New Ui Feedback From Ui/ux Designer: Visually Nicer, Slower To Use, More Clicks To Do The Same Task

[KriLL3]

Main Menu:

 

The main menu being nested is annoying and slows your access to the UI you want, and it's unnecessary:

 

Current menu entries on the root level: 7

Total menu entries sans sub-pages: 17

 

The root menu can fit 17 entries easily

 

 

Those entires are huge, if made a bit smaller and aligned into 2 or 3 rows 17 would fit easily, would greatly reduce the time needed in the menu to get where you want, all of the items don't need to be identical menu entries either, the inbox especially could just be that inbox icon in the top right but allow you to click it.

 

The old layout having smaller buttons along a top row that was persistent throughout the game's UI was a lot nicer imo, there is a similar top row with a 3 line button to go to the menu, your avatar, credits, platinum and I assume boosters, why not put the main menu entries there like before? hiding them behind a menu button is slower, the "faster" non-ship UI is slower and more clicks per task than the old UI.

 

Having the top menu back would help ease usability a lot, instead of having to hit esc or click the 3 line button in the top left you could just pick which section of the UI you wanted from a row above the page you are using.

 

Using the menu in an elevator is quite an experience, it hitches up and down violently until you see bellow and far above the elevator platform and the menu itself is unusable.

 

Planet Selection:

 

 

It's mystery meat navigation plain and simple, it needs permanent text labels, old UI let you quickly pick out the planets based on size, distance to the sun etc, now they're all in an even circle and the same size, and a lot of them are brown/dusty/orange:ish, it's hard to tell which is which at a glance, which means the UI fails one of it's primary purposes, having to cycle through the planets to find the one you want isn't ideal.

 

The direction it rotates when you use the scrollwheel seems random as well, turns around at times while scrolling in the same direction, on the whole it's very mouse unfriendly.

 

It's also missing the resource overview and faction information from the old starchart (thanks Dezman for pointing that out).

 

Also missing the alerts/invasions shortcuts/notifications, in U13 you could just click the alert to do it, now you need to find it first manually, clear regression in EoU/QoL.

 

Mission selection UI:

 

 

Wow, where to start? Yes it's quite pretty, but man it's functionally a big step backwards, all missions have a permanent text label (which is nice), that are drawn on a circle making 1/2~ of them hard to read because they're turned 90 degrees or more +/- and the ones near the top/back are upside-down (which is horrible), and some missions are plain hidden behind the planet. Again you need to turn to get a overview of your options, the UI is a lot less "glancable" than the old UI and locked missions are very unclear how you unlock, old layout with connecting lines made it perfectly obvious how you unlocked missions.

 

I don't see the point of having to turn both the planet and mission UI to get access to the information you need that would fit in the view anyway, it's like looking at a landscape though a tube, you can't get any overview of the whole in one glance, you need to shift your aim around and try to remember what you see to draw a picture of the whole in your mind, instead of just throwing the tube away and looking at the whole scene at once.

 

If I need to go to a specific mission on a specific planet my workflow to do so now would be to first figure out which planet is the one I want by cycling through the planets and reading the labels one by one, then the same process to find the mission on the planet, turn the planet around while reading the mission names near the bottom (where they're turned the right way for you to read them) and then picking that mission, there is a lot more hunting around and looking for things than there was before, starting a specific mission was faster before than it is now.

 

Void and Derelict mission nodes don't tell you how many keys you have, you have to go to the inventory to see that now, which is annoying.

 

And you can't join the dojo at all using the navigation, you have to go via the clan menu "hidden" in communication.

 

Scrolling is also wonky here, scroll slowly and it turns around as you'd expect, scroll fast and it just wobbles back and forth aimlessly.

 

Would work much better if the tiles wrapped around the planet were instead unwrapped and put into a multi-row list/grid with the planet to the side/in the background, Would make all tiles readable at the same time, and clickable at the same time, no need to pan around the planet to read them.

 

A grid could afford 4 directions for missions to unlock, not sure how mission unlocks work now though.

