VST GUI Rant

[hjack]

can i can i

[Sicklecell666]

can i can i

GO TEAM!!

[hjack]

can i can i

GO TEAM!!

LOLOL


Jackles time now

[Sicklecell666]

can i can i

GO TEAM!!

LOLOL


Jackles time now

WHEE!!

[intel]

[hjack]

[Sicklecell666]

[McLilith]

I'm not sure if anyone is still interested in discussing GUI clarity, but I thought maybe I should add a new on-topic post to this thread.

For those that might not remember, I started this thread discussing GUI's with issues of low-contrast, GUI's with intentionally added glare that partially obscures parameter values and other data, and GUIs which mimic backlit hardware meters and displays with uneven lighting. I tried to state that these things tend to impair the legibility of the GUI, and can create undue eyestrain.

Now, I want to ask a few questions of everyone:

Even if you can still read a GUI which falls into one the categories mentioned, wouldn't it be better if your eyes could read it easier?

Is there anyone here that doesn't think that eliminating purposefully rendered glare from areas of the GUI which need to display parameters and other important data, is a good idea?

(Sure, you can keep your specular highlights around the edges of panel windows and such, just don't let the glare intrude on the important data areas of the GUI.)

Am I the only one who thinks that low-contrast text and graphic displays are generally best avoided?

(I personally don't like subtle gray-on-gray lettering, for example.)

Does anyone else think that rendered backlit meters and displays should be lit evenly, and GUI designers should not try to emulate some of the worse examples of spotty hardware backlighting?

(I think that if a backlight is to be uneven in intensity (perhaps to mimic imperfect hardware?), the effect should be just enough to notice, not enough to distract or cause problems with low contrast in parts of the display.)

Finally, I just want to repeat that I don't care if a GUI designer creates a nice 3D GUI, or a nice 2D GUI. I just want them to create a nice legible GUI which is easy on the eyes.

Is that a reasonable thing to wish for?

I'm just trying to summarize my position, which has quite possibly been forgotten by some people, amidst all the pyrotechnics in this thread.


take care,
McLilith

[Sicklecell666]

I'm sorry for my part in the thread's silliness, McLilith. I only responded to like with like. I do hope the discussion can carry on positively from here.

Carry on,

[McLilith]

I forgot to mention trying to avoid having a dark shadow fall on an important area of the GUI, such as a control legend, parameter display, etc. Like artistic touches of glare on glass elements of a GUI, I strongly believe that moderate or dark shadows should be kept away from control panel legends, parameter displays, and other important areas of the GUI. They tend to reduce contrast and impair legibility. The effect is the same as purposely placing a hardware synth in a poorly lit room, just for the sake of the seeing the shadows that creates.

Does anyone disagree with the suggestion to generally avoid pronounced shadows in information-containing areas of a GUI?


take care,
McLilith

[McLilith]

I wish this thread had been more helpful. I would have liked to have raised some valid issues, attracted some helpful and constructive discussion, and possibly built this thread into a source of positive ideas that developers could keep in mind when creating their next GUI. As it turns out, I doubt that most developers would want to wade through all the negativity in the previous pages, trying to sift out a few positive comments, from all the harshness.

I've come to believe that using the word "rant" in the thread title was a bit of a mistake. I think it might have encouraged the wrong frame of mind. I used the word "rant" because in the beginning, I started with a short monolog of things that I wanted to see avoided in future GUIs. I considered my original post to be a good-natured "rant" on the topic. To me, rant meant something akin to "a detailed listing of dislikes". I didn't mean that it was an invitation to chaos.

Maybe we can make the rest of this thread more positive, and perhaps eventually end things on a dignified note?


take care,
McLilith

[Sicklecell666]

This thread's far from over. Don't let a few bad seeds (myself included) discourage your discussion as it's a very valid one. I agree with much of what you are saying here. Good looks ARE a positive thing; they psychologically attract you to using a GUI over an extended period & can be as important (wrongly, I think) as accessability & functionality of a GUI's design..and can also keep you intrested enough in the plug to continue using it until comprehension settles in.

It's a bridge. But it doesn't need to have shadows over info text, either..

[Lunch Money]

McLilith, with me you're preaching to the faithful. Gotta agree with pretty much everything you said.

That's about all I can offer, except--

I laughed out loud at those ebaum pictures... expecially "thisthreadsucks".

Greg

[Sicklecell666]

Who else has an opinion about it?

[Spe3D]

Bit like driving to work without first clearing the snow from the bonnet. – having something that impairs the vision can only lead to stress, and certainly impeded the progress of any song building.

Best regards,

Spe3d

:O)