How's This For A 360 Dashboard?
Been a lot of talk about the 360's user interface of late, whether in ways it's showing its shortcomings or in ways it might be going all science-fiction. Today, let's take another tack, somewhere between the two. Let's look at how it might be improved upon, without the need to go all Minority Report. Mik at Platform Nation has assessed the current "blades" system, thinks (rightly) that there's too much wasted space, and has redesigned how the 360's menu system would look were he the one designing it. I must say, it's a definite improvement.
Dreaming of Dashboard 2.0 [Platform Nation]
View: AU Comments (2) | US Comments (183 comments)
WOW!! that looks alot better :)
It may have some potential, but at the moment it's poorly done. It's trying too smart and too much like website design rather than a proper console dashboard.
Looking at the general layout, especially the grid system on the marketplace content & the wallpaper size, seems like it's designed ONLY for 16:9 TV.
The media blades already take roughly 1/3 of the screen itself. If we use this dashboard layout on a 4:3 screen TV, I can see that it'll chop off the size of the marketplace content &/or the wallpaper by half, which will heavily compress and reduce the number of content inside it. Thus, it makes people that still using 4:3 screen find it hard to read all the dashboard content because off the limited spaces.
The button shortcut on each media blades might work, but I don't think its necessary to correspond each single media blade with buttons, too much hassle.
The ad banner on the bottom left clearly shows poorly done placement. It should have been no ad banner at all, or just place the ad banner on some spaces on the marketplace page. I can see that the guy trying to be too smart to cover up some blank spaces on the dashboard, but sometimes a bit of blank spaces on a layout can help the legibility of the overall design.
I have no quarrel with the colors, but it might be better with less number of colors used.
To me, this is a layout that I can navigate with mouse, not with gamepad. I know it's just a fan-made design, and I admit it has a potential to be very well working design. It just need more development.
I would like to add that it is, nonetheless, an appreciated attempt, and I'm sure it's not exactly the guy's "heart and soul" level work anyway. The colors shown, while borrowed from the existing 360 blades menu, look shockingly worse merely because they're all being seen at the same time. The current blades at least grey out the other panes to prevent that sort of eyesore.
But like I said, it seems many of the forum posters believe they have a much better idea of what the menu should look like, so I'd frankly like to see their ideas.
AntiheroKing
While I don't dislike the layout itself, the colors are simply colliding in every possible way. I find that while I could enjoy the overall feel of the right portions of both images, the new "blades" are flat, uninteresting, and not unlike the color choice one has to work with when using a 5-pack of Crayola crayons.
I wonder perchance if Kotaku would let us users submit our own designs, and have a showcase of the good and the bad - just for fun, really, but if prizes were to get involved, I wouldn't complain. ;)
I for one would like to see what the gaming masses would tend to prefer for their console's home menus.
AntiheroKing
the tiles for the games, psstore style isn't a good thing in this design, it has to display information fast not add more images that need to be waited for.
giovonti
Ugly and cluttered. I prefer the XMB or Wii menu. Simpler is better.
Placentasaurus
Looks terrible. For someone who claims to be a graphic designer, you'd think this person would understand the concept of negative space.
RedFive
That makes me want to throw up. I hope they give me the option to keep it the way it is.
ender424
iono its kinda hard on the eyes really sloppy looking. why don't they make it sleek and simple like the Playstation 3 main menu?
W-Force4
Hey, good job to ya! Looks like a lot of work. BUUUUT, it(360 dashboard) is like some color vomit. Some people like it, but its not for me.
jasoncourt
Wow, hey, thanks for punishing those of us with SD tvs, concept art guy. Stop forgetting about us.
HT Tenrai
Yeah its not too bad for a mock up. Some of you guys seem to confuse function and fashion.
axiomatic
Kinda reminds me of the TV in Idiocracy.......
[www.codinghorror.com]
rachaza
so you push buttons for the different tabs, that is the worst idea ever. Microsoft I hope your reading this, If you releace this Dashboard your giving Sony another weapon to use in the console wars, the fact that their console is Upgrading while the 360 would obviously be downgrading.
the obvious upgrade would be to just get rid of the blades on the sides and just have different screens, you don't need the text on the side of the screen saying Marketplace, really??? I never would have Known from the box that says game store.
this is the fugliest design I've ever seen. maybe a layered look like the old Xbox had, it could work like windows where you have a widow that says games you click it and all your downloaded games are listed and then the disk drive would be selectable.
