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I don't like the new UI design


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My only gripe is that I can't seem to move the main toolbar from the left to the right or have it float.  I don't work from the left, I work from the right side and so it feels very cumbersome to me in that way.  Also watched and agree with a YouTube video, the healing tool, the old Band-Aid icon was more appropriate than that new "blush brush" icon which is really confusing to me.  Also no UI or UI text upscaling, I'm sorry but I'm in my 60's with crappy eyes and even with a large monitor there is some eye strain going on for me.   

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17 hours ago, krbo said:

There were lovely check marks in a Layers panel, I can saw from a Moon which layer is active, which not
Now they are replaced with awful dark grey and not-so-dark grey dots on which I waste time clicking to detect what is active what not active.

(can't give sample right now as Win7 support is dropped off)

Horrible UI

previously:
image.png.9f2df5faa2c3d4ed2752d678f38ce782.png

sí,  a mi también me gusta más en check box, no me gusta mucho de lo que hicieron con el panel de capas. 

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11 hours ago, rparmar said:

Hello, did you notice there's only one forum? Translation apps are free. Chrome will even do it automatically. Expand your world.

Considering everyone else is speaking english, and this is primarily an english forum, it should be on them to translate their comment, even badly, to the rest of the audience. I'm saying that as a bilingual and non-english native.

 

Anyway, with that out of the way, after using the apps a bit, while I do appreciate the splash of colour, the old icons had a much much clearer silhouette compared to the new ones, where we have fancy gradients, strokes, and overall an uneven visual language, with some icons being overly complicated (the transparency tool icon in AFDesigner, shape builder tool, zoom tool, and artboard tool among others) and some being reduced to a stroke (all the shape icons, which went from clearly standing out filled shapes to outlines with a slightly darkening fill). While the old ones didn't pop as much, they were much more even. Also for the general flat design direction - while it feels more "modern", input contrast is severely impaired, with buttons and other inputs standing out quite a bit less than before, though this could easily be fixed with tweaking some UI colours (looking mainly at the top bar, the paragraph tab is a good example of how increasing the contrast can make things stand out without the need of the skeuomorphic outline).

Mădălin Vlad
Graphic Designer
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What I dislike most about new UI is the increase of negative space around UI elements. I immediately see a loss in some frequently use elements despite of minimizing every studio windows. Still remember there were requests to reduce the space in v1 years ago. Now they add even more space, urg...

On the contrary I like the new icon set. Removing fill color of primary shapes really help silent the Tools panel for me, meanwhile other icons distinguish themselves from others better in v1 imo. They pop out so well that I understand why some of your feel a thorn or 2 in your eyes, if you leave them there forever.

My working screen doesn't have Toolbar and Tools panels. I hotkey most used features, only leave less used ones on those panels. Then I have a hotkey to pop panels up and choose elements with mouse. I also make sure no cluttered icons on the Tools panel, everything should be 1 click away. In my case those icons sting my eyes when I need them most, that's a plus. I do this because I'm still on an 22" FHD monitor. If you are luckier with a bigger screen and want those panels always on, I still recommend removing icons that you already hotkey and use frequently enough not to forget them, no real reason to have them there.

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1 hour ago, m.vlad said:

Considering everyone else is speaking english, and this is primarily an english forum, it should be on them to translate their comment, even badly, to the rest of the audience. I'm saying that as a bilingual and non-english native.

I have seen Serif mods in the past say that one can post in whatever language. However, as a practical matter, I would recommend the poster use a translation site when making the post rather than rely on the readers to do so. Otherwise, fewer people will read the post. I always just skip over posts in languages I can’t read because it breaks the flow to keep switching to a translation site, especially when I am reading on mobile. But I say that as a personal recommendation and by no means a requirement, so each can do as he likes. 

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Yesterday i tried the first time, after the update the iPad version Affinity Photo. Here are some bigger updates which i prefer. This is a good stepp... Anyway, there are also some better solutions in comparison to the desktop version. The export panel don´t have a drop down for file formats. Instead there are a two row button bar. No icons, just plain text (png, jpg etc..) but it feels good and no extra click is needed. I think it would be a good compromise to make it the same way. Much better than the small dropdown button and the long list with file formats.