 

Foundry/Mods/Etc:

 

 

... My shoulder is blocking a good part of the UI, it's a neat touch in a way, but it's also very annoying, please give the option to make the UI smaller, small enough to clear your warframe and give some whitespace around it (having it that zoomed in feels weird, and feels like I'm being forced into it, I feel like I want to take 2-3 steps backwards). We're used to whitespace around a UI to a certain degree, having it partially out of frame feels weird. (At least IMHO).

 

Also doesn't show how many you have already made of something and your exact resource count, only shows you have enough to make something, before you  could see for example that you had enough to make 4, for example if I had 2000 polymers for that titan extractor, now it just says 500/500 (thanks Dezman for pointing that out).

 

And another big issue: unless your mouse is near the right side the scroll bar isn't visible, the scrollbar is both a way to scroll using the mouse cursor, but if you got a mousewheel like most of us do it serves more to act as an indicator where on the page you are and if you can scroll up/down, this means if your cursor is on the left side of the UI you can't tell, and it seems the cursor defaults to left of middle. Another example of why a moving partially visible UI isn't a great idea.

 

Mod UI also has some bugs:

 

 

The card's picture are blacked out above the center of the field and bellow the bottom 25%~ Can see that only one row of 2.5~ has the picture showing, and they're missing the bottom part, if I scroll that black gradient travels up/down the bottom of that row and there is a similar gradient above the visible row of mods that goes into that row or exits the row above depending on the direction I scroll, it's like a mask going from back to white to black.

 

 

 

Another picture of the mod UI to make the gradient effect more clear, also shows a problem with the UI moving as you move the mouse, on the right you only see "SELL" of the complete text "SELL STACK", If I move the cursor right to make that text appear in whole my backside is blocking the 2 leftmost columns of mods, it's impossible to see all of the UI at the same time, it's tedious having to swivel back and forth to get an overview of the entire page, and completely unnecessary, the page in full fits nicely on the screen if reduced in size 10%~. An option to have the UI not rock around as you move the cursor would also be nice, it's making me somewhat motion sick feeling.

 

 

 

 

I've scrolled to the bottom, bottom row is only 1/3~ visible or so, 2/3 of it is outside the page/scrolling box.

 

 

That's as far left as I can go, I can't see most of those sorting options...

 

Also having to pick task and then get a list of your mods feels backwards, a lot more organic to get a list of all your mods, spot one you'd want to transmute/fuse/sell/etc and click the button to enter that mode and do it, than pick the list to browse your mods, then exit back to sell/fuse/transmute it after finding it in the list again, that's a demonstrably worse workflow than before.

 

Arsenal:

 

While picking gear there is no description given, would be nice if you got a description on mouseover, description only shown after being equipped. It's a small thing but I thought it worth mentioning.

 

Damage type and the related number are on different lines, it doesn't look nice nor does the centered text, would be much easier to read if it was on the same line and the numbers were aligned in a column.

 

My Warframe doesn't turn around most of time time, I'm facing the wall and thus when hovering each weapon I get a zoom-in that doesn't focus on the weapon in question and I can't see it through my warframe. (Annoying but not critical).

 

End of mission Screen:

 

Can't scroll the scroll-boxes using the mousewheel.

 

Login Screen:

 

Oh and yes login screen has no close button, pretty huge oversight, having to alt-f4/tskmgr to exit WF is annoying.

 

TL;DR/Conclusion:

The new UI is visually a lot nicer overall, but I also feel the functionality and ease of use has regressed at least as much, the new UI requires you to fiddle with it to get access to information you should have at your fingertips, it doesn't feel mouse and keyboard friendly at all, the new main menu is nested requiring more clicks to do the same task, a lot of the UI screens don't fit on the screen all at once and overflow or is hidden behind your warframe.

 

I find it less annoying to simply walk around the ship than use the menu at this point.

