- Did you try guihints on a Pandora's screen?
- Have you looked at the downloaded files, the image 'guihints-introduction01.png', or both?
- What was the very first thing you've been looking at in these files, and when and how did you realize that the hints indicate action button locations?
That "new" design (from 'guihints-alt01_32px.zip') was actually an implementation of one of the very first sketches. These had an inverted color usage and are overall way less than ideal.The new design you posted on the 22nd of January is better, but I don't like it much either - mostly because you used black to indicate the pressed button, which is exactly the opposite from what I would expect (and what you did in your initial icon set), (...)
In the image above edit: attached image ('guihints-weirdcombinations01.png') I have used the combination of "Left + Up + A", but have replaced the action button 'A' with the 'B' one as I'm not working on all four simultaneously. The hints from that image are still work in progress, but everyone please share your feedback anyway.(...) the horizontal- or vertical-only icons, they are very clear and fit good into context I think (...) Though I think they are most usable for menus and not so much for games as in games you would want one icon for the whole d-pad for consistency (also in combos, e.g. when you display Left + Up + A in icons two different icons for Left and Up look weird and unclear).
The D-Pad icon used on the first part of the minimenu mockup looks good, but I would like to see how it looks with only one side highlighted - the separation between the cross in the middle and the arrows might not work too well.
I had done that in the beginning, however I think that neither version is really elegant. The preview01 'dpad-u' arrow manages to have comparatively much detail while being merely a generic arrow.For the D-Pad I also like the initial design, except that I would not separate the arrow-head at the end and the line "handle" of the arrow.
This is about the way I currently intend to implement should button hints.R and L keys might just work like in the third attached icon (r_l_sans_shading.png) (...)
I don't see nothing wrong with a generic arrow, sometimes additional detail only convolutes the more elegant design.I had done that in the beginning, however I think that neither version is really elegant. The preview01 'dpad-u' arrow manages to have comparatively much detail while being merely a generic arrow.
Interestingly, the image appears to have completely disappeared from my account overnight as it had worked fine yesterday (from another system than the one I had uploaded the image from, without proxies).The image won't load for me.
Design is all of it, not just what it looks like. It's how it works. For hints that are supposed to be quickly decipherable to the brain and to not interfere with the atmosphere of the game they are used in, having too much detail is potentially a bad thing if it doesn't serve a purpose.I don't see nothing wrong with a generic arrow, sometimes additional detail only convolutes the more elegant design.
Exactly what I was hinting at.Design is all of it, not just what it looks like. It's how it works. For hints that are supposed to be quickly decipherable to the brain and to not interfere with the atmosphere of the game they are used in, having too much detail is potentially a bad thing if it doesn't serve a purpose.
I still can't load itInterestingly, the image appears to have completely disappeared from my account overnight as it had worked fine yesterday (from another system than the one I had uploaded the image from, without proxies).
Instead of uploading the image somewhere else I have now reattached it.
I have re-attached the image non-inline. Does this work better?I still can't load it![]()
I really must disagree. My fingers remember where the kick button is, not the letter that corresponds to it. To this day, I have to stop and think to remember the button arrangements on Playstation and SNES controllers, though I have no problem playing the games on them. That's the point of Cristoph's "natural mapping": the icon relates to position, so you don't have to look at the controller to find the right button. You're told that "kick" is the bottom button; this lets you find it quickly on the first try, and hopefully you'll remember it after that. And I should add that, on a Pandora, "Press X" is ambiguous, given there's a full keyboard on there too.With a new gadget at first it is always hard to figure out and remember (!) every button. But as said before, You read one or two times, that (X) is kicking, afterwards I just kick. Especially for icons in continuous text like "Press (X) for kicking your enemy in the nuts" it would be much better, if it where e.g. just a X with a circle around it.
That's good, thanks.I have re-attached the image non-inline. Does this work better?
Decisions are based on previous knowledge. Therefore, to be able to make educated decisions, one has to understand where one's knowledge ends so as to not set erroneous priorities.I think the graphics are too stylised. (...) I don't think they send their message quickly and clearly enough. They need a simpler design (...)
Personally, my brain (which may nor may not be normal) responds most efficiently to something like this:
<img>
This is the reason I put a link into the first post that contains information about good icons. You have now already witnessed that it's not really as simple as it may seem. Try this: Open a random video on youtube.com (such as
https://www.youtube.com/embed/KMA23JJ1M1o?feature=oembed