Assassin_Kensei
Of the three systems I own (Wii, PS3 and 360). The 360 menu system is the worst and looks like it's going to just get crappier.
Kahoko
I like the left side with the blades being replaced by listed items that span out rightwards. But the content that comes out is so compressed and splattered everywhere it looks like graphic design diharria (sorry fucking spell check doesnt have the spelling for diharria) to me.
ihateeverything
I am Deaf guy, I don't like this photo redesign dashboard 360 system cuz it's bother me my eyes and it's ugly not my taste. I would vote to "blades" system 3D interface Minority Report style custom color dashboard like futurist style scifi action movie dashboard what you saw? If MS can't then I don't want download new redesign crap layouts to in my 360 system. WHO IS VOTE 3D INTERFACE MINORITY REPORT STYLE SCIFI DASHBOARD? but I don't care about ADS that's not bother me. that's why I want see what is new design 360 style scifi dashboard like PS3 style dashboard. that's all
Cyber_Killa_809
Ugh, there is just way too much stuff on that screen. The 360 doesn't need a cluttered interface like that--The PS3's XMB is simpler, sexier, and smoother than the blades system. Space is a good thing when it comes to HD setups--This "clutter concept" as I will call it would be an awful thing to see on a new $2500 1080p TV set.
The 360 blades problem is that there is just too much effort required to do what you want to do, and it's plastered with ads. They need to drop the ads to make it look cleaner and more high tech, and create something like the XMB.
fenderfuel08
@mik: Thanks a lot! I´ll see if i can get some font that looks alike...
Daisuash
Looks like Richard Simmons did it...
GeorgeSears
He has some great ideas. Specially with the market place. User ratings on arcade games would be a great idea. I also would like to see more of the themes I buy then having them covered up from ads and other crap. Hopefully MS comes up with something good.
DazeOfWar
Great article. The 360 dashboard definitely needs a makeover.
Barbara
I love the colour scheme on that redesign.
GreyFoxV1
Too busy, but the layout in fine.
Rorschach2112
Nice, now rather than being hit in the face with Ad's when I am on select blades, I have to see them on every freakin' page. Way to go Microsoft. Want to throw in pop up ads, spyware and message spam while you're at it?
It looks okay. Kind of crammed. But seriously, they need to drop the damned ads. At least for those people paying for Gold.
Dennen
That is the ugliest mock-up for a system interface I have ever seen. Just imagine someone with a regular TV trying to read all that small white text. The existing blade system is fine, it just needs a few additions like screenshots and video previews of games, themes, and gamerpics. A web browser would be nice as well, and the lists of games/movies/shows could do with being shown in multiple columns rather than a single-long column.
D00mM4r1n3
Its like they cramming everything on one page.
mcx
I wish Kotaku used the shot of the concept 360 Dash for the story post and not the one of another blade opened within it, because people just glance and comment "How cluttered!" when the actual shot, with Master Chief, isn't cluttered at all.
I'm all for a Dash redesign, and I honestly think it would be more difficult to go wrong than do something, anything, right in this sense. It doesn't even have to be better, just different. I really like the idea of assigning things to buttons for quicker navigating, and giving it a new look altogether.
As for his ad ideas, I want to believe it's possible but I don't believe Microsoft would ever put advertisers aside to give us a huge wallpaper window.
I hope they do announce something new. If this was it, I would be pleased.
karasu is my homeboy
@ Daisuash: the typeface is named "Convection" and it's a face that was custom designed for Microsoft by a company called Ascender.
mik
Wow... That's ugly...
weasl
They'd have a lot more space for content if the got rid of all the fucking ads. Still can't figure out why I pay $50 a year to have ads forced down my throat on my videogame console I already paid $400 for. Add that to my monthly internet costs and I wind up shelling out $1000 a year for the privilege of being constantly sold to, every time I pick up a controller.
"Jump in" to the paid marketing.
stranger
negative space does not equal wasted space. I don't want my game console to look like an obnoxious gaming magazine. please MS just leave it alone.
kidko
I think is a really good in terms of usability and design, the only thing i don´t dig too much is that there are too many colors...Good job, anyway...
