A guy redesigned Live's interface

Discuss music production with Ableton Live.
H20nly
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by H20nly » Thu Oct 22, 2015 2:11 pm

I'm digging it. I like how the simplicity has been maintained and the background makes everything else pop into focus.

Of course, using it would be the real test... sometimes we don't realize that something is fatiguing until we have to stare at it for a while...

XSIMan
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by XSIMan » Thu Oct 22, 2015 4:24 pm

I like that it looks like the new FL.

Machinesworking
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by Machinesworking » Thu Oct 22, 2015 5:30 pm

IMO anyway the main thing that stands out in this is the fact that the Scene and sub windows don't have the same background. If you play around with the Live skinning app someone made a while ago you realize the reason there aren't drastically different skins in Live like there are in Digital Performer or Reaper is because at the core some things aren't separated out, you change font color and in dark areas you can't see the font etc. there aren't separate fonts for what would be in almost every case lighter and darker backgrounds. I love some of the darker skins for Live, but you give up legibility, clarity etc. and sometimes even usability because of Live's GUI skinning limitations. Basically this couldn't be a skin because Live does't allow for separate background colors like that. Compare this to DP or Reaper where people are coming up with whole new themes that even improve on clarity...

TL;DR - I think the limitations on Live's GUI would be vastly improved by Ableton themselves, then people can design GUI's that are truly different rather than just picking a few colors.

marra
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by marra » Thu Oct 22, 2015 8:47 pm

Yeah to me it looks like a violation of the KISS principle:

"Things should be as simple as possible but not any simpler"

VivaceBeats
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by VivaceBeats » Thu Oct 22, 2015 9:13 pm

Love it. Feeling like the current Ableton Live 9 could use a facelift and this redesign seems perfect to me!

pinkpaint
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by pinkpaint » Thu Oct 22, 2015 9:20 pm

i love it love it love it... lives GUI is made to be simple imo and these keeps the simplicity of the objects and elements yet gives it a modern polish.

keep in mind a lot of people love Live for its GUI however, so if you were to change the objects and elements such as thin meters or whatever people are complaining about in this thread they could lose users... to me this GUI shown is a perfect balance to keep old users (and want to make them buy ableTEN) without being scared of the differences while still looking flashy and new enough to attract new users.

love love love it.

H20nly
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by H20nly » Thu Oct 22, 2015 9:22 pm

marra wrote:Yeah to me it looks like a violation of the KISS principle:

"Things should be as simple as possible but not any simpler"
so, do think it's oversimplified or not simple enough?

it mostly just looks like a new color scheme to me.

jbodango
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by jbodango » Thu Oct 22, 2015 10:17 pm

after a decade I could use a refresh myself as well....

Stromkraft
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by Stromkraft » Thu Oct 22, 2015 11:07 pm

I'm sorry to put a negative slant on this vision. It just doesn't look much like an improvement to me. Generally it's just darker.

Image
Full image link allows you to zoom in.

Where are
  • the totally resizable device windows?
  • multiple track editing solutions?
  • flexible arrangement sections?
  • crisp display in Windows high def?
You know design decisions that actually matters. Eye candy? Bah.
Make some music!

iloyd2
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by iloyd2 » Fri Oct 23, 2015 12:05 am

So you expect a random guy will redesign Live's gui and solve all interface issues for free? I think this guys work only points out that Live would do some face lift and freshness. With the current look, while clean, I feel like I'm working in a clinic.

TomViolenz
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by TomViolenz » Fri Oct 23, 2015 12:33 am

iloyd2 wrote:So you expect a random guy will redesign Live's gui and solve all interface issues for free? I think this guys work only points out that Live would do some face lift and freshness. With the current look, while clean, I feel like I'm working in a clinic.
Well if he'd expect to be taken seriously he could have at least tried. It's not that the ideas are that hard to come up with, as Stromkraft just showed.

But I guess 15 minutes with a graphic program and no original ideas gets you your 15 minutes of fame in the blogosphere. Why aspire for more huh?!

pinkpaint
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by pinkpaint » Fri Oct 23, 2015 1:24 am

yo... this is a concept... as in he doesn't know what live 10 will contain and he can't just GUI in features that he doesn't know exist as an outside source... he probably put this together in hopes ableton would want to hire him for the job in which he would put a lot more time into it id imagine..

think about it in terms of music.... you make demo songs (concept) to send to a label an the label replies to you with feedback (unless its a dope track already) on what to change if they will take it and bam.. you go back and change it and it fits the standard because you worked with the label... this guy is a lone wolf... until he works with ableton he can't go back and make those changes of the features he doesn't know about yet for live 10...

yur2die4
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by yur2die4 » Fri Oct 23, 2015 3:09 am

It Looks like something designed to be touched. A mouse pointer seems out of place on it.

But it's not designed to be touched. Too many small elements. Especially the session grid.

I've always put more priority on function than form, so just ignore me and my lack of enthusiasm :P

I find it strange how you can have hundreds of people with 'concept' iPhone 7's that will never exist and look all kinds of dramatic, and one person does a Live re-interpretation that mostly retains the standard elements and I've seen the same image pop up like 20 times in the past two weeks as if it is the greatest pseudonews ever.

Machinesworking
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by Machinesworking » Fri Oct 23, 2015 4:03 am

I'll go with I think it looks OK. most of you are ridiculously hot or cold about it. Live has always allowed users to change the color scheme. the actual improvement here is allowing a different color scheme for the sub window, beyond that is it really much different than the tobacco theme? not to me.

Kent_in_CO
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Re: A guy redesigned Live's interface

Post by Kent_in_CO » Fri Oct 23, 2015 3:31 pm

It looks nice, but at the end of the day, will it help me write music faster? Will it spark creativity? I'd rather see a full touchscreen-capable interface than new colors.
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