Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
No offense, but your app doesn't seem to do anything Powerpoint doesn't do? And the Olive XP style for screenshots? A bit Fugly. It's all arrows. What sets this app apart? What makes it remarkable? No offence taken! Although you can use PowerPoint to design UIs, and I've seen it done, it's an inappropriate tool for the job. That's not surprising as it was designed for an entirely different purpose. If you create your own set of graphical UI widgets, you could use them in a PowerPoint slide and even have clicks on items take you to specific slides to simulate workflow but that's about as far as it goes. Even Visio, with a set of UI stencils, is not intended for interactive user interface design so it's limited and inadequate for that purpose even though it's used a lot in the absense of a more suitable tool. Not only does our app provide a good set of UI elements but it lets you connect pages, screens and panels together in more ways than just jumping between them. Parts of a design can be precisely positioned and components (masters) can vbe reused throughout a project. Of course, GUI Design Studio doesn't replace your graphics design tool. If you're creating an application (Web or desktop) that needs fancy graphics then you'll still want to use Photoshop, AI or some other specialised tool for that. But then you can bring those images into GUI Design Studio to lay them out, add other UI elements, overlay text and link everything together to turn your designs into an interactive prototype. You can even use whiteboard photos or scanned paper sketches and make those interactive if you like. The examples and some of the screenshots definitely need updating. The choice of Olive XP was fairly arbitrary. It makes a change from Blue and Vista wasn't released when most of these shots were taken. We'll be putting up more screenshots and examples as soon as we get the chance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=42372 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
As for the app being ugly, well we'll take that clearly on the chin! It's certainly a bit grey and could be made to look a lot prettier. The app has evolved from its initial concept 6 years ago (v1 was released in 2005) so, it's true, the UI could do with a revamp. But, at the same time, it's compact and functional. When you're designing a UI, especially for the desktop, you need as much design screen real-estate as you can get and that's what the small toolbar and tabbed interface gives you. The clumsy tabbed Project panel was a classic example of bad Windows software design (putting everything into tree outlines at the left of the screen because that's the way File Manager did so in Win 3.1). I've never yet come across a better UI paradigm for presenting hierarchical file information than a file tree. They even appear on the Mac, I beleive. The Windows/Mac debate is interesting. I don't want you to think that we don't have a Mac version because we don't think Mac users are worth targeting. Far from it. We'd like to support Mac software design (and Linux/UINX for that matter) and producing a set of Mac widgets is on the list, it's just not at the top of the list right now. A cross-platform version of the tool is another matter entirely though. The options for cross-platform development tools are fairly limited and were even more so 6 years ago. Simply porting an application from one platform to another is not at all easy. There are some emerging technologies that we're looking at but no clear winner yet. If we're going to redevelop GUI Design Studio using cross-platform tools, we need to be sure we're backing the right horse before we undertake this. Macs may make up 10% of the browsing population, but they probably are nearing 50% of the design world (where for a long time, they held over that number). Our Web stats show less that 5% of visitors using Macs but, whether it's 5% or 10%, I'm interested to know how many designers are using Macs to design user interfaces for Windows desktop applications, which do still make up the vast majority of desktop business applications (obviously, Macs are used a lot for platform-independent graphics and Web designs). Jonathan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=42372 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
Actually, as someone who has to spend a lot of time manually creating extensive user flows and application and site maps in Visio (and then continually revise them throughout the course of the product lifecycle, since they are used by our testing team) then to see it done with drag-and-drop from a menu item to a new screen or from option buttons to a new screen so quickly and huge masters being able to be dropped (Visio only seems to allow a certain level of complexity for stencils and I haven't been able to figure out what that level is yet!), I thought that the application looked like a nice bridging of the massive gap between Visio and irise, which even with a CS degree (and an MS in Human Factors in Info Design), I find very difficult to use even just to create simple prototypes as the interface is so kludgy, let alone trying to use the more complex features! And while irise will cost you huge amounts of money (chances are, most people don't use most of what they're paying for), GUI Design Studio seemed pretty reasonably priced. Again, just from the video (haven't had time to try out the free trial yet, but I will), I thought that GUI Design Studio looked pretty easy to use and would definitely address one of my needs. Thanks for sending it out, Thomas! Courtney -Original Message- From: discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com [mailto:discuss-boun...@lists.interactiondesigners.com] On Behalf Of Thomas Davies Sent: Saturday, May 30, 2009 5:36 PM To: disc...