Edited July 19, 2014 by KriLL3

[Bassem]

As another UX/UI designer I totally agree. I was worried about this stuff from the livestreams and I see from your screenshots that it's all true. I actually can't login to the game, connectivity issues =/

 

Look to Dead Space's inventory and menus for examples of in-world UI done perfectly.

[CY13ERPUNK]

+1 OP

 

all the plus ones

[Shulishin]

A well crafted post that I whole heartedly agree with. Unfortunately it's bound to be overlooked as people flood in defending it saying "it's new, give it time". Sacrificing the functionality of the UI for the sake immersion has gone too far in my opinion. It's clear the UI was designed for console users, which would be fine, except we aren't on consoles.

[Mutant1988]

This doesn't even touch upon the distracting movements.

 

A static image with plain text is much easier to read than an image that is constantly animating and moving around based on mouse movements. That does nothing but distract or worse, nauseate.

 

Edit: Sorry, I just noticed that you did in fact cover this issue. Still, I'd like to emphasize that it is a very significant issue brought on by something completely unnecessary.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Mutant1988

[KriLL3]

As another UX/UI designer I totally agree. I was worried about this stuff from the livestreams and I see from your screenshots that it's all true. I actually can't login to the game, connectivity issues =/

 

Yeah I raised warning flags about the functionality of the UI during the livestream/interview pictures and people told me it's work in progress and I couldn't judge it yet, well my fears were all realized, functionality and ease of use has taken a back-seat to visuals and the gimmick of turning something projected as a flat plane or swiveling something that doesn't quite fit on-screen.

 

 

Edit: Sorry, I just noticed that you did in fact cover this issue. Still, I'd like to emphasize that it is a very significant issue brought on by something completely unnecessary.

 

Yeah sorry wanted to focus on what I could convey in picture form, all the unnecessary motion is aggravating at best, nauseating at worst, I think those of us prone to simulation sickness cased by low FOV can quite easily get triggered of the new projected menus, I feel quite ill trying to use them for any length of time.

Edited July 18, 2014 by KriLL3

[Brasten]

I concur, as a power user and someone who prides himself on quickly assimilating UI, this new interface can only be described as Windows 8. It has moved core functionality (such as Online Play mode options) 2 to 3 clicks away from the user and dropped functionality. Everything you do not want to see from a UI overhaul. It looks lovely, but is rubbish to use.

Compare this to the "overhaul" iOS7 got from iOS6. It got the same bubbly float slickness AND moved many important features closer to the user. People may argue over the look, but from UI/UX stand point it did things correctly.

 

 

=====

 

For example, you can get some contextual menus in better places, the Online//Private/Invite/Solo modes for example

 

 

One little change, makes it so much more functional.

Edited July 18, 2014 by Brasten

[vaugahn]

I agree with all of this. Given that there will probably be major changes in the next two weeks or so, I'm optimistic, but if text labels for planets, a fix for the wonky rotation, and an easier quick menu are not added I will be rather disappointed.

 

Also, good job on offering constructive criticism and not bashing. All of my +1s for that.

[kultuu]

+1000 THUMBS up

 

 

 

FUNCTION>FLASHINESS

[SteelCent]

There are not words to describe the sheer, brilliance demonstrated here. Many of us can talk the talk- But instead of writing with the knowledge of broken elements, you took it step by step, investing your time to clearly explain elements the rest of us kept in the back of our heads while spewing paragraphs. I am glad that, instead of being overtaken with emotion and assuming it so clearly and evidently flawed -- You instead chose the level-headed path of demonstrating each point individually as to explain to both developers, and non-believers as they were; the inherent problems of the U14 User Interface.

 

I award you 10 points for post composition, 10 points for content and 10 points for layout affording the maximum possible 30/30 points to your post. 

 

You hit the nail on the head, and I might have missed it without the eye-catching title. Thank you for taking the time to construct this post, your input is valued by this community and I cannot express how much hope this gives me - As I find the game unplayable with the current flaws within the UI.

 

Can you believe people suggest themselves immersed in gameplay despite these glaring flaws? Thread after thread is spammed with people claiming how their level of immersion is several fold, and how neigh-sayers should simply get used to it. I am certain they might rethink their opinion once they read this thread, look and notice these issues instead of overlooking them.

