HOME | DD

AlexandrePh In reply to Calmdownnerd [2012-04-22 05:25:55 +0000 UTC]

Try to think about what you would like to see in a music player, from everything you know, what buttons would you like, where they should be in order to be usable, etc... think about all this, and you won't get far from all that already existed, or else I can tell you that it will be bad (only good for yourself is a bad design, no matter who you are).

This is not like iTunes if you look for the details, the gradient is not half way like the one on iTunes which is much deeper and darker (it all depends on your screen and your ability to see gradients of colors). The "play" buttons are much more close from Windows Media Player than iTunes actually, even if I didn't use a glassy effect, same for the trackbar. The music list is not the one from iTunes, it could come from any other player, I've just tried to make the best out of all (in my opinion of course). "Every" music player have "shuffle" and "loop" options, as well as "add files" and "options", they are needed. But I've put all these little options at the same place, and iTunes certainly does not do it, I don't like to say it but WMP does it better on this side.
The rest is a matter of proportions and usability, it would be silly for example to put the "small" buttons in the middle and the song titles on the left... If you look at my gallery, I've made another mockup that have this top panel on the bottom, and that's actually what WMP or the skin I use on Foobar have. It's very good for people like me who see their playlist as a top priority and who almost never use the buttons, but that's not the common use, and that's not something you want to see when you first start to use a music player : you want to play the song
Now there's the navigation pane, and for that yes it looks a lot like the one in iTunes, I've just tried to make the best looking navigation pane I could imagine (only my point of view once again), and that's not something I use, so yes it's not the most original...

But be certain that I would enjoy to discuss about how a music player should or could look like, especially if it comes to something original. I've made this mockup especially in order to think about the matter, and to put all my thoughts into something "real". It was also made in order for everyone to speak about it.

I'm glad someone finally posted a comment that is not just "hey, that's awesome."

What music player do you use, and why do you use it more than another ?

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

Calmdownnerd In reply to AlexandrePh [2012-04-24 21:26:28 +0000 UTC]

Great rebuttal. Understand though, limitations of replication property in design. Numerous people have looked at this and it strictly reminds them of Itunes. Simply put some of the icons are exact. The colors might not be "exact" but they are pretty close. Try it in black\ or charcoal.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AlexandrePh In reply to giannisgx89 [2012-04-18 07:27:23 +0000 UTC]

Thanks !

I know many people think this looks "in the style of Mac OS", even if I didn't plan it that way. But I'm actually asking myself what is the Windows style ?

I will try something with glass for myself, but I think Microsoft themselves will slowly get rid of the transparency. So I may try something "in the Windows style" too, in the style of Metro I mean.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

giannisgx89 In reply to AlexandrePh [2012-04-18 11:22:23 +0000 UTC]

Actually i like the mac os x style myself.
I just wanted to see how it may look like with aero on it cause overall the design is just awesome!

Also it is very good idea to make it look like metro but with your style.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AlexandrePh In reply to muckSponge [2012-04-10 16:07:51 +0000 UTC]

Yes, I do think about this problem, and maybe I'll do something like I have in foobar, a line bigger than for the songs, which goes from left to right, so above the cover too, which will include artist, album and year directly.

But I don't know where to place the bitrate and format of the file, since I wish it to depend on the file, not the entire album.

Thanks for the feedback

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AlexandrePh In reply to ZZaiatSS [2012-04-10 16:21:34 +0000 UTC]

This is more an FYI than a request right ?
To be honest I don't really see the point in copying that much something else and not work on your own stuff, to create the exact thing you have in mind, it would be positive all the way. At least that's my opinion.

You can use it like that if you really want, just please add a link to what you are using, thanks.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AlexandrePh In reply to Zatara214 [2012-04-10 16:16:24 +0000 UTC]

You're right, the year is the last thing I've added and it's not completely in the same mood as the rest.
About the album name, like I've said to SpewBoy, I do think about this problem, and maybe I'll do something like I have in foobar, a line bigger than for the songs, which goes from left to right, so above the cover too, which will include artist, album and year directly.

Then all will be left is the bitrate that depends on each files, not the album, so I'm not sure where to place it yet.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AlexandrePh In reply to gtanmay [2012-04-10 16:17:05 +0000 UTC]

It's a mockup only, 100% Photoshop

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AlexandrePh In reply to NEOidea [2012-04-08 17:54:47 +0000 UTC]

Thanks, well yes, it's in fact a music player more than a media player And it's "basic", I haven't thought about everything. I haven't used iTunes in a while and I don't see how it handle videos... I should check that.

The + next to the Z is for other characters, for example if some of your music have Japanese names, you can access them with this +. Once again it's based on my usage and it would be different for someone that got almost only Japanese or Chinese and so on names in his music, then maybe it would be the opposite.

👍: 0 ⏩: 1

NEOidea In reply to AlexandrePh [2012-04-08 18:22:35 +0000 UTC]

Ok, I was confused by the Media Player name.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AlexandrePh In reply to 4kalashnikov7 [2012-04-08 19:11:09 +0000 UTC]

Thanks !

Yes, always the right click A double click to the cover will also get you to the album folder, etc... I always like when such small options are "hidden" in what's already exist, no need to add 10 more buttons.

👍: 0 ⏩: 0

AlexandrePh In reply to dark-skeleton [2012-04-08 00:30:49 +0000 UTC]

Thanks,

In fact, it looks even more like Beatbox : [link] which is of course inspired by iTunes.

My first Media Player Mockup was a bit more in the Windows feel, with transparency. The thing is, even with my foobar skin (a mod of [link] ), the window's border is useless. And I believe the transparency with OS is something that should disappear, in most area at least.

Also, here I've wished to gather all the main things I thought were needed in a media player, but maybe I'll work later on something a bit more complex inspired by the latest Windows Media Player, that could also work for videos, etc...

👍: 0 ⏩: 0