New document dialogue unexpected behaviour - Publisher Desktop

[AllAppsUser]

file > new dialogue

Inconsistency: While A4 is highlighted on the left, there's custom document size settings on the right.

What happened:

• file > new --> trusted highlight around A4 -->  create --> Bam! Square document appeared (WTF moment)
• file > close --> file > new --> clicked on highlighted A4 > create --> got A4.

Conclusion: it's an inconsistency in the interface

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There's a lot more inconsistencies I've tripped up on. Was going to make a list and then post it all at once.

Should I just add all consistencies I've observed here, or post them as a list?

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Why these nit-picky details are so important

I'm not sure whether Serif have sight of the priority their interface inconsistencies should have. So I'm hoping this will help create absolute clarity. Depends how(if) Serif want to grow their market of course....

1. Each inconsistency is a WTF moment?? I hate WTF moments.... they inevitably lead to wasted time.
2. The apps are more difficult to learn than they need to be.

The above are big reasons why studios won't even think about converting from Adobe. Anyone know of a studio that was Adobe, but is now Affinity? If yes, how big are they?

None of the studios I work with have (all more than 4 designers). They know I'm committed to learning Affinity, and seem to put store in my opinion. I tell them they'd "be in a whole world of pain because these apps are still not there yet. Too many inconsistencies in interfaces and I'm not sure Serif are on it".

Strategically - Get studios converting and the market will follow. Freelancers are not the force that will achieve it. (Very slowly perhaps, via the few affinity freelancers who become studios.... not a market storming strategy in my view).

One thing I'd like to see is more hamonisation between ipad and desktop interfaces.. though that is really challenging. I'd counsel harmonising to the ipad, rather than the other way round (I've been using both).. no doubt I'll be shouted down, though I've sound logical reasoning for suggesting it. I've also a weirdly uncanny *record of predicting the future* where tech is concerned. I predicted the downfall of QuarkXpress long before Adobe acquired Macromedia... and the meterioc rise of a weird little search engine no one but me used, called Google. I recall my thoughts when I first saw it back in 1998: "that's a winner". Understatement?

[loukash]

1 hour ago, ProDesigner said:

file > new --> trusted highlight around A4 -->  create --> Bam! Square document appeared (WTF moment)

I think I've encountered something similar yesterday, but cannot replicate it.
Sometimes also, the New… dialog window remains blank until I click one of the preset sections.

[AllAppsUser]

1 hour ago, loukash said:

... but cannot replicate it.

If you select any standard size such as A6, you get a highlight line around it, yeah? Next, manually change a dim on the right.. does the highlight around the doc size you chose disappear?

If the highlight doesn't disappear, create the document, then quit the app. When you reboot the app, do you see the new document dialogue simply picks up the last thing you set it all to? So the dims don't match what the document selected on the left suggests they are?

Senario, a user tweaks ever-so-slightly the A4 dims for whatever purpose. Works then quits the app. Next time they go into the app, they create another document without checking the dims match (because you'd expect the two sides of the dialogue to coordinate would you not?). The new document appears on screen and because it's a small tweak, it's not obvious it's the wrong size.... my-oh-my, hours of design work ahead on the wrong size of document......

[Pšenda]

44 minutes ago, loukash said:

I think I've encountered something similar yesterday, but cannot replicate it.
Sometimes also, the New… dialog window remains blank until I click one of the preset sections.

You may be interested in:

 

[AllAppsUser]

You've got it @Pšenda - ahead by the looks of that post.

Now quit and come back in, and you'll see it sticks ready to trip you up.

Basically the two sides of the dialogue don't talk to / detect each other as you'd expect them to.... and they don't reset after quitting.

[loukash]

22 minutes ago, Pšenda said:

You may be interested in:

Přesně tak.

[Jowday]

14 hours ago, ProDesigner said:

You've got it @Pšenda - ahead by the looks of that post.

Now quit and come back in, and you'll see it sticks ready to trip you up.

Basically the two sides of the dialogue don't talk to / detect each other as you'd expect them to.... and they don't reset after quitting.

It certainly could benefit from some usability improvements - and a accessibility check.