Edited July 18, 2014 by SteelCent

[theGreatZamboni]

Putting art before the needs of the player never works out in the end. Very concise feedback, we need more eyes on this and/or similar threads.

[Brasten]

So, you do thousands clicks per mission, and lazy to click few more times in menus?

It also goes to an issue of having to hunt down menus and options. Things are not be place in an intuitive manner. Biggest glaring example is the Online/Private/Invite/Solo. In this new UI it is buried 3 layers deep (Esc > Lower Right click > full screen overlay), where it can be contextually place on the same layer as the mission select screen. This is bad UI design, number of clicks not withstanding.

 

This the exact same problem that Windows 8 got blasted for. Are you one of those people who "hates" Windows 8? Then you should hate this new Warframe UI for the same reasons. 

 

Its not about lazy, its about flow. This new UI does not "flow" well. Most of its menu placement, while artistic, is not functional or intuitive/logical. Good UI has to be functional, the best UI has to be both artistic and functional. Bad UI is just artistic.

[ThePredicament]

The UI definitely needs to be scaled a bit better. Smaller sized tiles would be better for most of the segments.

[KriLL3]

So, you do thousands clicks per mission, and lazy to click few more times in menus?

 

Clicks/screens/steps per task is/are a UX/UI term(s), the new UI basically requires more time and effort to do the same task compared to the old UI, if you could give 2 copies of the same person an identical computer each, one running U13.x and the other U14 and then at random give both the same task to do (say swap main weapon to a soma, start a solo run of mission x on planet y etc) from the same starting point the person playing U13 would probably beat the person playing U14 pretty consistently.

 

In-game clicking to shoot an enemy helps you progress in the mission and or not die, killing 100 grineer to complete a mission isn't the same thing as clicking 100 menu items to start the next mission.

[Varzy]

I liked the point you made about how the old UI consistently had the Aresenal/Foundry/Market/Inbox/Codex ribbon on the top of the screen, I feel like that's something that could be easily reintroduced to the new UI (into the pause menu and the component menus themselves).

 

I'm very annoyed about the state of the solar map because I raised the issue back in the preview in May and was assured it was barebones and design passes would be made. But my main issues -- how the planets were all on one ring, how it no longer seemed like a solar system, how they couldn't be differentiated at a glance, all those issues have made it into the build.

[BurntKitten]

I've made a number of posts about this new interface tonight, and it's good to know that when I first logged into U14 and saw this new horror that I wasn't the only one to quickly be mortified at the decision to creation something like this.  I've agreed with almost every constructive criticism against this design.  Having to tilt and pan a virtual head to see menus was bad enough, the absolute biggest killer for me has been the Planet Selection screen as shown in the OP.  This is an absolute game stopper for anyone with Deuteranopia (common, which I have) or Protanopia (rare, I know people who have this) colour blindness.  All we can in this screen is a bunch of grey spheres, all the same size, same shape, nothing to distinguish one from another.  To me, this is equivilent to the dev team saying "we'll just deliberately restrict a portion of our potential income" as most people in my situation will look at this and think well aint nobody got time fo dat.  This was so easily solved in the previous version by having planets different sizes and as the OP mentioned at differing positions from a centre point allowing for quick and easy identification.

 

Certainly this doesn't remove the rest of the issues, but this one will see me walking away from what is one of my favourite games, in sadness I will add, as all these design issues could be easily solved by giving your end user a choice.

Edited July 18, 2014 by BurntKitten

[Max7238]

I agree that a few simple fixes would alleviate a lot of the issues. I like the option to walk around a ship as a menu, but the ESC key side of things should be tailored to be more like the old 13.x type. The planets themselves seem to be in a randomized order, at least in my game. Having them in a AU-inclining fashion would make more sense, leaving the Void, Derelict, and Dojo at the opposite side (in other words, left of Mercury, with Venus to the right, and so on).