PD: Does anybody know which font is the one used in the 360 dashboard?
Daisuash
so.. even fan-made ones are plastered with ads?
HikariOblivion
From a UI standpoint, there is no way something like this would fly. It is actually worse looking in, some aspects, as the current dashboard.
MS has been doing user interfaces for a while, I imagine (read: hope) that they are planning something at least more passable than this attempt.
Annex1
I really like it, but it'll never fly with Microsoft-- where are the ads that you're still showing off to gold members? Come November, Microsoft, my year subscription runs out and you're no longer getting my money. Give me significant reasons to pay for your service, give me things that silver members cannot receive-- and online play alone isn't worth it, as the online play doesn't run on dedicated servers-- and I'll keep forking over the money. But otherwise, no dice.
wild homes is non-canonical
If I got the option to switch between different User Interfaces I wouldn't really mind what the next one looked like.
T6Spades
The next Xbox 360 interface will be a hybrid between the Windows Media Center interface and the Xbox 360 tabs interface.
The major benefit of this interface will be simplicity, and functional ordering of options rather than logical ordering of options.
adinnieken
I think the UI we have now isn't that cluttered at all, maybe I'm a little weird
Hearts_Are_1
@exion: ^simplicity
exion
ugh!
I personally think they'd do well to take some inspiration from the PS3's layout...
implicity in interface, complexity in content.
exion
I'm going to agree with the majority and say it's too cluttered. There's too much stuff demanding your attention, and it results in a sensory overload.
And I know people have been saying the Xbox 360 needs more bright, colorful content, but that is just ridiculous.
Grue
It looks like a box of Crayons threw up.
The_Catalpa
This is god awful, but better then XBM or w/e the ps3 has.
Foreign-Contaminant
I'm not a fan.
And what's with the ads all over... :|
WEGGLES90
No. That's how you design a Flash website that you navigate with a mouse, not a console OS that you navigate with an analog stick and a few buttons.
redgopher
Looks a lot better than the current blade system.
mugido
Haha, I hope this isn't serious. I mean, that looks ridiculous.
Candlejack
@mik:
I tried to clarify that in the article, but perhaps didn't state it strongly enough.
More likely the denizens of the tubes skipped reading the article for the most part and just decided to, as usual, jump right into vehement indignation.
To wit, see the number of comments complaining about the color palette even following your explanation that it was borrowed from the existing dash and that you believe "there could be a more elegant design reached by scuttling the existing conventions and starting anew."
doubtful
It's sweet, but I prefer the blades.
AuthenticM
Far too busy in the first screen for me, although the second screen looks great - but kind of doubles back on the 'blades take up too much space' argument.
sir_carrot
SUPER CRAPPY
Kempatsu
This would never, ever work. The person that made this claims to be a designer but is obviously not educated. A proper human-usable interface is more that flashy graphics.
Sinnix
Yeah I feel sorry for 360 players paying for themes, free themes is nice. Plus offering tools and help to create custom themes was a class move by Sony for a change.
I'd like to see MS open up a bit and do the same but then they wouldn't be MS...
Since we know they're not likely to open the floodgates and hand over the XML code or anything of the sort for their themes. They need to either offer different styles or start taking some player imput seriously if they wan't to remain the supposed #1 console online experience provider.
PSN: kingpsyz
Well First of all, this completely takes away the whole "custom" dashboard idea, there is no where left to customize. I vote no.
TheGunnz
ya know the "free stuff" tabs are nice, but when it comes to the 360's marketplace, every time i visit one i just end up doing some combination of laughing and crying.
a free doritos theme!! AND a free dr. pepper theme!!
why should you have to pay for ANY theme when you shell out $50 a year for some laggy-ass call of duty 4
MistaJeff
I can't even hear myself think when I look at that!
AndrewG009
"How's this for a 360 Dashboard"
Makes me thankful for PSN's interface...
That is like yellow pages smashing into a bag of wet skittles with a mac truck. Lots of words, colors, and ads but no sense of direction or focus.
The use of a single color range would be better served for this kind of thing. Like how PSN uses shades of blue. Then you can always add a white or black accent where needed. Keeps it clean without being boring.
