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How to cope with the Gmail redesign

jasoncrawford.org

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Re: How to cope with the Gmail redesign

#51

Post by cookiecaper »

sho_hn wrote: post #38
pbreit wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm not sure I understand. Most desktop email clients have _very_ limited customizability.

In my experience, they're usually far more customizable. Clients I've used include KMail on Linux, The Bat! on Windows and Mozilla's Thunderbird, all of which offer myriad options to customize the appearance and behavior of message list, message pane and folder lists, though the first two apps much more so than Thunderbird. You also get to modify things like toolbars much more freely, and OS/toolkit theming usually a…

Also worth noting is that Thunderbird's layout can be thoroughly customized with a bit of JavaScript hacking via its extensions interface, just as Firefox can. While TB may not have tons of visual options by default, it can still get them via third-party extension.

Re: How to cope with the Gmail redesign

#53

Post by sho_hn »

cookiecaper wrote: post #51
sho_hn wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In my experience, they're usually far more customizable. Clients I've used include KMail on Linux, The Bat! on Windows and Mozilla's Thunderbird, all of which offer myriad options to customize the appearance and behavior of message list, message pane and folder lists, though the first two apps much more so than Thunderbird. You also get to modify things like toolbars much more freely, and OS/toolkit theming usually a…

Also worth noting is that Thunderbird's layout can be thoroughly customized with a bit of JavaScript hacking via its extensions interface, just as Firefox can. While TB may not have tons of visual options by default, it can still get them via third-party extension.

Aye, that's what I was talking about with "Tb extensions are similar [in their capabilities] (to GreaseMonkey-style site hacks)".

Re: How to cope with the Gmail redesign

#54

Post by cookiecaper »

sho_hn wrote: post #53
cookiecaper wrote: post #51

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Also worth noting is that Thunderbird's layout can be thoroughly customized with a bit of JavaScript hacking via its extensions interface, just as Firefox can. While TB may not have tons of visual options by default, it can still get them via third-party extension.

Aye, that's what I was talking about with "Tb extensions are similar [in their capabilities] (to GreaseMonkey-style site hacks)".

Hmm, didn't see that part. Maybe you edited? Maybe I just skimmed it. Sorry. :)

Re: How to cope with the Gmail redesign

#55

Post by sho_hn »

cookiecaper wrote: post #54
sho_hn wrote: post #53

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Aye, that's what I was talking about with "Tb extensions are similar [in their capabilities] (to GreaseMonkey-style site hacks)".

Hmm, didn't see that part. Maybe you edited? Maybe I just skimmed it. Sorry. :)

I edited quite a bit (awful habit), but that part was in the original version :).

Re: How to cope with the Gmail redesign

#56

Post by taeric »

Jach wrote: post #33
andrewfelix wrote: post #31

I was so busy using gmail I barely noticed the transition. Which for me says everything. Great design shouldn't be noticed, it should just work. Obviously this is just one anecdote. But for me gmail is still the indispensable tool it always was. For all its shortcomings it is an amazing product.

I'm finding this hard to believe. You didn't notice when the Send button went from the bottom of the message to the top? Maybe you meant that you noticed but didn't find it jarring enough to cause a lot of confusion?

I confess I haven't really noticed any of the button changes. This is mainly because I am almost 100% keyboard in gmail, though. Send is a quaint tab-enter. :)

I can say every now and then I look for the buttons, but the only one I really ever find myself using is the refresh button, and that is simply if I wasn't already positioned on the keyboard.

Re: How to cope with the Gmail redesign

#57

Post by mattmanser »

andrewfelix wrote: post #42
twelvechairs wrote: post #34

Its a constant wonder how Google and other large companies can't actually realise that their design departments are not doing a great job. You'd think that Apple's successes might actually make them realise that great interfaces (especially if they can outdo the competition) are hugely valuable. Some things about the new design are defensible, however others are definitely not. My particular pet hate is that all the…

>large companies can't actually realise that their design departments are not doing a great job There are obviously a lot of unhappy users with legitimate gripes. But Google would probably be looking at the growth of Gmail to validate what ever the design department is doing. That growth is pretty impressive.

Growth? Gmail grew 3 or 4 years ago. I wouldn't recommend Gmail to anyone now, it's just another Hotmail type service, there's nothing special or good about Gmail anymore.

What really surprised me is how few of my friends get the 'conversation' view even in 2012. After too many awkward conversations and now their 'we've got absolutely no design skills and can't design for shit' redesign, I'm just shrugging when people say their hotmail account has been hacked for the 15th time.

Re: How to cope with the Gmail redesign

#58

Post by twelvechairs »

andrewfelix wrote: post #42
twelvechairs wrote: post #34

Its a constant wonder how Google and other large companies can't actually realise that their design departments are not doing a great job. You'd think that Apple's successes might actually make them realise that great interfaces (especially if they can outdo the competition) are hugely valuable. Some things about the new design are defensible, however others are definitely not. My particular pet hate is that all the…

>large companies can't actually realise that their design departments are not doing a great job There are obviously a lot of unhappy users with legitimate gripes. But Google would probably be looking at the growth of Gmail to validate what ever the design department is doing. That growth is pretty impressive.

> But Google would probably be looking at the growth of Gmail to validate what ever the design department is doing.

If past performance is your primary way of to 'validate' anything, you obviously have a very poor understanding of the subject matter and are going to lag behind those who do.

Re: How to cope with the Gmail redesign

#59

Post by [deleted] »

dancesdrunk wrote: post #11

I quite like the new design, and I've been using it since it was in "beta" a couple of months ago. It certainly provided a couple of frustrating days before I got used to it, but I find it much more soft on the eyes - to me the old layout now looks pretty harsh; giving the impression of being just "functional". A lot of non-technical folks I work (and live!) with find the new design much, much more pleasing. Bear in…

[deleted]

Re: How to cope with the Gmail redesign

#60

Post by mattmanser »

taeric wrote: post #56
Jach wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm finding this hard to believe. You didn't notice when the Send button went from the bottom of the message to the top? Maybe you meant that you noticed but didn't find it jarring enough to cause a lot of confusion?

I confess I haven't really noticed any of the button changes. This is mainly because I am almost 100% keyboard in gmail, though. Send is a quaint tab-enter. :) I can say every now and then I look for the buttons, but the only one I really ever find myself using is the refresh button, and that is simply if I wasn't already positioned on the keyboard.

/facepalm.

So you've got no qualification whatsoever talking about the new interface as you avoid it entirely.

What I love most is sometimes the important buttons are red and in the top left. But sometimes they are gray and in the bottom right.

Which will it be today? Flip a coin! Consistency is an alien word to the Google Design Team.

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