Amarra re-design concept

[davidian]

Hello guys I wanna show you a re-design concept ill be working on my free time, but first some clarifications:

 

 

• I don't work for (Sonic studio) Amarra
  
• I don't have any kind of affiliation (Sonic studio) Amarra or money interest.
  

 

Who am I?:

 

in a few words a designer and music lover.

 

Reason for this concept:

 

 

every time i use Amarra I feel the interface to be very disconnected to the apple

guidelines, it looks like doesn't belong to the apple environment and even less now with Yosemite.

I understand that this was maybe intentional, to create an unique interface that stands out, even

though I understand this motivation I believe that it can be done better.

 

Also I think that even tough Amarra SQ is great it should not be use an an excuse to forget about

the appearance, I know amazing functional mac software with delicious interfaces: for example

anything from Panic software, Pixelmator, Snippet, Capo, LittleSnapper, Things, Tangerine, Coversutra, Ecoute..etc

 

 

Things I wanted to improve:

 

 

 

• General UI
  
• Use of color
  
• Typography
  
• Iconography
  
• Wording
  
• Layout
  

 

My goal was to improve the UI and not to change everything.

 

My objective:

 

To promote a new re design

 

Know what Amarra users think and feel about this concept and the Amarra UI.

 

 

Some comments about design decisions I made:

 

UI: The progress bar should be work when user clicks on any part of it like any

other music player.

 

 

Color : I feel the orange should only be used as secondary color, as an accent ant not

indiscriminately through the interface.

 

 

Hello integrated search: Dynamic search: for a 650 dollars program ( Amarra symphony) I would expect an

integrated search field to look for an specific song, band or album, I mean we are in 2014…and paying premium price...

 

Thats all folks hope to hear what you think about this concept.

PS: Sorry for my poor english, is not my mother language.

 

Greetings from berlin!

 

 

[Melvin]

Hi Davidian,

 

I like it! When I started reading your post I assumed the design would be radically different so I was surprised at your restraint. I generally like the simplicity of the Amarra UI but often thought it could be tweaked a bit. Nice job .. you should consider approaching Sonic Studio with your ideas.

[tranz]

Hopefully they have a spot for some developers with fresh ideas and skills like yours, as they need it.

 

I have waited many years and spent a ridiculous amount of time, money (believe it or not, it used to cost a LOT more) and frustration on the tool waiting for it to get mature and user friendly.

[davidian]

Hi Davidian,

 

I like it! When I started reading your post I assumed the design would be radically different so I was surprised at your restraint. I generally like the simplicity of the Amarra UI but often thought it could be tweaked a bit. Nice job .. you should consider approaching Sonic Studio with your ideas.

 

Hey Melvin, thanks for your feedback, and actually how I said in the post my idea was to improve the design but not to change a lot because I don't believe really radical changes would be very appreciated by either the Amarra team ( in the hypothetical case they are interested in my ideas) neither the Amarra users, but maybe i am wrong in my assumptions, anyhow thanks again for taking the time to participate on the discussion.

[davidian]

They do definitely need more skilled people, when working on this concept I realised again that they don't understand even the basic rules of interaction design, but I noticed that a lot of Amarra users just learn to live with this issues because of the unquestionable good SQ.

[emuzaman]

They do definitely need more skilled people, when working on this concept I realised again that they don't understand even the basic rules of interaction design, but I noticed that a lot of Amarra users just learn to live with this issues because of the unquestionable good SQ.

 

+1.

 

I understood your goal because I'm also a design related person(not professional) and feel the basic design fault, same way you do.

But evey good player has its primary goal - SQ and developers always gave priority on that, They also feel to improve the design and its related usability and user will always welcome that.

Don't know, you use Audirvana plus (ver.2) or not, if you do then what do you think about its' looks?

 

thanks.

[Musicophile]

There is not a single player that wouldn't benefit from professional designers improving the interface.

