i-loop's design - work in progress - 2007-08-10

[LordMessi]

Originally Posted by infinityloop

then you and the others should propose (mockup) a better solution instead constandly tell me "this is not good"

i am satisfied with this solution, and want to know which card that is. and i am sure that many other users want too.

• is it nOOb proof? -> nothing in the world is
• is it bad for usablitiy? -> i dont think so
• does it screw up the layout? -> i dont think so

so i will wont change my very personal mockup until one of you shows me a better visual solution.

I would highly appreciate if more users and team members (especialy designers) would start their own proposals.

Come on! Relax a bit...I like your suggestion alot - the only comment i've had on the negative side was this. Everyone's entitled to their own opionion. I think the world normally works that way (if we're talking about the world).

But never mind, in the future I won't comment on your suggestions.

[infinityloop]

Originally Posted by LordMessi

Come on! Relax a bit...I like your suggestion alot - the only comment i've had on the negative side was this.

what i mean is, if you know how it would look better, then please SHOW ME!

"it should not look like that/display this" doesnt help me to find out/imagine what you (and the others) mean.
because i see no other way of displaying it.

if you (or anyone else) tries to create a mockup, then either you will find out that it is harder to create then you thought, or i find out that i was wrong/there is a better way.
but words can not do that.

[Nicodemuz]

Originally Posted by Roberdin

They probably said the same about teletext.

And my wife would still agree to that...I don't know how she does it but she never gets to the teletext pages she wants to...

Originally Posted by infinityloop

what i mean is, if you know how it would look better, then please SHOW ME!

"it should not look like that/display this" doesnt help me to find out/imagine what you (and the others) mean.
because i see no other way of displaying it.

if you (or anyone else) tries to create a mockup, then either you will find out that it is harder to create then you thought, or i find out that i was wrong/there is a better way.
but words can not do that.

But what if we agree that your idea and design is good - but for some users.
And what if we suggests that just leave the function switched off for the other users - via configuration?

You want a mockup of the configuration software? I thought we were only talking designing the TV part here.

Your ideas are great - but I know from experience that less functionality with simple user interface is will create a much more used product.

You are trying to add advanced features without affecting usability. That is often very difficult to acheive. But your design comes a long way but not all the way and I have NO idea of how your design could be improved so my wife and friends don't get anymore confused (than they already are... )

That is why I suggest that you make it possible to switch <the user control of what get kicked out> on/off through configuration settings.
That is also why I suggest to make it configurable if TV shall start directly into fullscreen TV or into something with menus where you have to press a button to get fullscreen mode (or to get the menus to disappear if overlay of menus over fullscreen TV).


By the way, what applications do you people use to draw your designs?
Even if I wanted to make my of design proposal I wouldn't know how to...

[infinityloop]

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

But what if we agree that your idea and design is good - but for some users.
And what if we suggests that just leave the function switched off for the other users - via configuration?

You want a mockup of the configuration software?

no, what i mean is that some of you say "do not show the TV-card in this dialog screen, that confuses the noob user"

what i would like to "see" now from these users is a mockup, what they think how this selection window should look like. because i can not image a useful layout.

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

That is why I suggest that you make it possible to switch <the user control of what get kicked out> on/off through configuration settings.

imo. as soon as we have a "user management" you should make it a editable setting. if i.e. user "kids" can use it or not.

until then you could add a general option: allow user to take control over in-use cards -> Yes/No

i allready said that some pages back.
but this is not realy part of the GUI concept

the gui concept is to show each section/screens/dialog windows and to describe what they do. if any of these is then enabled/disabled in configuration, then this is a different story.

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

That is also why I suggest to make it configurable if TV shall start directly into fullscreen TV or into something with menus where you have to press a button to get fullscreen mode (or to get the menus to disappear if overlay of menus over fullscreen TV).

that could be done too. (there is a 3rd party plugin allready for that afaik)

Originally Posted by Nicodemuz

By the way, what applications do you people use to draw your designs?

i am using photoshop.

to build the mockupscreens i simply use some of the gfx files from the BlueTwo skin which you find in MediaPortal/Skins/BlueTwo/Media

[jer]

Originally Posted by infinityloop

I would highly appreciate if more users and team members (especialy designers) would start their own proposals.

I will try to make one but i have no time for the moment and i am not good for design.


I have work on a end user interface last year (for an iptv system) you can look some screen shot here

[Nicodemuz]

Originally Posted by infinityloop

no, what i mean is that some of you say "do not show the TV-card in this dialog screen, that confuses the noob user"

what i would like to "see" now from these users is a mockup, what they think how this selection window should look like. because i can not image a useful layout.

But making it a configurable option solves that problem?

Originally Posted by infinityloop

imo. as soon as we have a "user management" you should make it a editable setting. if i.e. user "kids" can use it or not.

Well, some might want that - I would prefer not to have to "logon" before using the equipment.
Though a HTPC in my kids room would benefit from user management.
But for now I prefer the generic solution that you already mentioned and I obviously missed (sorry for that).

Originally Posted by infinityloop

until then you could add a general option: allow user to take control over in-use cards -> Yes/No

Sounds great and for me this means that no mockup of alternative design is needed. Yours is good enough with respect to other GUI parts and to this card take-over part.

Originally Posted by infinityloop

i allready said that some pages back.
but this is not realy part of the GUI concept

the gui concept is to show each section/screens/dialog windows and to describe what they do. If any of these is then enabled/disabled in configuration, then this is a different story.

I sort of agree, I need to know if a specific user group will be seeing the different gui designs before I can say if it is good enough or not.

[GetWell]

The last cople of days I was thinking how to change the TVGuide screen.

But I must realize i'm not so creative here though

Am I the only one who think it could use an update? (Its not just this concept but in general. Every one use the old one)

It must be posible to make it more simple and accesible...

I-loop gogogo

[infinityloop]

Originally Posted by GetWell

The last cople of days I was thinking how to change the TVGuide screen.

i allready wasted 10+ pages of paper when sketching up a new layout for the TV Guide..... i am kinda stuck....

[GetWell]

LOL then we are two

[luksmann]

My proposal for a new TV-Guide would look like this:

!Please keep in mind that I fetched up that sketch while being at work!

Bringing the channels to the topbar would in my opinion improve readability. I moved
the currently running box to the right to easy increase the place for the "upcoming on this channel" box.

My idea would be that by pressing OK on the remote the user would be taken to the "currently running" box and be able to record the current show or add the show to his favorites. By pressing down the user would be taken to the "upcoming on this channel" box and be able to record the upcoming show.

By pressing the "Info" button the user shoul be taken to another screen, similar to the screen thats used now when pressing "OK"

This screen should show further information about the highlited TV-Show like long description (if available), advanced recording features, maybe IMDB-rating or if a series is selected information provided by thetvdb.com
There would be enough place for a channellogo and (if the imdb / thetvbd lookup is integrated) a screenshot / cover and a rating. I might create a mockup of this screen too if anybody is interested.

Regarding the "Add to Favorites" feature - this might not belong here, but this feature would be great. A kind of "personal" TV-Guide could be designed - when in TV-Guide the shows which match the favorite-ones would be highlited or the rest of the shows could get grayed-out.

This feature shouldnt be too hard to implement - at least the basics. This would only require one more column in the sql-database - but feel free to correct me - my programming skills are limited to delphi, simple html and some VB

mockup of the TV-Guide screen is attached!
Please bear with me for the simple look of my TV-Guide
I hope I was able to add some thoughts...

regards, luksmann