Also the icons on toolbar are more visible. They are the same icons but they seems to be bigger (the ration of UI Elements to screen size may be better), the same for the text. It is more readable compared to the small text/icons on my 32inch 4k Monitor (150% Windows scaling!) or 1440p 27 inch (125% Windows UI scaling). So here it would be nice to have the option to scale Text and maybe icons within the Affinity desktop software. As i know, the macOS version have the option to scale the text a little bit. I don´t understand why it is removed in a windows version. Yesterday i tried the trial version of photoshop, there is an option and it is great to see bigger text ;) 

Despite all criticism, I have fun with V2. 

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The new UI has an overall Adobe 2006 CC  feel to it, which is bad.  I moved away completely from InDesign and Illustrator because of the nasty, old looking interface and because I always had to re-learn (in Indesign especially) where features were hidden within the UI. I remember that exporting files from Indesign used to give me anxiety,  which is why I loved the simplicity of the "New..." and "Export..." panels in Affinity. There WERE intuitive and I always got what I wanted from them, quickly. Yesterday, unfortunately, after installing V2 (which I bought directly, no worries on my mind) I found myself losing time trying figure out how to switch a new file from landscape to portrait, or how to un-click the "Facing" option. But the most disturbing was the "Export" panel. I LOVED the old one. All the formats on the top, easy to see, one click, very satisfying. Now...we have to chose the formats from a dropdown list that definitely has a dated Adobe vibe, with a preview that doesn't always work and which is definitely not needed. It's not a good look and it is frustrating, because it feels to me that you are trying to appease the people who cannot leave Adobe behind. Affinity is a different animal, it is beautiful, light, smart. It is everything Adobe isn't, in a very good way. Don't try to be Adobe.

Also, the "Layer effects" panel looks weird now (with Photoshop vibes) and those arrows on the bottom don't do anything (or do they?). Why did you change the order of the effects anyway? Who uses "Bevel and emboss" that frequently?

I am hopeful that we will see some improvements in the next updates. 

Screen Shot 2022-11-11 at 11.31.41.png

Screen Shot 2022-11-11 at 11.21.46.png

Screen Shot 2022-11-11 at 11.23.45.png

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8 minutes ago, Ana-Irina said:

The new UI has an overall Adobe 2006 CC  feel to it, which is bad.

Yes! That's exactly why I felt nauseous the first seconds of using v2. The flat design, the lack of clear buttons and text field made me feel like using the Adobe suite that lacks a good visual UX that gives a warm feeling while using the app. Then I saw the Export panel and I wanted to barf...

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1 hour ago, Ana-Irina said:

 

Screen Shot 2022-11-11 at 11.21.46.png

 

I think actually they're following Apple's recent look here. Ventura generally replaces tabs with scrolling panes, and this looks a lot like the Print dialogue in the current version of Pages. I do agree the preview is Adobe-esque and unwanted.

But look at the options at the bottom right. The labels don't line up with the controls, and the checkboxes and radio buttons are IMO too close to the text. The two radio button options should be separated off from the rest by white/black space, and have a common heading ("Resolution"). For an example of how to do this properly, see Appearance under Ventura's Settings.

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3 minutes ago, Lemon Tree said:

The two radio button options should be separated off from the rest by white/black space, and have a common heading ("Resolution").

Oh no, I didn't even look that far. It feels a bit rushed, doesn't it? I find it so frustrating when a company decides to "improve" good stuff that works and waste time and resources that could have been invested somewhere else. I really do hope they will read through these comments and make good changes. Like...surprise us with a new design, just let it be good design.

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5 hours ago, Lemon Tree said:

I think actually they're following Apple's recent look here. Ventura generally replaces tabs with scrolling panes, and this looks a lot like the Print dialogue in the current version of Pages. I do agree the preview is Adobe-esque and unwanted.

