What's happened to the Two-Panel UI?

[jmccabe]

See attachments; first one is the 1.7x version on my phone that hasn't been updated yet. You can see the neat bevelled effect at the edge of the left panel, with a cool notch to show what message is currently being displayed. The second is version 1.8 where all that cool stuff has gone and it's not really any different to K9 (a UI that's been heavily criticised as being boring and dated).

[mikeone]

THANK YOU, for the great comparison.

No more comments are necessary!

BTW:
Does anyone see the message time in the second screenshot (= v1.8 ) at first glance!?

[jmccabe]

In fact, the way this looked in AquaMail is one of the few reasons why I haven't already jumped ship back to K9. There is one other issue related to K9 being really slow at syncing large mailboxes but I'm aware of a change that's already been committed, but not yet released, that might help to improve that.

Well, here's a photo of K9 for good measure...

[jmccabe]

Did you not read my original message then (even though that's the one you quoted)?

[Kostya Vasilyev]

@jmccabe

Yes all of the app's themes are now based on Google's "Material Design", and so there is no more a "raised arrow thing" for two panel. Instead, the indication of the "current" message on the left is with color alone.

K9 Mail choice of color is more bright, but our designers would never agree to something that's so much "a poke in the eye".

[jmccabe]

Thanks for your reply Kostya. That's disappointing though; you clearly went to a lot (probably) of effort to design and code the old design and it's gone down the toilet because of Google's idiocy in trying to force everyone's apps to look the same. Who do they think they are? Apple?!

[Kostya Vasilyev]

The explanations are of course all wonderful -- "pleasing appearance", "strong visual metaphors", "joyful playfulness" and other words I can't even remember let alone understand.

[jmccabe]

Yeah - I took a look at it. To me it's all 'flat and boring'!

[Kostya Vasilyev]

It's just a matter of language, see. What's "flat and boring" to you, is "flat and exciting and metaphorical and visually aesthetical not to mention airy and spacious all the while letting the user reach new elevated heights of excitement and productivity both".

( gee, I'm no good at this, wonder if anyone made a web based "designer bingo generator" yet )

[jmccabe]

LOL - glad you still have a sense of humour despite all these people moaning :-)

[mikeone]

LOL - glad you still have a sense of humour despite all these people moaning :-)

+1. 

[StR]

( gee, I'm no good at this, wonder if anyone made a web based "designer bingo generator" yet )

I don't know that, but there is a complaint generator...
See, e.g. http://www.pakin.org/complaint?title=Mr.&firstname=Kostya&middlename=&lastname=Vasilyev&suffix=&gender=m&shorttype=f&pgraphs=3
 

Feel free to generate as many as you want about your most annoying users: http://www.pakin.org/complaint/

[Kostya Vasilyev]

Re: complaint generator

I would like to start by discussing Kostya's musings, mainly because they scare me. The thing I'm the most frightened about is that Kostya is trying to get us to acquiesce to a Faustian bargain.

"A Faustian bargain" is a funny way to spell "Material design", otherwise it's spot on!