@ixda.org Subject: Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio To be honest, I'd like to see the usability testing that 3rd party Mac developers do, because I'm fairly sure it is not that much! I'm a Mac user, and many applications 'look' nice, but don't necessarily behave nicely. Mac developers either design their own UIs (Which is the same as Windows' programmers designing UIs. Just owning a Mac doesn't automatically give us taste) or hire an 'Interface Designer' to do the work. However, on many well known Mac 'Interface Designer' websites, I never see any information concerning usability testing or interaction design, so it appears that they are merely designing the interface in Photoshop, making sure it just looks pretty! Also, a lot of the top iPhone applications have been developed and designed by Mac software houses, and they are some of the most appalling pieces of software ever. Heck, some can't even handle a phone call interruption?! It's a fricking phone, and software can't handle interruptions properly! On 30 May 2009, at 22:04, David Drucker wrote: It's hardly elitist to say that a software company needs to address the population that they are selling to. Macs may make up 10% of the browsing population, but they probably are nearing 50% of the design world (where for a long time, they held over that number). But even if they are less than those numbers, Designers usually also have good taste, so therefore they don't base their decisions of what tools to use solely on 'the largest market'. So, call me/us elitist. Frankly, in this context, that's a compliment. Seriously, name-calling is not helpful here. From what I saw, the software looked pretty ugly to me. The clumsy tabbed Project panel was a classic example of bad Windows software design (putting everything into tree outlines at the left of the screen because that's the way File Manager did so in Win 3.1). The fact that it looks like a programmers IDE makes me suspect that the product was not developed by designers (even if it is for them). Worse still, the documents it appeared to produce looked even more tasteless and ugly. The Banking Application example suffered from poor design choices all over the place (badly designed tables, an unclear affordance for the collapsed panel, etc.). I suspect that this is really a package for programmers who have been forced to do the Design work a designer would do. That's why it's for Windows only, and that's why the software itself is designed like a programming environment. That's why some of us look at it and get a bit nauseous. Don't they realize that Mac users employ GUI design tools as well (and probably in disproportionate numbers)? I'm sorry, but I just can't let this comment stand. What exactly is the problem of choosing the single largest market and building a product to address it? It doesn't support linux either, or 3270 display terminals for that matter. I find the comments on this thread to be absurdly elitist. Less than a week ago, we were discussing how pencil and paper are a fine medium for wireframing. But a simple app that looks like it lets you throw together ideas quickly and easily, and transport them in small, effective packages is crap? What exactly is the problem here? Is there some rule that professionals must restrict themselves to blessed tools? What about those of us who think
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
Ouch, that's pretty harsh. I agree. That said, a single GUI Studio license costs $499. For that price, it better do my dishes. -r- Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
What exactly is the problem of choosing the single largest market and building a product to address it? In the past 2-3 years, I've met extremely few designers using Windows. I'm not saying there aren't loads more out there but worst-case, it's quite debatable whether or not Windows is dominant in the design industry. I see Macs everywhere. I'm not even sure I personally know more than a handful of people who use Windows machines. Of course, I do tend to hang out with elitists. -r- Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
Ouch, that's pretty harsh. I look at it the other way -- The primary skill of GUI design *isn't* supposed to be the ability to paint lots and lots of individual pixels. GUI design in photoshop? That's like using PS for word processing. (Honestly -- it is driving me nuts that people equate the ability to paint pixels with the ability to *design* things.) Like everyone else here, I'm commenting solely based on what the site says and not based on actual use, but it seems like a nice simple tool for mocking up applications that at least follow the standard Windows look and feel. I know I could have used something like this when we were wireframing new design elements. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=42372 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
I agree. Plus the fact that it's Windows-only rules it out for me. Don't they realize that Mac users employ GUI design tools as well (and probably in disproportionate numbers)? On Fri, May 29, 2009 at 2:37 PM, Dave Wood i...@bazaar.me.uk wrote: Looks like it does for GUI design what Publisher does for Graphic Design, makes amateurs feel like they are playing professionals. Lots of other perfectly good ways to achieving the same thing already out there. I still prefer using combinations of PhotoShop/Illustrator/Flash/Wireframe. Doesn't get my vote I'm afraid. Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
Don't they realize that Mac users employ GUI design tools as well (and probably in disproportionate numbers)? I'm sorry, but I just can't let this comment stand. What exactly is the problem of choosing the single largest market and building a product to address it? It doesn't support linux either, or 3270 display terminals for that matter. I find the comments on this thread to be absurdly elitist. Less than a week ago, we were discussing how pencil and paper are a fine medium for wireframing. But a simple app that looks like it lets you throw together ideas quickly and easily, and transport them in small, effective packages is crap? What exactly is the problem here? Is there some rule that professionals must restrict themselves to blessed tools? What about those of us who think those tools suck? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=42372 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