 

The only concern I have that even Itunes that certainly has the budget to pay every designer in the world doesn't look particularly attractive to me, so either it's really hard to get right or I just have a very particular taste.

[SteveS1]

An Amarra playlist control remote app, that worked as well as Apple Remote with iTunes would be my only wish. You'll never please everyone with the design of the interface. Fwiw I think the latest incarnation looks OK.

 

There are some folk complaining that the new iTunes icon is now red instead of blue ffs.

[AnotherSpin]

I like it... would move it to even more ascetic outlook, less colours maybe.

[davidian]

@emuzaman

 

I understand that SQ is their primary goal, but nevertheless I think thats a bit of a lame excuse, check other mac programs and you'll find a lot of good examples of amazing functionality+user friendly/good design.

I do use audirvana+ 2 and in my opinion the UI is way ahead of Amarra and even more on Yosemite, in the other hand I think A+2 "borrowed" many ideas of iTunes and lost a bit its own essence, but overall they have created a very solid, intuitive and "mac looking" program.

[davidian]

@Musicophile

 

well certainly iTunes is not the best looking program around, but the devil is in the details, check the usability patters, iconography, typography, there is a lot of thought and love put on the details.

[davidian]

@SteveS1

 

"You'll never please everyone with the design of the interface" if you don't try you wont!

You also miss the point comparing this post to a trivial iTunes icon discussion, but hey I am glad to get all kinds of opinions.

 

[davidian]

I like it... would move it to even more ascetic outlook, less colours maybe.

 

I appreciate your feedback!

[SteveS1]

@SteveS1

 

"You'll never please everyone with the design of the interface" if you don't try you wont!

You also miss the point comparing this post to a trivial iTunes icon discussion, but hey I am glad to get all kinds of opinions.

 

 

Not at all, you have missed my point. The point being, if a trival matter like an icon provokes disagreement - what chance of consensus on improved design of something more significant?

 

Contrast opinions on that with the unanimous frustration that it has to be used in iTunes integration mode for a decent remote control experience. Playlist mode controlled by VNC is nowhere near it.

[blueixus]

Hi Davidian

 

I have been with Amarra from as good as day one, when they had dongles!

 

Amarra is not a pretty sight, firstly I think blue is a v.bad option, it started as grey, a much better discrete apple hue.

 

It also started as a vertical panel (still has the option, just) which again seems to make more sense screens being wider than they are taller.

 

Your design is much cleaner and apple-ish, I commend you for your effort.

 

I still think it sounds the best and unlike others I find it pretty stable.

[davidian]

Not at all, you have missed my point. The point being, if a trival matter like an icon provokes disagreement - what chance of consensus on improved design of something more significant?

 

Contrast opinions on that with the unanimous frustration that it has to be used in iTunes integration mode for a decent remote control experience. Playlist mode controlled by VNC is nowhere near it.

 

How you said design is subjective and people would have different opinions and feeling about the same product

but a product designer should not make random decision about how to use typography, color and usability patterns, for example why on the panel all the information has the same color, there is barely a defined importance hierarchy, why the size of the length of an album has a bigger size than the name of a song, this all to me seems like a very basic understanding of UI/UX and something that can be judge objectively.

 

In the other hand I really didn't dig so deep in the functionalities I missed on Amarra, but remote control is one, a search field, being able to save more than 250 tracks on a playlist or load them, the ability to click on any point of the progress bar to jump to that part of the song...

[davidian]

Hi Davidian

 

I have been with Amarra from as good as day one, when they had dongles!

 

Amarra is not a pretty sight, firstly I think blue is a v.bad option, it started as grey, a much better discrete apple hue.

 

It also started as a vertical panel (still has the option, just) which again seems to make more sense screens being wider than they are taller.

 

Your design is much cleaner and apple-ish, I commend you for your effort.

 

I still think it sounds the best and unlike others I find it pretty stable.