As for the mods and other strangely large screens, flattening them to be static on an in-ship display would still look just as nice and would function a lot better, effectively removing the sickness-inducing motion.

That said, I DO like that the player model's head moves with the mouse. Perhaps shifting the menu to the right to allow the player room to do that would work, a la Dead Space (like was mentioned before, I think).

[Brasten]

I bet you get used to them in less then a week.

Minutes actually (when I can actually get a log in), but that's because I'm a UI devouring crazy person. But that's not the point. It shouldn't take a crazy person to figure out where stuff got moved to OR have to spend minutes remembering where it is.

[KriLL3]

This is an absolute game stopper for anyone with Deuteranopia (common, which I have) or Protanopia (rare, I know who have this) colour blindness.  All we can in this screen is a bunch of grey spheres, all the same size, same shape, nothing to distinguish one from another.

Certainly this doesn't remove the rest of the issues, but this one will see me walking away from what is one of my favourite games, in sadness I will add, as all these design issues could be solved by giving your end user a choice.

 

Wow didn't even think of that one, it's bad enough for us with color vision, most of the planets look pretty similar, earth, jupiter, void and dojo are the only ones I can pick out with ease, sure over time I might learn the rest but it shouldn't be necessary, text labels were invented to avoid issues like these, if each planet had it's name next to it at all times not just when hovered/selected there would be no need to cycle through them or guess.

 

Relative distance to the sun might be out, but relative size could still be implemented to give a bit of distinction between them, if you think about it diagrams of the solar system always shows the planets in relative size, not exact realistic size because then jupiter would be huge and mercury too small to spot, but if Jupiter is say 2-3x the size of mercury? That'd help you pick them out easier at a glance, text labels even more so obviously.

Edited July 18, 2014 by KriLL3

[Guest Tehnoobshow]

Worst of all, the planets don't even look like their real life counterparts. Phobos is an irregularly shaped asteroid! It should look like a potato!

[Dirty_Dwarf]

I like thinking myself.

And you overthinking it.

[BurntKitten]

Wow didn't even think of that one, it's bad enough for us with color vision, most of the planets look pretty similar, earth, jupiter, void and dojo are the only ones I can pick out with ease, sure over time I might learn the rest but it shouldn't be necessary, text labels were invented to avoid issues like these, if each planet had it's name next to it at all times not just when hovered/selected there would be no need to cycle through them or guess.

 

That halo around each item that makes it so much harder too, especially at lower resolutions.  Non planet items like the dojo look like planets until you get your head up close and personal with your screen.

[KriLL3]

Worst of all, the planets don't even look like their real life counterparts. Phobos is an irregularly shaped asteroid! It should look like a potato!

 

That was the case in U13 as well though, can't really fault the new UI for that, nor is 1:1 realism all that important imo, the locations being in the solar system is more window dressing than anything else, phobo's tileset for example is clearly mars.

 

 

That halo around each item that makes it so much harder too, especially at lower resolutions.  Non planet items like the dojo look like planets until you get your head up close and personal with your screen.

 

Yeah the halo doesn't make much sense to me, I assumed first time I saw it on earth that it was the atmosphere, but it's on all of them.

 

And please people, ignore the obvious troll, no need to feed it.

Edited July 18, 2014 by KriLL3

[Shulishin]

<snip>

Very productive response. How does this contribute to the discussion? Obviously you've missed the point and are quick to defend this new system because it has all these fancy and sleek new features, but lacks core functionality that a menu system like this needs. I'll say it again: this is a UI designed and tailored for CONSOLES, and last I checked I wasn't playing with a controller.

Will this be another game that caters to consoles and neglects the PC user base? Are we to be restricted thanks to consoles taking priority? I sure hope not, but it certainly seems like it might with this latest "update".

[t045ter]

Agree with OP. I think the UI is for consoles, big screen 10ft away. On a PC monitor it is a bit in your face. I do like it but side scroll when playing @3600x1920 nope. Maybe their is a way of adjusting it? I haven't found it yet though 25% reduction would be about right.