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I really don't get the intention with the default visual style Ubuntu has settled on. I'm sure a lot of work has gone into it but it's just not attractive. I p

I really don't get the intention with the default visual style Ubuntu has settled on. I'm sure a lot of work has gone into it but it's just not attractive. I previously thought it was growing pains and they would eventually land on a great style that was still "theirs", but at this point it feels like a lost cause. Personally I've stopped recommending Ubuntu on the desktop because I already know what the initial reaction to a fresh install is going to be.

Loic 12y ago
This time, they are supporting a lot of different "flavours". In my case, I will for example use an Ubuntu "Gnome" flavour or maybe XFCE. They are reintroducing long term support of the diversity, which is really nice.
usaphp 12y ago
I actually like it
vanderZwan 12y ago
You give zero arguments for what you consider wrong with the visual style of Ubuntu. I'm sure there are flaws that graphic designers and other people trained in the topic can point out, but until you do it's just... yeah, well, like... your opinion man. And the lack of a flat UI does not count as an argument - that's just a fashion trend. Also, my own anecdotal experience does not match yours. I often get surprised (as in "wow, that looks nice!") questions of "That's not Windows/OSX? What is that?" from people when I show something on my laptop.
- fauigerzigerk 12y ago
  Interestingly though, it seems perfectly acceptable on here to express positive feelings about style and esthetics. No one gets downvoted several points below zero for not providing "arguments" for such opinions. It's simply accepted as a matter of taste.
  - sanswork 12y ago
    When someone is agreeing you already know what they are looking for as they've expressed it in their agreement. When someone says something is ugly you don't know what they think is ugly about the design so it doesn't provide any thing but a comment.
    - fauigerzigerk 12y ago
      No, I often don't know what it is that makes people gush about the beauty of multi faceted things like operating systems, gadgets or APIs. But be that as it may, I doubt this is what causes the downvoting. I'm pretty sure a statement like "colors and icons are ugly" would have provoked a similar reaction.
      - vanderZwan 12y ago
        Because that's still not telling us what the problems are, just where to look for them. Stating something like "X is inconsistent with Y making the whole thing restless and messy, and if they did the font alignment like this the whole thing would have a more orderly clean look" wouldn't have.
      - DanBC 12y ago
        Saying "X is pretty" is not much use, but it is not mean. Saying "X is ugly" is not much use and is mean, thus more likely to attract downvotes. Saying "I think X is ugly. Here's why {list of subjective reasoning}" may be useful and is not as mean.
  - vanderZwan 12y ago
    Good point. I think it is because positive opinions without good reasons are perceived as encouragement ("I like what you do, keep going!") instead of criticism, while negative opinions are criticism. The latter requires arguments to be useful as feedback. Of course, saying why you do like something would also make those remarks more valuable as criticism - you got a good point there. (Note that I'm not saying Nathan Osullivan is necessarily wrong in his judgement - I might disagree with it but he can still have valid reasons for disliking it. It's just that it's pretty a useless remark if he gives no arguments why he has that opinion)
- Touche 12y ago
  They went from a brownish theme that people complained about for years to now a blackish purple that is equally gaudy. I don't understand why they can't go with a color scheme that isn't so dark and depressing. Then there are the multi-colored icon boxes (why do the icons need boxes around them at all?) that all clash with each other and clash with the (ugly) purplish theme, and clashes against the gradient black top toolbar (which has virtually no padding by the way). It doesn't take a great designer to notice these things, god knows I'm not one. But I've worked with designers at every company I've worked for, small or big, and all of them would have done a (much) better job than Unity. Which tells me either no designers were involved or they were outvoted at every decision.
  - FD3SA 12y ago
    Not to mention the font. I manage to ignore the wonky color themes (I picture a kid with a box of crayons having designed it), but the font is something that I desperately need consistency and beauty in, as I'm constantly reading and writing. The default Ubuntu font is just not consistent and readable enough for a UI. They need to find something like Segoe UI, that gets out of the way and is easy to read. I really do agree with the gp and your opinions regarding the design. It is important, and I do think Ubuntu should get some outside opinions for the next LTS and revamp their design based on some of the fundamental practices.
    - vanderZwan 12y ago
      Fonts are easy to tweak though... I do enjoy tweaking the fonts until it pleases my eyes most. I've been using Source Code Pro as the monospace font for quite a while now. Currently trying out Alegreya Sans and its variants for the regular system font - kind of controversial among my designer friends: some of them consider it too "serify".
girvo 12y ago
And I love it, and think it looks fantastic. So, yeah, different strokes?
bluedino 12y ago
I have found the best way to deal with this, is to just deal with it. Don't tweak it, don't customize it. Treat it like Mac OS where you can't. Just get to work with what you're going to do. I could sit and tweak a Linux install for hours, kind of like an old car. But of course I never get any work done that way.

