multi Add a Lighter/Brighter UI-mode (implemented)

[ottobyte]

Wow! that is soon much better. Is this official or a mock. Brilliant either way.

[A_B_C]

Interesting! And pleasing to the eye ...  :)

[bpedit]

I like the existing icon size, please don't do away with that.

[retrograde]

I'm fine with the current setup but that mock up is very easy on these eyes... I could work in that environment. I kinda like that flat style too... 

 

Some great comments by Scott Dutton above as well.

[Andreas Larsen]

Wow! that is soon much better. Is this official or a mock. Brilliant either way.

 

Thanks, just a mockup but we can always hope they'll create something like it

 

 

Interesting! And pleasing to the eye ...  :)

 

Thanks

 

I like the existing icon size, please don't do away with that.

 

This is just a mockup, not intended to replace the existing UI, would just like it as an option (to choose themes maybe)

 

 

I'm fine with the current setup but that mock up is very easy on these eyes... I could work in that environment. I kinda like that flat style too... 

 

Some great comments by Scott Dutton above as well.

 

 

Thanks, I tried to remove as much chrome and color as possible and to keep the yosemite style that users are familiar with => more focus on content. 

 

Added some more: 

 

[A_B_C]

Great! By the way, what font did you use? ... definitely not the somewhat mis-chosen Helvetica Neue UI of the Yosemite OS  ...  ;)

[MEB]

@ A_B_C

Source Sans Pro by Adobe. You can get it for free here.

[A_B_C]

Hi MEB, thanks a lot! Looks pretty good ...   :)

[Andreas Larsen]

Hi MEB, thanks a lot! Looks pretty good ...   :)

 

you can change it on your system (the are some on github) but they have a few bugs. I use lucida grande https://github.com/schreiberstein/lucidagrandeyosemite

[A_B_C]

Great, thanks! But ... to get back to the topic ...  ;) ... I am still feeling the GUI of Affinity Designer is to dark ...  :(

[monk]

Too dark and icons are too small. +1

[Raskolnikov]

Los these mockups!!!

[Arctic Gorilla]

I would like to add my voice to this request. I'm having substantial problems with "light grey on black" interface design. The contrast is just not very good. In a brightly lit room, as the one I work in, it is rather difficult to use and it induces headaches after a while.

 

I have the same problem with Pixelmator. I hope you will be different than the Pixelmator team, which absolutely refuses to offer the possibility of customising the UI colour scheme. There are graphic professionals in their 50s and 60s who might not have the eyes of our younger colleagues. Please consider our needs, too. Thank you!

+1

 

The lighter mockup by Andreas really makes the colours pop.

[Jens Krebs]

I don't want to be the party pooper, but … after having used the software for a couple of month, I really have gotten used to the. dark UI and like it a lot.

I'd say: let these good prople crack on with Photo and Publisher and push the interface discussion till much, much later.

[Raskolnikov]

Just an option, for those who can't see well "in the darkness"

[A_B_C]

You mean those of us not being cats? ...  ;)

[LilleG]

+1 for the Option to have a lighter color for the UI and also for an option for larger icons.  My older eyes no longer do dark and fiddly that well.  And I agree with Scott Dutton that a neutral gray gives you a much better idea of color values.  

[ronnyb]

The main UI controls/preferences needed, IMO, are: 1. contrast 2. brightness and 3. saturation (mostly for active vs. inactive icons/tools/toggles). It would be nice to have an opacity+blur setting as well, to allow a sandblasted/diffused, glass-like UI, through which the artwork comes thru and determines the color of the UI. This would remove any issues of UI interfering with the user's color perception, as the UI color would be determined by the artwork itself... Just my 2 cents

[tarsal]

Yep, hate the dark low contrast GUI.

Here's hoping it becomes more Photoshop like in that department as development progresses.

 

How do you get coloured icons like in this video???

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=eInwlUWtw-w

[tarsal]

Sorry, this video:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=einwlUWtw-w

 

Sorry, duplicate.

[RPJ]

For the record, I think the Affinity team at Serif have done, and are continuing to do, a terrific job. By releasing the Affinity suite they are addressing a serious gap in the market (brilliantly opened up further by Adobe and their subscription model). So this post is essentially supportive and is not taking a pop at anyone.

 

However, there is a distinct lack of comment from MEB and the posse on the topic of this thread. Namely, that a significant number of people find the dark UI difficult to work with. On other threads MEB and Co. talk about the 'roadmap' of development topics. They are quite clear that there are limited resources and that some very worthwhile features will be dealt with in due course, but that there is a priority sequence. This is fine, we may not agree with the priority, but at least there is a policy and they have shared it with us. Can we have some guidance on this topic? The only comment on the core issue is a single post advising us that we can tweak the gamma a bit. Are you silent because you recognise this is a real issue that affects the usability of the both Affinity Designer and Photo Beta and are not sure what to do about it.? Or is it being ignored because you have no intention of changing it, but do not want to say so?   

 

Also, no one has mentioned UK disability legislation (Disability Discrimination Act). I do not know how it applies to software or in the USA which I imagine is a major target market for Affinity. But Serif is a UK company and as such will be required to make 'reasonable' provision on their premises for employees and visitors with disabilities, which include limited vision.  Seems to me that extending this to their software makes sense from both a moral and a business viewpoint. 

 

Look forward to hearing from you :-)

 

 

 

[TonyB]

Developing two UI modes will slow down the progress of the other features we have promised to include. We have never said we will not do two UI modes but it's all about priorities. 

 

Apple Pro apps are also dark and I guess they also prioritise what they should work on next.

 

As for "Disability Discrimination Act" then no, as a software developer we do not need to make a 'reasonable' provision, a company buying our software might but then again creative software wouldn't be classed as "required" for a vision impaired user. Also, most software adapted for vision impairment tends to use bright text on a black background.

 

Thanks for the feedback.

[MEB]

Hi RPJ,

The only reason i haven't yet commented on this issue is because i don't have enough information about it to give you an answer or anything of value to add to the discussion at this point. This doesn't mean it's being ignored. I've been following it and i'm sure almost all staff at Affinity have read it at some point too. It may not be obvious for a user outside, but we deal with an immense number of requests, bugs reports, questions etc everyday. Some are more easy to address than others and may get solved quicker. This is not a trivial one.

 

The Affinity team already changed several features in diferent areas of the app in accordance to user feedback, i don't see why we would treat this one differently. We are as much interested in having a great application (at all levels) as you. Just have some patience and give us some time. I'm sure we will get there  ;)

[RPJ]

Thanks Tony and MEB. Glad to hear it is on a list, even if it's not very near the top.

[bpedit]

I use Cinema 4D which a few other Affinity posters seem to use as well. It offers a light mode and a dark mode. (It also offers the ability to customize just about every interface color possible but I would never expect that from software available at 1/60 the price.)

 

Both modes are fine with me but C4D's dark mode is easier on the eye than Affinity's. I think the deeper dark of Affinity makes the text more contrasty and a bit harder to parse.