Yes,  Apple also think that Macs have vertical screens now...

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8 hours ago, Ana-Irina said:

Really missing the "Spread properties"  button. Why is it gone? How can we get it back?

Spread Properties merged into Document Setup which is I think is much better. I always had to think for a second in v1 to recall which dialog an option was in. Now they're all in one place, similar to the New Document dialog.

Download a free manual for Publisher 2.4 from this forum - expanded 300-page PDF

My system: Affinity 2.4.0 for macOS Sonoma 14.4, MacBook Pro 14" (M1 Pro)

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11 hours ago, Ana-Irina said:

The new UI has an overall Adobe 2006 CC  feel to it, which is bad.  I moved away completely from InDesign and Illustrator because of the nasty, old looking interface and because I always had to re-learn (in Indesign especially) where features were hidden within the UI. I remember that exporting files from Indesign used to give me anxiety,  which is why I loved the simplicity of the "New..." and "Export..." panels in Affinity. There WERE intuitive and I always got what I wanted from them, quickly. Yesterday, unfortunately, after installing V2 (which I bought directly, no worries on my mind) I found myself losing time trying figure out how to switch a new file from landscape to portrait, or how to un-click the "Facing" option. But the most disturbing was the "Export" panel. I LOVED the old one. All the formats on the top, easy to see, one click, very satisfying. Now...we have to chose the formats from a dropdown list that definitely has a dated Adobe vibe, with a preview that doesn't always work and which is definitely not needed. It's not a good look and it is frustrating, because it feels to me that you are trying to appease the people who cannot leave Adobe behind. Affinity is a different animal, it is beautiful, light, smart. It is everything Adobe isn't, in a very good way. Don't try to be Adobe.

Also, the "Layer effects" panel looks weird now (with Photoshop vibes) and those arrows on the bottom don't do anything (or do they?). Why did you change the order of the effects anyway? Who uses "Bevel and emboss" that frequently?

I am hopeful that we will see some improvements in the next updates. 

Screen Shot 2022-11-11 at 11.31.41.png

The rearrangement makes no sense to me. It is quite counter-productive.

The arrows are for when you added several identical FX - perhaps 3 outer shadows using the + symbol - then you can rearrange them like layers, I think.

 1) You have completely wrecked the layers panel, Serif.

2) I recommend Reddit groups instead of this forum. Not the same few bot-like users replying to everything, a wider representation of users, fewer fanboys, more qualified users. In short, better!

3) I was here to report bugs and submit improvement requests for professional work professionally in a large setup and to bring a lot of knowledge from the world, i.e. professional product development, web- and software development, usability, user experience design and accessibility. I actually know what I am talking about!

BUT! We are phasing out Designer and Affinity in 2022 Q1 - and replacing it with feature complete and algorithmically competent alternatives.
Publisher is unsuitable for serious use, and was never adopted.

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I absolutely hate the new Export Persona.

Why on earth would Affinity replace the sleek, easy-to-use, graphic-based layout they had in V1,
with a clunky, outdated crapola export dialog based on drop-downs - reminiscent of Windows from the 1990s ?

Ive been using V2 since it was released, and so far there is NOTHING I prefer in V2 compared to V1.

The only improvement I've found is that files are correctly enumerated when importing folders in the Astro stacking persona,
whereas they were previously listed in random order.

I also hate that Separated View Mode has been either deleted or lost - there is no reference to it in the Online Help.

I am soooo tempted to ask for my money back.

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I definitely think the export dialog in v2 is a clear improvement, and the dropdown menu allows for more supported formats in a manageable way. The previous model would result in visual chaos with multiple formats supported.

In addition, the new export dialog provides very easy and clear access to all settings for the selected format. Great.

@serif But I'm not happy about the location of saving and renaming and deleting presets, it's totally hidden under "advanced" (and it's not an advanced feature).

It should be more visible at the bottom of the dialog box in its own category or somethin'

 1) You have completely wrecked the layers panel, Serif.