Maybe they coould have used xbox green as the color base and worked from there cause this is a hot mess.
I also love the writer's bias showing through again, 2.40 got slammed by Luke for what it couldn't do and this care bear stare theme gets a pass. I understand everyone has a prefrence, and obviously you're a 360 player/fan. But a little journalistic pride once in a while couldn't hurt your submissions... But then it wouldn't be a blog... just sayin'.
PSN: kingpsyz
First thought: Skittles?
It's a good layout, but I don't really like it. It just has too much color for my tastes. I'll keep the current dashboard, kthx.
Lainface
This is what you get when you try and force a baby seal cub into a tin can using a TV remote -.-
Beyond-Infinity
It reminds me of Skittles "Taste the Rainbow"
mcx
I for one am glad that this Mike doesn't work for Microsoft. (i.e. the interface is clunky at best). Focus Mike, need more focus.
gencid
Keep the blades. That screenshot looks like a clusterfuck of shit.
Boudabras
looks like a rainbow lego-ized version of the Playstation Store.
Pilote.de.Ciel
"How's This For A 360 Dashboard?"
Cluttered.
ShirtGuyDom
I think the 360 dashboard is fine as it is. It's not like I have my 360 sitting there constantly on the dashboard looking at it. When I need to change a setting, or if there is DLC for a game I own I know exactly where to go and can navigate there in a matter of seconds. If it is sitting on the dashboard longer than the time needed to boot the system and log in to LIVE it means I turned my system on and went to the restroom.
And, if my 60 year old father, who hasn't wanted to touch a console since the SNES, can navigate it it can't be all that confusing.
MantisDragon
This redesign concept is shit. People are being thrown for the one feature they really want which is a search-able system. The idea of too many lines of navigation (enough so that you would implement button shortcuts) is counter user-friendliness.
okenny :)
Ouch Luke..
I have to agree with 99% of the comments, that interface is cluttered and sort of horrible.
It seems like consumer interfaces are all shooting for minimalist and sleek nowadays. Microsoft might be planning to follow the crowd.
Note how MS has been doing a lot of horizontal scrolling. Given that everyone uses a widescreen HDTV nowadays anyway, I would look to see a lot of that in any redesign.
See Vista Media Center, Zune's interface or even the recent(ish) 360 dashboard redesign that added some of those elements.
AlexLand
Why dont they just go back to the original xbox dashboard and rework it for LIVE. I thought the original was amazing and then the 360 came out and the dashboard felt like a step backwards. They also need to improve the speed of how things load on the screen, why does it take so long to see what new demos are out or what games I have in my LIVE arcade?
ichiban1081
This looks way too cluttered. Why is it that everyone looks at the simplicity of the xbox blades system and feels the need to suggest changes. Whether they be making the blades into xmb or going all "Minority Report" on it, I'm not sold either way. I happen to like the blades system. The functional simplicity pleases me. But perhaps I'm living in the past and still use my xbox to play games instead of sitting in the menu all the time.
shizknight
Needs more ad space.
omyard
Thanks for all the good comments. Just to clarify a couple points:
> The two screens I mocked up are meant to serve more as illustrations of the feature/function concepts mentioned in the article, rather than "finished" designs. I tried to clarify that in the article, but perhaps didn't state it strongly enough. I would imagine that throwing all MS's UI experts, graphic designers, and agency partners at the task of redesigning the dash would yield a number of amazing improvements.
> Those designs are certainly borrowing liberally from the existing dash (colors, typefaces, shadows, etc.). I definitely think there could be a more elegant design reached by scuttling the existing conventions and starting anew. But I intended this to be more evolutionary than revolutionary.
> I think the buttons on the "blades" are confusing people. I placed them there just to show the concept of "hotkeys"--you could assign those to anything, not just the blades. I visit, at most, 4-5 places within the dash. I'd love to be able to map a dash location, like my XBLA games, for instance, to a hotkey in order to avoid navigating there via the blades altogether.
Again, thanks for reading/looking/commenting!
mik
I'll keep my blades thank you.
FLYBOY611
I dont mind it, better then the mess that is the ps3's menu.
