13 replies to this topic

[Rick]

I truly love Accordance and am currently having a blast as I explore the new features of v9. That being said, I still think Accordance is due for a few UI tweaks. I had some extra time yesterday afternoon and was wondering what Accordance would look like it it took some elements from other apps I like. Here's what I came up with:

 Screen shot 2010-09-25 at 9.15.09 AM.jpg   311.5K   265 downloads

1. New Window
Instead of “Workspaces,” just call them Windows. Some windows have tabs, and some windows do not have tabs.

2. Selected Module
Has a thick, dark border around it. Also, the selected module has a small cog icon in the upper right corner. When clicked, this cog brings up the options to rotate the module, change viewing options, show module info, etc.

3. Sidebar/Library
Library Window and Resources Pallet become one thing. Items can be dragged and dropped into the window, or right clicked and opened in a new window. The cog in the bottom left corner of the window is used to edit and rearrange the items in the Library.

4. Store
Give Accordance an iTunes-like store. Clicking this changes the window into a web-store, from which modules can be purchased, downloaded, updated, and added to the Library. As evidenced by the success of Apple's iTunes Store, people are more likely to make purchases if it's just a couple clicks away. Ideally, as soon as someone clicks "buy," Accordance should take care of the rest.

5. Full Screen
Clicking this, removes the Sidebar, Toolbar, etc and enlarges the entire window to full screen. Much like editing a photo with iPhoto or Aperture. The Instant Details panel would be viewable as a HUD.

6. Reader
Works very much like Safari’s new Reader feature. Takes the selected module, enlarges it to fill the whole window, and formats it into easily readable text. Truly makes Accordance a great e-reader.

7. Search All
Opens a separate, special “Search All” window. Clicking an item you’ve found opens it in a new window.

8. User Notes
Opens a right sidebar containing all user notes.

Obviously, there are still some things missing, and I'm clearly not a graphic designer, but this is where I'd love to see Accordance heading in the future. Now, this arrangement probably doesn't suit some users, however I think the tradeoff for a UI which is less cluttered and redundant would be worth it. Also, I hope I don't step on anyone's toes with this post. Like I already said, I love Accordance and this is just me brainstorming ways to make it even better.

~Rick S.
@macinstructor

Edited by Rick, 25 September 2010 - 04:07 PM.

[R. Mansfield]

Hey, Rick,

As an aside, since I know there are at least two other of us Ricks on here (and probably more), could you differentiate yourself somehow with a last name or last initial or something?


Thanks,

Rick

[Robb Brunansky]

Rick S.,

A lot of this exactly what I would envision it looking like. I also like your idea of a store integrated into Accordance.

[Greg Terry]

Rick:

Very nice. I like the idea of eliminating the floating palettes and integrating them into the program window.

[Bobert]

Rick:

This looks great. I definitely think that the Accordance UI needs to head in this direction. BTW, how's Beeson treating you?

[Fr. Rusty]

I like these ideas as well.
If we could just get the info from the floating pallets integrated into the workspace in some way, I would be very happy.
Moving things around constantly to adapt to different screens is uncomfortable.

Grace and Peace,

Rusty+

[RobM]

I too like these proposed modifications. They are aesthetically pleasing as well as integrated and functional.

Though, I would still like to be able to easily hide it all. Right now, I never have any palettes open for any substantial length of time. When I do need them, I press the appropriate key stroke to make them appear and disappear. This way, the text(s) in my workspace fill(s) the entire screen all the time.

[Robb Brunansky]

A small button at the bottom left that would hide/show the library pane/instant details, like the hide/show Genius/Ping bar in iTunes, would easily accomplish that feat and be a nice, modern GUI element.

[Rick]

I too like these proposed modifications. They are aesthetically pleasing as well as integrated and functional.

Though, I would still like to be able to easily hide it all. Right now, I never have any palettes open for any substantial length of time. When I do need them, I press the appropriate key stroke to make them appear and disappear. This way, the text(s) in my workspace fill(s) the entire screen all the time.

I believe this is what I'm getting at with the "Full Screen" and "Reader" buttons. Both of these would serve to eliminate all the extras, namely the Toolbar along the top, Sidebar on the left, Search bar and Tabs bar along the top. Have you ever used Full Screen mode in Pages, Aperture, or iPhoto? That's what I'm envisioning. In many ways, it would make Accordance feel like an iOS app on your Mac--utilizing every pixel on your screen.

Reader would be useful for books or articles you might have as modules in Accordance, and the idea came from Safari's new Reader feature. If you haven't played around with that feature yet, definitely give it a try. It's pretty much the only way I read lengthy articles online now. Reader in Accordance would hopefully give the feeling of reading on a Kindle.

Full Screen would enlarge and zoom into the open modules of a particular window, while Reader would only emphasize one module.

Edited by Rick, 02 October 2010 - 02:37 PM.

[Rick]

Rick:

This looks great. I definitely think that the Accordance UI needs to head in this direction. BTW, how's Beeson treating you?

It's an amazing place, and I'm blessed to be there. I've switched at least three other students to Accordance!!!

[Martin Shields]

This looks very nice. Perhaps you should be a graphic designer!

[Darin Allen]

I also really like your ideas, Rick S. I absolutely love Accordance, but I think it would definitely benefit from some UI enhancements such as the ones you suggest. Hopefully the Accordance developers feel the same way. Either way, thanks for taking the time and creativity to propose this.

-Darin

[Andy Crim]

That looks great. I would also like to see the quick search function that I am used to in Safari.

Command-f brings up a search bar in the upper right where I can begin to type and instantly see highlights and matches on a web page. If this were available on the selected module it would help to quickly find a word or phrase in a page of text. I know I can do a search, but sometimes I just want to quickly scan a text for something without creating a new search.

[danzac]

Love your proposed UI enhancement!