2) I recommend Reddit groups instead of this forum. Not the same few bot-like users replying to everything, a wider representation of users, fewer fanboys, more qualified users. In short, better!

3) I was here to report bugs and submit improvement requests for professional work professionally in a large setup and to bring a lot of knowledge from the world, i.e. professional product development, web- and software development, usability, user experience design and accessibility. I actually know what I am talking about!

BUT! We are phasing out Designer and Affinity in 2022 Q1 - and replacing it with feature complete and algorithmically competent alternatives.
Publisher is unsuitable for serious use, and was never adopted.

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I cannot agree with you ...

The new Export persona is much harder to use and requires more clicks than the v1 layout.

A better solution IMHO is to keep the old Export Persona, and add a new button with a dropdown for unusual formats.

Personally, I've never found the need for anything other than what was easily available in V1.

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13 minutes ago, Gary.JONES said:

The new Export persona is much harder to use and requires more click than the v1 layout.

I simply can't imagine a new Affinity customer agreeing with you. Noob or pro. My own impression is relief that it's all visible and easily accessible at once. I think the old model was clunky, while the new one is far more in line with what I see in other modern programs. I think the new one will do much better in user tests.

Well. We each have our preference; that's fine. 🙂 Let's not end up in an endless preference duel here.

 1) You have completely wrecked the layers panel, Serif.

2) I recommend Reddit groups instead of this forum. Not the same few bot-like users replying to everything, a wider representation of users, fewer fanboys, more qualified users. In short, better!

3) I was here to report bugs and submit improvement requests for professional work professionally in a large setup and to bring a lot of knowledge from the world, i.e. professional product development, web- and software development, usability, user experience design and accessibility. I actually know what I am talking about!

BUT! We are phasing out Designer and Affinity in 2022 Q1 - and replacing it with feature complete and algorithmically competent alternatives.
Publisher is unsuitable for serious use, and was never adopted.

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Well - I am an old Affinity customer with 30+ years experience in graphics and professional photography.

Once you establish a workflow, you simply do not want everything to be in front of you every time you perform the same action.

New customers may have a different view - because V2 is more like other products they might have used, like ancient versions of Adobe.

The important thing is how V2 is viewed by users who are experienced with V1.

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13 hours ago, Ana-Irina said:

The new UI has an overall Adobe 2006 CC  feel to it, which is bad.  I moved away completely from InDesign and Illustrator because of the nasty, old looking interface and because I always had to re-learn (in Indesign especially) where features were hidden within the UI. I remember that exporting files from Indesign used to give me anxiety,  which is why I loved the simplicity of the "New..." and "Export..." panels in Affinity. There WERE intuitive and I always got what I wanted from them, quickly. Yesterday, unfortunately, after installing V2 (which I bought directly, no worries on my mind) I found myself losing time trying figure out how to switch a new file from landscape to portrait, or how to un-click the "Facing" option. But the most disturbing was the "Export" panel. I LOVED the old one. All the formats on the top, easy to see, one click, very satisfying. Now...we have to chose the formats from a dropdown list that definitely has a dated Adobe vibe, with a preview that doesn't always work and which is definitely not needed. It's not a good look and it is frustrating, because it feels to me that you are trying to appease the people who cannot leave Adobe behind. Affinity is a different animal, it is beautiful, light, smart. It is everything Adobe isn't, in a very good way. Don't try to be Adobe.

Also, the "Layer effects" panel looks weird now (with Photoshop vibes) and those arrows on the bottom don't do anything (or do they?). Why did you change the order of the effects anyway? Who uses "Bevel and emboss" that frequently?

I am hopeful that we will see some improvements in the next updates. 

Screen Shot 2022-11-11 at 11.31.41.png

Screen Shot 2022-11-11 at 11.21.46.png

Screen Shot 2022-11-11 at 11.23.45.png

Not sure if anyone replied but the arrows are to re-order fx’s when you have multiples of them e.g. multiple inner shadows. You can’t drag to re-order.

 

Marc

ArtByMarc.me

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