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I followed the link to some slides created by the Author at: http://ghostweather.slides.com/lynncherny/deck#/ http://ghostweather.slides.com/lynncherny/deck#/

by SeanDav 11y ago

I followed the link to some slides created by the Author at: http://ghostweather.slides.com/lynncherny/deck#/ http://ghostweather.slides.com/lynncherny/deck#/ This is not a direct criticism of the Author, but what is it with the penchant these days to use absolutely minimalistic, flat interfaces with zero help on how to use the interface? I blame Google for starting this and all the other sheep who blindly follow them without actually asking what an interface is really meant to do. They have this insane desire to trend towards an interface which ultimately will consist of a slightly beige-grey background with not a single other thing on it. Google et al, seem to be on a never ending quest for an interface that is both so simple, it is practically brain dead and yet requires advanced degrees in "find the hidden button that does something" and "try separate the interface from the data being presented". Microsoft have picked up the torch and are running with it with unbridled enthusiasm. Their new Office interface is a master class on how to make it as difficult as possible to determine where my data ends and the interface starts. All done in a tasteful shade of death-bed grey.

hellofunk 11y ago
Hilarious, but you are right. And actually, while we're throwing blame around, Apple gets some credit for this problem as well. The "invention" of "flat design" that was whole-hog adopted in iOS 7 has left plenty of room for the problems you describe. It becomes less clear what is visual content to consume, what is a control to interact with, and what is actually both. I think all companies decided a while back that a computer interface can be like a magazine page. Except you don't press buttons on a magazine page, so it's not a good strategy a lot of time (in rare cases you see it handled well).
- deleted 11y ago
  [deleted]
_pmf_ 11y ago
> Microsoft have picked up the torch They did it several years before Google with the Lumia UI.
notalaser 11y ago
> what is it with the penchant these days to use absolutely minimalistic, flat interfaces It has dragged graphics design costs to lows that have never been seen before. It used to take weeks to design a proper icon set for an application, especially on OS X or iOS, where users were particularly wary of how applications looked. This is a drag, especially on mobile, where most people don't want to pay a real artist too much to build them a good-looking UI. The trend towards flat and simple is a blessing. You can pay a few dimes to someone who can Photoshop, and he won't screw it up too hard. I'm not deriding minimalism. Rendering, in a work of art, only that which is essential, is so hard and so beautiful that only few artists manage to do it. This crap is just cargo cult minimalism. I'm not sure who started it. I used to work in a place where people thought flat, white and grey and no indication on how to use it was the epitome of design, and they worshiped the ghost of Steve Jobs.
appleflaxen 11y ago
What interface are you talking about? Something in the slide content? The interface for the slides themselves? If you are talking about the latter, I think it's from reveal.js If you hit "?", it will give you shortcuts. How much of an interface do you want on your presentation app?
- bane 11y ago
  There's a "?" button on the screen?
  - appleflaxen 11y ago
    No; if you push the questionmark key; it's the same hotkey that powerpoint, for example, (the main proprietary alternative to this web-based app) uses when you are giving a presentation.
    - untog 11y ago
      I suspect this is exactly the kind of thing the OP is complaining about.
untog 11y ago
but what is it with the penchant these days to use absolutely minimalistic, flat interfaces with zero help on how to use the interface? It's a slideshow. It is intended to be operated by the presenter (who knows the shortcuts) and for those watching it to be able to focus on the content, not the UI. There are legitimate complaints to be made about minimalistic interfaces, but IMO this is not one. It's a situation where you want to deliberately hide the interface.

by SeanDav 11y ago

hellofunk 11y ago

Hilarious, but you are right. And actually, while we're throwing blame around, Apple gets some credit for this problem as well. The "invention" of "flat design" that was whole-hog adopted in iOS 7 has left plenty of room for the problems you describe. It becomes less clear what is visual content to consume, what is a control to interact with, and what is actually both. I think all companies decided a while back that a computer interface can be like a magazine page. Except you don't press buttons on a magazine page, so it's not a good strategy a lot of time (in rare cases you see it handled well).

deleted 11y ago
[deleted]

_pmf_ 11y ago

> Microsoft have picked up the torch They did it several years before Google with the Lumia UI.

notalaser 11y ago

> what is it with the penchant these days to use absolutely minimalistic, flat interfaces It has dragged graphics design costs to lows that have never been seen before. It used to take weeks to design a proper icon set for an application, especially on OS X or iOS, where users were particularly wary of how applications looked. This is a drag, especially on mobile, where most people don't want to pay a real artist too much to build them a good-looking UI. The trend towards flat and simple is a blessing. You can pay a few dimes to someone who can Photoshop, and he won't screw it up too hard. I'm not deriding minimalism. Rendering, in a work of art, only that which is essential, is so hard and so beautiful that only few artists manage to do it. This crap is just cargo cult minimalism. I'm not sure who started it. I used to work in a place where people thought flat, white and grey and no indication on how to use it was the epitome of design, and they worshiped the ghost of Steve Jobs.

appleflaxen 11y ago

What interface are you talking about? Something in the slide content? The interface for the slides themselves? If you are talking about the latter, I think it's from reveal.js If you hit "?", it will give you shortcuts. How much of an interface do you want on your presentation app?

bane 11y ago
There's a "?" button on the screen?
- appleflaxen 11y ago
  No; if you push the questionmark key; it's the same hotkey that powerpoint, for example, (the main proprietary alternative to this web-based app) uses when you are giving a presentation.
  - untog 11y ago
    I suspect this is exactly the kind of thing the OP is complaining about.

untog 11y ago

but what is it with the penchant these days to use absolutely minimalistic, flat interfaces with zero help on how to use the interface? It's a slideshow. It is intended to be operated by the presenter (who knows the shortcuts) and for those watching it to be able to focus on the content, not the UI. There are legitimate complaints to be made about minimalistic interfaces, but IMO this is not one. It's a situation where you want to deliberately hide the interface.