 

Thanks for your feedback, by the way I never judged Amarra's SQ or performance, actually for my is by far the best HiFi player I have used to date, but as a designer I must say Amarra's UI is pretty rudimentary.

[j dub]

Hello guys I wanna show you a re-design concept ill be working on my free time, but first some clarifications:

 

 

• I don't work for (Sonic studio) Amarra
  
• I don't have any kind of affiliation (Sonic studio) Amarra or money interest.
  

 

 

 

 

 

Who am I?:

 

in a few words a designer and music lover.

 

Reason for this concept:

 

 

every time i use Amarra I feel the interface to be very disconnected to the apple

guidelines, it looks like doesn't belong to the apple environment and even less now with Yosemite.

I understand that this was maybe intentional, to create an unique interface that stands out, even

though I understand this motivation I believe that it can be done better.

 

Also I think that even tough Amarra SQ is great it should not be use an an excuse to forget about

the appearance, I know amazing functional mac software with delicious interfaces: for example

anything from Panic software, Pixelmator, Snippet, Capo, LittleSnapper, Things, Tangerine, Coversutra, Ecoute..etc

 

 

Things I wanted to improve:

 

 

 

• General UI
  
• Use of color
  
• Typography
  
• Iconography
  
• Wording
  
• Layout
  

 

My goal was to improve the UI and not to change everything.

 

My objective:

 

To promote a new re design

 

Know what Amarra users think and feel about this concept and the Amarra UI.

 

 

Some comments about design decisions I made:

 

UI: The progress bar should be work when user clicks on any part of it like any

other music player.

 

 

Color : I feel the orange should only be used as secondary color, as an accent ant not

indiscriminately through the interface.

 

 

Hello integrated search: Dynamic search: for a 650 dollars program ( Amarra symphony) I would expect an

integrated search field to look for an specific song, band or album, I mean we are in 2014…and paying premium price...

 

Thats all folks hope to hear what you think about this concept.

PS: Sorry for my poor english, is not my mother language.

 

Greetings from berlin!

 

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15161[/ATTACH]

 

Your design looks very good I especially like the fact that all of your file meta data is displayed in it's proper location. I have the 2.6 symphony version and I'm lucky if I could get a complete album meta data to display. Good job Amarra should take notice.

[davidian]

Update: I added a tête-à-tête comparison of my concept and the current design, to help you guys to see the improvements I have made.

 

[occamsrazor]

Looks very good... In my opinion all these players (Audirvana, Amarra, etc) have really terrible GUI. Your design is an improvement - will it actually be available?

[KnockKnock]

I would just LOVE if Amarra would be stable, not crashing and be more responsive. Just like Audirvana 1.5.1, but with the sound of Amarra. That would be a killer

 

KnockKnock

 

 

 

 

Update: I added a tête-à-tête comparison of my concept and the current design, to help you guys to see the improvements I have made.

 

[ATTACH=CONFIG]15168[/ATTACH]

[tranz]

I would just LOVE if Amarra would be stable, not crashing and be more responsive. Just like Audirvana 1.5.1, but with the sound of Amarra. That would be a killer

 

KnockKnock

 

Curious, have you tried JRMC for Mac?

[Freann]

Good work davidian.

But I’d like to see you do a broader retake on the design. First of all, change the colour theme (what were they thinking..?). Secondly: how would you display the cover art in a better (bigger) way?

[j dub]

I would just LOVE if Amarra would be stable, not crashing and be more responsive. Just like Audirvana 1.5.1, but with the sound of Amarra. That would be a killer

 

KnockKnock

 

I like your design better it is not cluttered which makes the layout easier to read

[davidian]

Good work davidian.

But I’d like to see you do a broader retake on the design. First of all, change the colour theme (what were they thinking..?). Secondly: how would you display the cover art in a better (bigger) way?

 

Thanks Freann,

 

I already did some more experimental explorations, but I decided to go back to the default color scheme in case the Amarra guys are around. I will eventually post some B-sides designs though.