YourAnthony
it looks like a McDonald's happy meal advert
INDIGOVENOM
There's some good points, but theres also some bad points :/
Gambly
It's very dry and blocky. It's all utilitarian, no style. The left-bleed with the gamerpic is a pretty god-awful idea. And that search bar... would it really be so frequently used that it deserves a permanent spot on the front like that? That's just ugly.
I like what he has to say, but honestly, his design is a damned dreary thing to have to look at. What it brings in scientific efficiency, it lacks in aesthetic character.
This is a completely left-brain design.
B-Minus
No thanks. I hope they allow people to continue using the blades.
y2julio
To messy & complicated with an OVER simplification of too many things. Plus do you realise how PISSED everyone who's EVER bought a theme would be since NONE of them would work on this! Lol,... I guess you could crop them into that space but I hadn't thought about that when I typed that last sentence...
DarthWind
I think it is a step in the right direction.
CyberSkull
I like it.
Very good, if true ;)
BWolf06
@photoboy: Agreed 100%. Too many people think that empty space is wasted space. It makes websurfing almost as painful as during mid-90s (design-wise).
ElPadre
They do need to enhance it better. It doesn't make sense to have to click on one game to browse about it's info instead of doing that for multiple games at a time. I like this look. It would be faster to browse around and lose all that useless space.
Xcite79
Too much going on, could be a nice layout after a decent amount of tweaking and more "white" space.
robotleawesome
@DarrenIndeed: Logically laid out? Yeah, if you work for Microsoft and wrote the Start Menu. The current blade system is slow and requires too many steps. E.G. Status. Logically, you would put your status controls with your Chat/IM (just like AIM, Messenger...). Instead, MS put it where? In your gamer block instead! And when you get a msg in game, you have to back out, wait, then toggle to message blade, wait, then read msg. Reply. Send. Confirm. (please, why you are rapid firing in a game, going back to the Xbox is like getting kicked in the balls then buried on the beach up to your chin after they covered your balls with IceyHot). I think alot of the Xbox blade features are just good-ideas but bureaucratically slapped together at MS.
SigmundTheSeaMonster
I like, but what I like most is how themes aren't covered up by pure crap or ads.
Quicksilver4648
I thought it looked great.
who8myrice
That dashboard has far too much visual noise. I agree the current dashboard could be improved, but I really don't see why everyone is saying its difficult to find things. It is quite logically layed-out.
Oh, plus if Microsoft did a redesign on this level, can you imagine the shit-storm of people not being able to use themes they have payed for?
DarrenIndeed
No thanks. I want it looking clean and tidy not jumbled up.
Woylez
From wasted space to clutter?
Nah.
But I'd rather wait to see what Microsoft is bringing so I can bitch about that. :P
digitalmorphine
@ Luke Plunkett
"I must say, it's a definite improvement."
Clearly you're insane. That's mock-up gives me a headache. There's just too much going on. Even looking past the colors (as you can currently customize them), it's busy and obnoxious.
I hope, at the very least, the left side of the screen in both shots is supposed to be the Xbox Guide overlay. Either way though...eeeew!
GorbyGipper
Wow...it's somehow even worse than the current layout. No thanks.
You Cannot Untoast
Good try but no. Far too much going on, it would just not work. Very happy to hear its just a fan mock up.
sargemat
I have no idea what is going on in that screen, but I will say the XMB is easy to identify what is what even at a distance.
katboi
A valiant attempt, but I wouldn't call it an improvement.
It's pretty busy, but my main problem with it is all the clashing Kindergarten colours.
Mutton-Chops
if my 360 worked I would say thats pretty shit,
Jamaces
but you know what ppl no mater how pretty, and clean the ppl at microsoft may make it ppl out there will just fugly it up with their own customization options.
karmakid
Did this dude also work on the UI team for Vista? This has that same overly-garish Fisher Price look to it.
Kudos for trying though, with a different/better color scheme this might work..still a bit compressed though, I have enough trouble just reading my cell phone in GTA4, and this looks like some of the text might be even smaller :P
DaiMacculate
looks cluttered a bit, just needs to be simplified a bit more, maybe take notes from apples site. i like it though seems a bit more intuitive. and just make the left and right triggers to swap from first to last of those mini blades.
karmakid
too... many... colors D:
And too many information. It might be organized, but I think it's too much.