It's hardly elitist to say that a software company needs to address the population that they are selling to. Macs may make up 10% of the browsing population, but they probably are nearing 50% of the design world (where for a long time, they held over that number). But even if they are less than those numbers, Designers usually also have good taste, so therefore they don't base their decisions of what tools to use solely on 'the largest market'. So, call me/us elitist. Frankly, in this context, that's a compliment. Seriously, name-calling is not helpful here. From what I saw, the software looked pretty ugly to me. The clumsy tabbed Project panel was a classic example of bad Windows software design (putting everything into tree outlines at the left of the screen because that's the way File Manager did so in Win 3.1). The fact that it looks like a programmers IDE makes me suspect that the product was not developed by designers (even if it is for them). Worse still, the documents it appeared to produce looked even more tasteless and ugly. The Banking Application example suffered from poor design choices all over the place (badly designed tables, an unclear affordance for the collapsed panel, etc.). I suspect that this is really a package for programmers who have been forced to do the Design work a designer would do. That's why it's for Windows only, and that's why the software itself is designed like a programming environment. That's why some of us look at it and get a bit nauseous. Don't they realize that Mac users employ GUI design tools as well (and probably in disproportionate numbers)? I'm sorry, but I just can't let this comment stand. What exactly is the problem of choosing the single largest market and building a product to address it? It doesn't support linux either, or 3270 display terminals for that matter. I find the comments on this thread to be absurdly elitist. Less than a week ago, we were discussing how pencil and paper are a fine medium for wireframing. But a simple app that looks like it lets you throw together ideas quickly and easily, and transport them in small, effective packages is crap? What exactly is the problem here? Is there some rule that professionals must restrict themselves to blessed tools? What about those of us who think those tools suck? Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
But even if they are less than those numbers, Designers usually also have good taste, so therefore they don't base their decisions of what tools to use solely on 'the largest market'. Is your complaint that it doesn't run on OSX or that it doesn't mock up OSX apps? If it is the former, the idea of a designer unwilling to deign to *use* Windows while designing *for* Windows strikes me as elitist. Besides -- wouldn't this run on Windows on a Mac? If it is the latter, then the simple economic argument (90/10) makes perfect sense. They are in the business of selling software, and it makes sense for them to target the largest potential market. *Particularly* since Macophiles seem to poo-poo it so badly. If they did have a Mac version, you still wouldn't buy it, so why even point it out? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=42372 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
To be honest, I'd like to see the usability testing that 3rd party Mac developers do, because I'm fairly sure it is not that much! I'm a Mac user, and many applications 'look' nice, but don't necessarily behave nicely. Mac developers either design their own UIs (Which is the same as Windows' programmers designing UIs. Just owning a Mac doesn't automatically give us taste) or hire an 'Interface Designer' to do the work. However, on many well known Mac 'Interface Designer' websites, I never see any information concerning usability testing or interaction design, so it appears that they are merely designing the interface in Photoshop, making sure it just looks pretty! Also, a lot of the top iPhone applications have been developed and designed by Mac software houses, and they are some of the most appalling pieces of software ever. Heck, some can't even handle a phone call interruption?! It's a fricking phone, and software can't handle interruptions properly! On 30 May 2009, at 22:04, David Drucker wrote: It's hardly elitist to say that a software company needs to address the population that they are selling to. Macs may make up 10% of the browsing population, but they probably are nearing 50% of the design world (where for a long time, they held over that number). But even if they are less than those numbers, Designers usually also have good taste, so therefore they don't base their decisions of what tools to use solely on 'the largest market'. So, call me/us elitist. Frankly, in this context, that's a compliment. Seriously, name-calling is not helpful here. From what I saw, the software looked pretty ugly to me. The clumsy tabbed Project panel was a classic example of bad Windows software design (putting everything into tree outlines at the left of the screen because that's the way File Manager did so in Win 3.1). The fact that it looks like a programmers IDE makes me suspect that the product was not developed by designers (even if it is for them). Worse still, the documents it appeared to produce looked even more tasteless and ugly. The Banking Application example suffered from poor design choices all over the place (badly designed tables, an unclear affordance for the collapsed panel, etc.). I suspect that this is really a package