unwanted glare on display panels, etc. Kjaerhus' use of tonal range is also very good. Items in the GUI which should look black are truly black, fonts have a good level of contrast compared to their backgrounds, etc. I wish more GUIs were like the Kjaerhus GUIs. They are extremely practical and usable, which is a lot more than I can say about several of the "fancy" GUIs out there.

take care,
McLilith

Blue Cat Audio · Post by **Blue Cat Audio** » Sat Jun 11, 2005 9:23 am

The latest version of the GUI can be found in this thread (more compact and hopefully easier to read)
http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... 3&start=30

KVR Audio

Poll: colorish GUI or more classical?

Bright colors or more classical?