[Thought] Remarks on the new UI (3.1.0.11)

answered 2019-07-25 15:04:40 +0200

Kabouik
909 ●19 ●37 ●40

updated 2019-07-27 19:33:40 +0200

I agree with @nerip, there are nice additions with the new UI, but I think there are a few regressions as well.

• The numerous new icons can be a bit distracting, and the overall UI just feels busier and messier than it was. Sometimes it is to improve usability, sometimes I don't see real benefits, like subcategory icons in contacts details. The minimalistic look of Sailfish was part of its unique signature, I think preserving it where adding icons does not improve ergonomics would be best.
• Like @nerip, I don't see the point of the big topright button in Messages, and the huge header added on top of the page to display the contact name seems out of place. I actually hate it, but that's just my opinion. No status bar and 100% screen estate for content always has been a central feature of Sailfish UI. While some people did criticize this paradigm, they were mostly missing a status bar, not big headers on top of applications pages. Currently, 10% of the screen estate is lost in Messages just to show the contact name instead of the messages themselves. I would prefer to see the header just completely removed, as before, with just the left and right page-indicator dots. The Messages app does not need category names because the three pages are sorted by increasing level of detail, which is classic and does not need a legend: Conversations > Messages > Details.
• About multipage applications in which pages really have distinct purposes (like Phone and Clock), instead of different levels of details, page indicators showing the category names can be useful. I actually like that it is text-only and that the text is small. Not quite agreeing with @nerip on this one because the minimalistic look has been preserved while adding information. I like those category indicators it the way you designed them in 3.1. But they are not the same as the contact name discussed above in Messages, nor do they serve the same goal.
• When taking a picture with the Camera app, one can go back with a swipe to check the photos that have just been taken, delete, or share. Before 3.1, I believe one could also browse pictures taken earlier than the last shooting, which was extremely useful and more convenient than opening the Pictures application to quickly check picture history. This is not possible anymore and opening Pictures just after Camera just for this can be very cumbersome. [Edit] Turns out it was the same before, sorry about that one. Still, I see no reason why the quick history in the Camera application should be limited to the last shooting session. Why not allowing browsing further back? Turns out everything seems to be OK and working as expected, I don't know where I screwed up my first test, but the second confirmed that we can go several shooting sessions back unless the camera was opened from lock state. Sorry for the noise.
• MMS pictures, when maximized, can now only be closed with a downwards swipe or by tapping the closing cross. I think it was possible to swipe rightwards in previous version. This felt natural because the transitions between Conversation > Single message with picture > Maximized picture were all horizontal, swiping in one direction was just increasing/decreasing the level of detail at each step, like going back and forth. Now using two distinct directions feels clumsy and unnatural. Allowing both downwards and rightwards swipe could work and every one would be happy regardless of their preferences: there is no conflict on this page to go back with an horizontal swipe.
• Clock application: I really dislike that Countdowns is the default page. All I want to do when opening this application is check if I correctly set up my alarm clock, and I'm sure many people use it mainly for this. Perhaps some would prefer having countdowns or stopwatch first, so what about having a kind of "Save last page position" when closing the app, and restore the same page when reopening Clock? This could work for Phone as well.

answered 2019-07-25 21:00:54 +0200

ApB
27604 ●302 ●421 ●409

Some remarks after playing with it for a bit:

The colour of active tab and non active tab are almost indistinguishable on the Airy ambience and most likely other light ambiances.

The size of the text should also be optimized. (too big IMO)

Also the tabs should be more carousel like with the active tab always in the middle ie. [Inactive Active Inactive]

And if possible give the ability in the settings to default to a specific tab. Ie when i open the phone i'd prefer the Dialer to show up.

Some animation when you tap a letter in the new scroller would be more than welcome.

The Media app could hugely benefit from Tabs and the new scroller.

But all in all those two things were a nice addition to SFOS.

Thanks Sailors. :)

answered 2019-07-26 09:05:51 +0200

wojtek14
333 ●5 ●7 ●13

updated 2019-07-26 09:10:17 +0200

I think that despite great change in People app (quick move by clicking one of the letters on the right), the Messages app cannot be accepted. The huge contact bar with the phone icon is a nightmare, while the message boxes look so adroidish that I wonder if people from Jolla want to quietly switch us to that Google swamp. Also the send icon looks really childlish now, I really preferred simple "Send" button. I also hope for quick fix for the Clock app.

answered 2019-08-07 17:26:52 +0200

Maus
2032 ●20 ●42 ●54

updated 2019-08-29 10:03:43 +0200

I just noticed a calendar UI regression.

Think of a calendar event with an organiser and an attendee. Opening the detail view of the event, I find the list of attendees sometime vanishes for some seconds, finally reappears to stay.

I can't seem to reproduce the "flickering" of the attendee list consistently, but I've seen it more than once, especially just after starting the Calendar app.

answered 2019-08-29 03:07:27 +0200

rozgwi
4618 ●49 ●77 ●79

With regard to the new design of People:

Sailfish designs are simple, beautiful and uncluttered. Content is presented clearly, text is legible, animations, haptics and sounds follow an overall theme and support user interactions

Quote from the SFOS wiki on User Experience

The icons as they are arranged now make the contact view appear more cluttered, text labels for the types (e.g. private, office) used to be bigger and more legible.