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The worst volume control UI in the world (2017)

uxdesign.cc

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Re: The worst volume control UI in the world (2017)

#451

Post by aasasd »

aasasd wrote: post #365
stefan_ wrote: post #36

I think the worst UI is simply the Teams one, because it presents as an app volume control but then simply controls the global device volume . Fuck off, you are not the only app running. But that comes second to the microphone gain control, which Teams similarly exerts unilateral control over - only this time through an automated algorithm that for some microphone types just ends up muting them entirely. It's wild, y…

Alas Teams is far from the only app to control the global volume, and it doesn't happen only in Windows.

BTW, the most ridiculous instance of this that I've met is when a game fiddled with the OS-global volume when I adjusted the volume in the game's options.

Re: The worst volume control UI in the world (2017)

#452

Post by kadoban »

13of40 wrote: post #162
kadoban wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do your headphones have volume control? If you're not sure, you should check. It's likely much less painful than that sounds.

No, I have simple ones by design. I don't need my earbuds launching me into a cardio workout or a meditative breathing session if I touch them in the wrong spot. (Looking at you, Samsung.)

Hah, fair enough. Ya I find volume adjust useful but everything else I can do without.

Re: The worst volume control UI in the world (2017)

#453

Post by andrepd »

baalimago wrote: post #341

This is the new volume control in windows 11 (some insider version they've randomly thrown at me): https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/786/aIfxKh.png It's atrocious. No slider, clicking on it "blips" the speakers so you can hear how loud it is. You have to hover pointer on top of it which enlarges the green circle by about 10% to show "Hey, you're hovering me, in case you missed it!" and then scroll so the the tin…

It's actually mind-boggling just how bad UI/UX in general has become. Like, there are things which are bad because it's hard to get right, but this trend to me sinks even lower than that, it's actually spectacularly bad.

Everywhere I look: Windows, Android, websites, mobile apps... it's all so terrible. Confusing interfaces (indecipherable icons with no text), ridiculously small or ridiculously large text (either I can't read it without zooming or so large that it fits 3 lines in a 15" screen), endless whitespace, no visual feedback about how to interact with the interface, such as what is clickable or not, etc.

I chalk this up to designers not giving a rat's ass about actually designing their interfaces carefully and thoughtfully, and simply optimising for one things: looking good on screenshots. If you think about it it explains everything about this.

Re: The worst volume control UI in the world (2017)

#454

Post by andrepd »

dash2 wrote: post #382
Beldin wrote: post #202

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was grading an online exam yesterday. You're lucky. This program used an SPA. The core workflow is hidden and split over multiple "tabs". Tabs include: question, given answer, score awarded. That's right, none of those are available simultaneously. Yes, 70% of its window goes unused when full-screen. Going through all students can be done in (at least) two ways. In the first, you can press a button to proceed to th…

Could this by any chance be Blackboard [1]? [1] https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2014/01/christ-i-hate-b...

Blackboard has to be the worst software I ever had the misfortune of having to interact with. How come universities spend millions of dollars every year on such a steaming pile of crap?

Re: The worst volume control UI in the world (2017)

#455

Post by gambiting »

baalimago wrote: post #341

This is the new volume control in windows 11 (some insider version they've randomly thrown at me): https://imagizer.imageshack.com/img922/786/aIfxKh.png It's atrocious. No slider, clicking on it "blips" the speakers so you can hear how loud it is. You have to hover pointer on top of it which enlarges the green circle by about 10% to show "Hey, you're hovering me, in case you missed it!" and then scroll so the the tin…

I've specifically went and downloaded the latest ISO of Windows 11 preview to see this monstrosity, but no, it seems like a completely normal slider to me, just like in Windows 10.

Re: The worst volume control UI in the world (2017)

#456

Post by globular-toast »

unethical_ban wrote: post #412
globular-toast wrote: post #315

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Pro-tip: make a second user account on your system exclusively for presentations. There's nothing more unprofessional than some stupid notification popping up during a presentation.

That's a valid workaround that shouldn't be needed. FWIW I turn off all contact apps (email, chat) entirely if it's important.

Is that easier than just switching user account? Essentially all we're talking about is having a separate environment. Maybe desktop environments could support multiple environments per user more easily, but it's not too bad to set it up with a separate user account.

Re: The worst volume control UI in the world (2017)

#457

Post by mvolfik »

HelixEndeavor wrote: post #129
mortenjorck wrote: post #107

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Teams’ notifications on Mac are an ongoing debacle. Because they are Microsoft’s own implementation, rather than using the system API, not only do they not respect DND, they also helpfully get lost behind other notifications that come in from properly designed applications. According to the Microsoft admin updates I’m subscribed to, native notifications on Mac have been in a beta channel for months, with a full rollo…

Developers stubbornly refusing to utilize the tools provided by the operating system because they think they can do it better (90% of the time they can't) is one of my greatest pet peeves. You should ONLY ever use your own engine for things like notifications if the particular OS doesn't support them (pre-10 Windows)

overall I agree, but tbh I'm quite happy for Telegram Desktop having its own notifications - the system ones in my Ubuntu Gnome (went through a few LTS upgrades, but not heavily customized) are really messed up, especially when Firefox sends something

Re: The worst volume control UI in the world (2017)

#458

Post by ptx »

namdnay wrote: post #450
etaioinshrdlu wrote: post #156

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The "Enter Password" at the bottom of that page is simply great.

So without defending Lotus Notes in any way, there was a meaning to the symbols: they were defined by some oneway function from what you were typing. So you would get used to the little symbol dance, and know if and when you’d mistyped

Wouldn't it also allow any onlookers, if they are able to memorize the symbol dance, to derive your password one character at a time by trial and error?

Re: The worst volume control UI in the world (2017)

#459

Post by dilap »

aasasd wrote: post #448
dilap wrote: post #427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's not all roses over in Mac land either, look how terrible this icon is for "External Headphones" https://pasteboard.co/Kb9u3OY.png Apple is slipping. (Probably an oversight because of Airpod-centric thinking.)

My guess is that icons distinguish between local devices and Airplay stuff.

"External headphones" should be a headphones icon, not a computer icon, is my complaint, to be explicit. It used to be correct in a previous version of macOS but regressed at some point.

Re: The worst volume control UI in the world (2017)

#460

Post by mvolfik »

shinymark wrote: post #152
Tempest1981 wrote: post #78

Earlier quoted context omitted.

On every iPad I've seen, only the lower 3-4 (of 16) steps are normal indoor range. Even the 1st step is too loud at night. I need half-steps. Is this due to linear vs logarithmic scaling? Or are people throwing wild parties where the iPad needs to fill a room with sound?

I agree - when trying to watch something next to a sleeping partner even 1 step above muted is too loud. Annoying. I often watch Netflix muted and read subtitles because of this. I guess I need headphones. But I do really think a volume one half of the current lowest would be useful for me.

Headphones really are the solution. I used to have wired ones and these were quite uncomfortable to handle - cable messed up all the time, and even when you untangle them you have to avoid pulling it, so I used speaker most of the time anyway. I finally bought wireless buds a year ago and I really understood why so many people have these and talk about it - it's just too easy
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