I would be tempted to base the subdivisions on a Fibonacci series: 3, 7, 10, 17, 27, 44, 71, 115. Note that 4 x 115 = 460.
That sounds brilliant for single-column layouts. Too bad it wouldn't hold up to a multi-column approach.
New Visual Proportions for the iOS User Interface
41–48 of 48 posts
Re: New Visual Proportions for the iOS User Interface
#42Earlier quoted context omitted.
I think this gets at a key misunderstanding in the post. The purpose of a grid is not to align everything to pixel perfection, but to assist in generating an interface that communicates well and is attractive. Departures from the grid sizing can have a variety of benefits: 1) Visually distinguish navigational elements from content 2) Account for visual weight of different elements to create a stronger perception of r…
> As the Dalai Lama said, "Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively." FWIW, this appears to be a misattribution. http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/dalai.asp
Thanks ggchappell for the correction. In the future I'll run quotes by snopes before using them.
Re: New Visual Proportions for the iOS User Interface
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
> As the Dalai Lama said, "Know the rules well, so you can break them effectively." FWIW, this appears to be a misattribution. http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/hoaxes/dalai.asp
Thanks ggchappell for the correction. In the future I'll run quotes by snopes before using them.
It is, in any case, a nice little saying.
I used to have my data structures & algorithms class (back when I taught DS&A) read "On following rules" by Kirit Saelensminde [http://www.kirit.com/On%20following%20rules]. This little saying goes along with it nicely.
Re: New Visual Proportions for the iOS User Interface
#44As the owner of a design firm, and a designer for UI for the past ten years, I think this article misses the point. Grids are a means to an end. That end is functional and visually pleasing usability. The samples in this article show less functional, less visually pleasing UIs.
Agreed. The author's purported "better" designs are visually unappealing, really very cluttered, and seem to miss the point (re: menu items being cut off at the bottom, etc.).
The author has said in another HN post that "it's my job to look at things others don't look at"--even setting aside the holier-than-thou sort of tone that that evokes, this sort of "it doesn't line up with the grid" complaint reminds me of those obnoxious "unsolicited redesigns" of websites you see hit HN once in a while--the ones that don't take into account critical aspects of why things are done the way they're done.
Re: New Visual Proportions for the iOS User Interface
#45I suggest that Apple standardize on a visual proportion built of a 1x1-pixel rhythm. Not only does this result in a zero-remainder no matter the screen dimensions, it also eliminates any inconsistencies with major/minor rhythms. Best of all, the current buttons, tab bar, status bar, icons, and everything else are already compliant with this rhythm with no changes whatsoever. Apple, you're welcome.
"Not only does this result in a zero-remainder."
Not necessarily. You're forgetting that each pixel is made out of three little colors, so with certain color arrangements one can probably get remainder even on a 1x1 pixel rhythmic grid.
Re: New Visual Proportions for the iOS User Interface
#46I don't think the new proportions are better. For example, the first comparison http://cl.ly/9RHh if you look closely, the list on the left has a slight left indent, whereas the list on the left (new dimensions) is aligned directly with the buttons above it. The original list looks "better" to me, as it coveys a subtle sense of depth that the redesign removes. The Likeables app look very WP7-metro to me and alien to…
The alignment is an oversight with the author's mockup. His post is focused on the vertical rhythm and the proportions on the Y-axis.
If I'm not mistaken, the author doesn't take issue with the proportions on the x-axis and makes the mistake of keeping things tightly aligned to the horizontal grid/x-axis proportions. Consequently, he missed some of the subtle things in the original.
Re: New Visual Proportions for the iOS User Interface
#47The "Improved" grid looks decidedly worse.
Re: New Visual Proportions for the iOS User Interface
#48I certainly appreciate the analysis and the effort (and I am a grid-based design advocate), but nevertheless find the "old" more appealing. Certainly, we could chalk this up to familiarity, but alas, I do not own an iPhone. I believe the last item in the playlist being cut off is my main hesitation with the re-design.