Gmail's New Default Theme is a Step Backwards for Usability | Hacker News Reader

Gmail's New Default Theme is a Step Backwards for Usability

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"From the 'Classic' to 'Default' themes, the foreground to background brightness difference and the foreground to background color difference is reduced by 28%!"

The author fails to realize that Google did this on purpose. This contrast reduction is for READ emails. Unread emails stand out really well (black on white). My guess is that designers did usability tests and found out that people are more interested in new, unread emails, than in read emails. So they made sure that you can easily find new, unread emails and the old, read, emails just get out of your way. And it does make a lot of sense to me... I'll give new theme a try.

I see your point, but I am not sure I agree.

My behavior may be atypical, but I tend to read new mail sequentially. Only when I am looking for a particular message do I scan the email listing. It is in this case that I would prefer to have increased contrast.

Furthermore, I find it jarring to have such a dramatic difference in read vs. unread mail when scanning a list that contains both.

Whether my experience and preferences match Gmail users as a whole is unknown.

It's just what you're used to, it's not better or worse. Every change of any sites design always has someone who liked the old way better. Then they get used to it, and complain again when it changes.

Switching the default theme makes people notice the change.

They're then much more likely to find out about and use custom themes.

Luckily people will be getting a Theme switcher, though comparing my now "Classic" themed Personal account, to my Google Apps for domains default theme, there are differences, so Classic isn't exactly the same as the old default theme.

I believe it's the colour behind the "Archive", "Delete" buttons.

Yes I am being anal but I look at that screen for a decent proportion of my day and it doesn't look right, which is annoying.

I went back to Classic as my theme (after briefly considering the eye straining Terminal throw-back).

It is close enough to the original that it feels the same to me.

I'll get used to it eventually, I'd probably get used to any of the themes eventually. Except the Terminal one, I'll happily miss out on the geek points to avoid it.

How did you go back to classic permanently? I click "Older version" and it goes to classic mode for that session but every time I open it I get the new version.

The "Shiny" theme is pretty, but I think all of the new themes would look better if alternate conversations in the e-mail list were shaded slightly. As it is, my inbox is a big sea of white.

I liked Shiny as well, but there are some white on black blocks that were hard on my eyes, so I'm currently using the "New Blue."

Hm, I don't care about the color theme one way or another, but when I clicked 'Sign out' a popup appeared and said,

   "There is a request to the server pending. Are you sure?"

I know what this means, but even then I have no idea what that specific request might be. I doubt the average gmail user has any clue whatsoever about this message.

Not really something I'd expect from Google.

Isn't this a Firefox thing? I remember seeing it on other places than gmail...

I think that while this is a problem the solution should be to just make picking a theme either as part of the sign up process or as a high lighted feature. People who have trouble reading light text would then know they could change the look and feel of the application.

I just wish Google would let me go back to my good old iGoogle, and not this garbage one they have now with the side-bar on the left.

For now, I use Google.ca until they redesign that one, and then it will be time to get a new homepage.

Anyone here use page flakes?

I feel the same as you but I ended up installing the Stylish Firefox addon and used the recipe to hide the left navigation. (Actually I modified it some so it also hides the search box and other wasted space.)

It's sad but I have too much invested in Google to leave right now and I'm not comfortable giving my Google credentials to a foreign website like PageFlakes.

Would you mind providing a URL for the recipe? I'm a Firefox user, so that would solve part of my problem.

Thanks!

I used the gmail labs feature to move the chat to the right side. Think there are other ones in there for moving things around.

Very true!

I've customised the Graffiti view + tag colours to produce something I quite like. But I definitely didnt like the new "default" (the older "classic" was a lot cleaner)

Anyone see a theme they like that increases usability?

Night Shade and Shiny both stay pretty readable while reducing the total amount of light coming off the screen. On a big monitor, I don't like tons of white background, so I'm using Night Shade right now. It also has some faint similarities to the color schemes of Ubuntu's Human theme and the casing of the Acer Aspire One, which appeals to me.

I looked for a theme that would make Ubuntu's new DarkRoom desktop theme usable (black text on dark gray buttons, whee!) but not even Sunset works.

Try "Tree": clean theme with high-enough contrast and very subtle edges, bevels and drop shadows used for structure, not for flash.

They refer to this is the "default" theme. Does that mean that I can revert to the old theme?

The "old" theme is called "classic". Did you read the article?

Yes.

I definitely agree.

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