Loic 12y ago

This time, they are supporting a lot of different "flavours". In my case, I will for example use an Ubuntu "Gnome" flavour or maybe XFCE. They are reintroducing long term support of the diversity, which is really nice.

usaphp 12y ago

I actually like it

vanderZwan 12y ago

You give zero arguments for what you consider wrong with the visual style of Ubuntu. I'm sure there are flaws that graphic designers and other people trained in the topic can point out, but until you do it's just... yeah, well, like... your opinion man. And the lack of a flat UI does not count as an argument - that's just a fashion trend. Also, my own anecdotal experience does not match yours. I often get surprised (as in "wow, that looks nice!") questions of "That's not Windows/OSX? What is that?" from people when I show something on my laptop.

fauigerzigerk 12y ago
Interestingly though, it seems perfectly acceptable on here to express positive feelings about style and esthetics. No one gets downvoted several points below zero for not providing "arguments" for such opinions. It's simply accepted as a matter of taste.
- sanswork 12y ago
  When someone is agreeing you already know what they are looking for as they've expressed it in their agreement. When someone says something is ugly you don't know what they think is ugly about the design so it doesn't provide any thing but a comment.
  - fauigerzigerk 12y ago
    No, I often don't know what it is that makes people gush about the beauty of multi faceted things like operating systems, gadgets or APIs. But be that as it may, I doubt this is what causes the downvoting. I'm pretty sure a statement like "colors and icons are ugly" would have provoked a similar reaction.
    - vanderZwan 12y ago
      Because that's still not telling us what the problems are, just where to look for them. Stating something like "X is inconsistent with Y making the whole thing restless and messy, and if they did the font alignment like this the whole thing would have a more orderly clean look" wouldn't have.
    - DanBC 12y ago
      Saying "X is pretty" is not much use, but it is not mean. Saying "X is ugly" is not much use and is mean, thus more likely to attract downvotes. Saying "I think X is ugly. Here's why {list of subjective reasoning}" may be useful and is not as mean.
- vanderZwan 12y ago
  Good point. I think it is because positive opinions without good reasons are perceived as encouragement ("I like what you do, keep going!") instead of criticism, while negative opinions are criticism. The latter requires arguments to be useful as feedback. Of course, saying why you do like something would also make those remarks more valuable as criticism - you got a good point there. (Note that I'm not saying Nathan Osullivan is necessarily wrong in his judgement - I might disagree with it but he can still have valid reasons for disliking it. It's just that it's pretty a useless remark if he gives no arguments why he has that opinion)
Touche 12y ago
They went from a brownish theme that people complained about for years to now a blackish purple that is equally gaudy. I don't understand why they can't go with a color scheme that isn't so dark and depressing. Then there are the multi-colored icon boxes (why do the icons need boxes around them at all?) that all clash with each other and clash with the (ugly) purplish theme, and clashes against the gradient black top toolbar (which has virtually no padding by the way). It doesn't take a great designer to notice these things, god knows I'm not one. But I've worked with designers at every company I've worked for, small or big, and all of them would have done a (much) better job than Unity. Which tells me either no designers were involved or they were outvoted at every decision.
- FD3SA 12y ago
  Not to mention the font. I manage to ignore the wonky color themes (I picture a kid with a box of crayons having designed it), but the font is something that I desperately need consistency and beauty in, as I'm constantly reading and writing. The default Ubuntu font is just not consistent and readable enough for a UI. They need to find something like Segoe UI, that gets out of the way and is easy to read. I really do agree with the gp and your opinions regarding the design. It is important, and I do think Ubuntu should get some outside opinions for the next LTS and revamp their design based on some of the fundamental practices.
  - vanderZwan 12y ago
    Fonts are easy to tweak though... I do enjoy tweaking the fonts until it pleases my eyes most. I've been using Source Code Pro as the monospace font for quite a while now. Currently trying out Alegreya Sans and its variants for the regular system font - kind of controversial among my designer friends: some of them consider it too "serify".

girvo 12y ago

And I love it, and think it looks fantastic. So, yeah, different strokes?

bluedino 12y ago

I have found the best way to deal with this, is to just deal with it. Don't tweak it, don't customize it. Treat it like Mac OS where you can't. Just get to work with what you're going to do. I could sit and tweak a Linux install for hours, kind of like an old car. But of course I never get any work done that way.