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Geek Culture / I hope not all websites are moving to the metro UI

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Phaelax
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Posted: 7th Oct 2013 00:00 Edited at: 7th Oct 2013 00:00
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Just logged into my host's control panel to renew my plan and was greeted by this awful navigation design.

I really hope web designers don't make this the new "web 3.0" look.




http://zimnox.com
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Blobby 101
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Posted: 7th Oct 2013 00:07
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That is a particularly horrible example of it but yeah, flat-looking UIs are definitely the "in" thing right now. I have seen it done fairly well in some places though (Like iOS7, I've warmed to it a bit more now since I started using it).

Not a fan of the great big Windows 8 style boxes though, very unnecessary.

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Burger
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Posted: 7th Oct 2013 01:04
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Ergh! I don't like this 'new' look. I fear its one of these things that will eventually take over because someone thinks its cool and someone thinks everyone likes it, when a good deal don't!

- An Instinctive Fear IndieDB page, download the demo today!
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xplosys
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Posted: 7th Oct 2013 02:54
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The only benefit of throwing all the links on a page in different colored and sized blocks with no grouping or reason is that you have to search the entire page to find what you're looking for.

Oh, did I say benefit? I meant problem.

At least they used reference images to verify that the particlar block you're looking at is actually the thing you're looking for.

Oh wait. No they didn't.

Still, it's not so bad. At least the choice of text vs. background color is easy to read.

OK. It sucks.

I am the underground.
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SpyDaniel
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Posted: 7th Oct 2013 03:35
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It kind of looks like a website someone can get by using free web hosting tools. It doesn't stand out very well for a hosting company.
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Phaelax
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Posted: 7th Oct 2013 07:10
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Fortunately, my tools are still organized in cpanel and they only do this view for the addons.

http://zimnox.com
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Ortu
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Posted: 7th Oct 2013 16:20
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for now...

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Libervurto
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Posted: 7th Oct 2013 21:41 Edited at: 7th Oct 2013 21:43
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I don't know what you guys are talking about, this layout makes navigation very simple:




Formerly OBese87.
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Chris Tate
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Posted: 7th Oct 2013 22:51
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ug ug, big button and picture make intanet easy!

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Wolf
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Posted: 7th Oct 2013 23:08 Edited at: 7th Oct 2013 23:09
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The internet was easy and navigation was simple before. Abandoning every form of aesthetic to make the internet even more approachable seems unreasonable. I get that this is good for older people ...and younger folks with a lobotomy but come on! Don't these people look at it.
I find this new metro UI trend undesirable aswell.



-Wolf

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Chris Tate
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Posted: 7th Oct 2013 23:48
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I agree. I personally think these designs look stupid and are an insult the user. People with eye problems can easily zoom in or out to view small print; I do so because my resolution is quite high, causing the text look small.

A little off topic here; Google's logo all of a sudden is no-longer 3D.



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Libervurto
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Posted: 8th Oct 2013 03:30
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Quote: "The internet was easy and navigation was simple before. Abandoning every form of aesthetic to make the internet even more approachable seems unreasonable."

But this doesn't make it more approachable, it makes it harder for the reader because the content is strewn all over the page without any logical structure.


Formerly OBese87.
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ionstream
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Posted: 8th Oct 2013 08:12
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I like this over the big rounded glass buttons of the Web 2.0 era, but it has to be positioned well in order to be smart. The point of the big flat buttons is to have tiles of information and interaction, not just have a big flat square replace a big round button.

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Matty H
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Posted: 8th Oct 2013 10:17
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The web is catching up and we are now seeing interfaces designed for touch screen devices and rightly so imo.

I like the metro style interface but I agree that the site in the top post has not quite pulled it off, looks quite ugly.

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Quik
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Posted: 8th Oct 2013 13:28
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Quote: "The web is catching up and we are now seeing interfaces designed for touch screen devices and rightly so imo."


Absolutly, doesnt mean they have to make it annoying to look at though ^^



Whose eyes are those eyes?
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Chris Tate
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Posted: 8th Oct 2013 13:31 Edited at: 8th Oct 2013 13:33
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Yeah I thought so about touchscreen usage aswell; but what I would like to know is if the button click areas surround the actual tiles or just the text? EG: If you click on 'professional services', does it send you to the suggested page, or are those sub-categorized links underneath its heading?

Come to think of it, the designer of that webpage has broken a number of graphic design principles; it may have been designed by a rookie. The issue that stands out to me is the tiny deep-blue text on deep-grey. Someone who is colour blind will struggle to see the text, it has the same value as grey. Someone with poor vision will also struggle to read it; quite ironic considering the whole point of having large buttons.

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Phaelax
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Posted: 8th Oct 2013 17:01
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I have perfect color vision and even I find it annoying to try to read that blue text on gray. The white on blue is really the only good contrast I see in the whole page.

http://zimnox.com
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mr Handy
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Posted: 8th Oct 2013 18:24
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No way I will buy W8 now. No way.

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Quik
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Posted: 8th Oct 2013 18:45
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Quote: "No way I will buy W8 now. No way."


You were considering to? =P



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The Next
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Posted: 11th Oct 2013 11:52 Edited at: 11th Oct 2013 11:55
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That example shows a poor understanding of how people use the web and a very poor use of screen real estate.

Personally I like the flat style of sites especially the new Google logo, which is very clean and professional. I use flat styles on sites I develop at work (I'm not a designer but I implement). But it has to be done well and you should not just follow a trend without reason or an understanding of the benefits.

Just with web 2.0 and the glossy/glass buttons we saw plastered everywhere for no reason, it will take time for people to work out what works and what doesn't.

When they do though I think we will see a much nicer web, I hated with a passion glass/3d buttons.

For an example of a site I think does the flat UI well see http://inky.com/ The reason they have done it well is they have used the screen space well and have obviously thought about all types of user in the making of the site, not just done for the sake of it.

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creamtown
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Posted: 23rd Oct 2013 12:45
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I think with more and more people use tablets or smartphones to browse the net and read websites/blogs, then don't be surprised if in the near future, many web owners will redesign their websites/blogs to be more simple and well-optimized for tablet and smartphone users.
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Phaelax
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Posted: 23rd Oct 2013 19:38
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I'm quite surprised that Apple took this route recently with iOS7. With everything looking so flat and boring with low contrast, it's a lot less pleasing to my eyes.

http://zimnox.com
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