for programmers who have been forced to do the Design work a designer would do. That's why it's for Windows only, and that's why the software itself is designed like a programming environment. That's why some of us look at it and get a bit nauseous. Don't they realize that Mac users employ GUI design tools as well (and probably in disproportionate numbers)? I'm sorry, but I just can't let this comment stand. What exactly is the problem of choosing the single largest market and building a product to address it? It doesn't support linux either, or 3270 display terminals for that matter. I find the comments on this thread to be absurdly elitist. Less than a week ago, we were discussing how pencil and paper are a fine medium for wireframing. But a simple app that looks like it lets you throw together ideas quickly and easily, and transport them in small, effective packages is crap? What exactly is the problem here? Is there some rule that professionals must restrict themselves to blessed tools? What about those of us who think those tools suck? Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
But even if they are less than those numbers, Designers usually also have good taste, so therefore they don't base their decisions of what tools to use solely on 'the largest market'. Is your complaint that it doesn't run on OSX or that it doesn't mock up OSX apps? No, my main complaint is that it's ugly, poorly designed software. The fact that it doesn't run on OSX is another knock against it, and for me, the final nail in the coffin. Mocking up OSX apps wouldn't hurt, since they supposedly support different 'themes' within Windows (although admittedly, there is a bit more to it than that). If it is the former, the idea of a designer unwilling to deign to *use* Windows while designing *for* Windows strikes me as elitist. Besides -- wouldn't this run on Windows on a Mac? Again with the elitist name-calling. (Remember, I'm _proud_ to be an elitist, just like people who know good wine or cars consider themselves to be elitists, but somehow when it comes to software and US politics, it seems that elitism is thought of as a 'bad' thing). At any rate, I would hope that one uses the best tools for the job. Remember that some of the examples they show are for web software, which (should) run on either- and for that reason it would be more important to able to switch between Mac and Windows, as well as IE and Firefox widget sets in order to check out some details of designs before an app goes live. As for 'blessed tools', I use Fireworks, Omnigraffle (which is Mac only), or whatever tools are required to produce a particular file format (which is in some cases, Visio, which I despise, not because it's on Windows, but because it is just really hard to use and often required only because a company doesn't know of any alternatives, which was the case when I did some work for a local branch of IBM). I also run Parallels, or use a PC, which for me is a last resort, since it is unpleasant and cuts my productivity (which I tell the client, and if they insist, they are then paying for it in the extra hours). If it is the latter, then the simple economic argument (90/10) makes perfect sense. They are in the business of selling software, and it makes sense for them to target the largest potential market. *Particularly* since Macophiles seem to poo-poo it so badly. If they did have a Mac version, you still wouldn't buy it, so why even point it out? As for targeting 90/10, its also worth mentioning that leaving money on the table (if you can manage it) is always a bad idea, especially if the cost is incremental. Not to mention that they get bad press every time a Mac user comes across it; There's nothing more annoying than a 'you're not worth the effort' sign. Mac users are not only elitist (good thing), but tend to be early adopters and pass the word on. Plus they typically don't need as much support resources. Ask any software developer that has decided to support multiple platforms. It's true that there are a few Mac-only software houses (Omni Group comes to mind), but they are very small companies with few resources, and they've purposely decided to address a small part of the software market to specialize in it, not simply ignore it. Again, Mac vs. PC arguments aside, it's just plain ugly software, and the proof of that seems to be that the examples they provide (and one would think that you'd want to show off the very best examples of what the software can produce) are ugly and clumsy as well. As for Mac users poo-pooing it more than Windows users, I'm not sure about that, but I guess keeping it away from the 'elitists' is an option. I just doubt that they will be very successful in the long run with designers, and in the end, that's what matters (unless, as I said, it's really a tool to let programmers do ugly design work). Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
[IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
Just thought that you would like to know that we've released a new version of GUI Design Studio (http://www.carettasoftware.com/guidesignstudio/) with lots of new features. Take a look at the release about it: http://www.carettasoftware.com/press/release-2009-05.html Also we offer a 30 day free trial, so if it sounds of interest, you can check it out at no cost. Thanks! Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
Re: [IxDA Discuss] New release of GUI Design Studio
No offense, but your app doesn't seem to do anything Powerpoint doesn't do? And the Olive XP style for screenshots? A bit Fugly. It's all arrows. What sets this app apart? What makes it remarkable? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Posted from the new ixda.org http://www.ixda.org/discuss?post=42372 Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ... disc...@ixda.org Unsubscribe http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .. http://www.ixda.org/help