Rene_18
O_O
DO NOT WANT!
Salen
wow i feel sry for the 360 users if they are soon to have that. it looks like my dog threw it up.
shade-black
Sexy, but crowded.
InsidiousTuna
Looks like a downgrade to me.
Karazzin
I love it, would love for it to be a reality.
Kamakazie
It would still be meh even if we could remove those buttons telling us what to press to go to the corresponding blade.
two cans tied together and thrown down the street to wake up the surrounding neighbors with a loud annoying noise
I don't really hate the Blades dashboard, but I think that MS should take a look at how the Apple website is designed. It's clean, not too crowded and yet so effective.
Ganonmaster
I think at first glance some might think it's cluttered but it's really not. I quite like it, and it's practically the blades system turned vertical anyway.
The only thing I don't like is that you have to use certain buttons to access certain pages... i'd prefer to scroll with up and down rather than do that.
silasthemariner
does not look better (imo), SDTV unfriendly and LB/RB are already used way better
uzivatel
i really like it. It doesn't seem too messy at all to me
ifalldownstairs
Personally, I like the blades and the whoosh sound they make.
GogolGants
What an Ugly Mess - Is it April 1st?
majormauser
Meh looks kinda messy and cramped. I dont mind the blade interface of the 360, gives it room to breath.
ali_g_84uk
It's alright I guess. I prefer the official style though. This layout also simply wont work with SDTVs which makes it unviable.
Luziphir
is this guys like a wannabe designer?
He analysis of the current dashboard is in-depth, measuring every part of the menu screen, but that doesn't mean that "dead space" is "wasted space." Just look at the PS3 menu.
His thinking is way too static -- not every bit has to be on the screen. That results for a horrible UI. You're not viewing this on your MP3 player or PDA -- you're viewing this on your TV. There's no need to compact the spaces at all.
BTW, that's one ugly 360 dashboard.
geminas01
I'd like alot of these changes, especially the removal of ads. I mean, don't people usually pay explicitly to have ads removed? And this online, not free, but paid service continues to have ads? It isn't even always for things 360 based, I mean as much as I love reading about Mcdonalds or 7-11, I'd rather see an ad at least for the hottest new release or a free download.
Talleh
That looks pretty good to me though it is a little "too busy" at the left hand side.
If you were to remove the X,Y,LB,RB buttons on the game, media, system, marketplace blades section in the left hand column that would clean it up a little.
Jellocakes
Wow I actually like this look better. I agree there is much wasted space with the "blades" XBL...I'm liking this allot.
AggroRhodes
@Snake726: Yeah I really can't imagine MS will be pulling or shrinking ads from xbl anytime soon.
I must say that Sony's approach is much more elegant. It makes sense that there be advertisements within the "store" where you would be actually looking to purchase content. The closest thing that the xmb has compared to xbl's ad extravaganza is the little ticker that runs in the upper right of the screen, which is fairly unobtrusive and can be hidden.
VertexPusher
its way more cluttered than it all ready is no thanks.
Raziel Dune
looks kind of like windows vista
sladee
I was expecting minority report...
ahmeng
No offense, but that ain't easy on the eyes. The on thing MS can do that would make the current dashboard ten times better is to get rid of those ridiculous ads they have on it.
Amazon_Chris
That looks awsome however i think any new dashboard design should be optional as i do like it as it is people are to fussy!
adamr999
@VertexPusher: Very astute of you, I didn't think of that.
I'd also like to add that he's very much designing for the user. Less ad space?
Mmm. I'm sure Microsoft would love to cut down on their ad space.
Snake726
Looks like a finger painting by Rainbow Brite. It doesn't look good at all and hope this is no wheres close to the final product.
Monsignor
It would be better without the ads.
Replica23
At least its colorful
axiom
That is way too busy looking, too much going on all at once.
Ecks
No.
Just...no.
justhesh
Personally, I think his design is pretty cool. I don't really know what the "problems" are with the blade system (not having a 360 of my own, my usage of one has been rather limited), but I certainly like what he's going for.
I don't see how his design is "ugly," either. Everything's nicely organized. Maybe the colors are too strong? Maybe all the tabs on the side (but the active one) should be greyed out?
BPMμ