ONGOING DEFAULT THEME CONTEST!!!

[ZincAlloy]

It would look a lot cleaner without the rockbox logo in the background.

[karashata]

How about if I were to make it even more faded into the background, so it's _just_ hinting at being there? I'd rather keep it there if I can, but if it must go, any suggestions on how to include the Rockbox name/logo somehow else?

EDIT: Such as like this...

EDIT the 2nd: Since a number of people have commented on the status icons not standing out enough from the background, I'm planning to make the bottom gradient a bit darker, hopefully that will fix that. (Note that the attachment doesn't reflect this upcoming change, I will post those updates sometime tomorrow.) I'll be including the more-faded logo change as well, and the new icons. Are there any other changes people would like to see made now (since I'm making a handful already and I can always make more at the same time), or should we wait until I get these updates posted?

[soap]

Monkey-wrench man says:
"Must we use the same colour palette again!?"

[terrence1019]

Nice theme!

Recommendation:
1) Why not create your own iconset?
2) Love the Rockbox background effect. Keep it!
3) Love the solid yellow gradient bar. Keep it!
4) Change the repeat and shuffle icons.

Since it's mainly black-and-yellow, how about BumbleBee? Or Hornet?

[wpyh]

I have two suggestions that may seem "backward". However, they actually increase usability:

1. Make the background darker and the gradient less contrast between the darkest and lightest parts. This will make it easier to read the text.

2. Make the gradient bar's gradient less contrast between the top and the bottom. This will also make it easier to read the text.

[karashata]

Monkey-wrench man says:
"Must we use the same colour palette again!?"

You tell me, I'm always open for suggestions. If you know of a better colour palette that still says "This is Rockbox!" then let me know of it and I'll give it a test. This theme is by no means set in stone yet.

Recommendation:
1) Why not create ur own iconset?
2) Luv the Rockbox background effect. Keep it!
3) Luv the solid yellow gradient bar. Keep it!
4) Change the repeat and shuffle icons.

Since it's mainly black-and-yellow, how about BumbleBee? Or Hornet?

I've already changed the icons, I'm keeping the gradient bar and I'm keeping the faded logo in the background (though I made it a ltitle more faded so it doesn't stand out too much...) I'm not too inclined to make my own icon set (there are a lot of icons I'd have to make, and I can't tell what half of them are for, and I don't even like using the icons anyway.)

I'm not sure about either of those names, the colours are the only association to either, and I may change them if I get a better palette suggestion.

I have two suggestions that may seem "backward". However, they actually increase usability:

1. Make the background darker and the gradient less contrast between the darkest and lightest parts. This will make it easier to read the text.

2. Make the gradient bar's gradient less contrast between the top and the bottom. This will also make it easier to read the text.

The gradient bar is already fairly low contrast, and as far as I can tell the text stands out enough already (black on yellow seems easily enough read.) As for the background, I've already changed it.

These are the updated screen shots with all the changes I made. I'm still not too happy with the status icons (worried a little about scalability, at least going smaller...) I may have to start with the smallest target screen and work up from there.

Anyway, tell me what you like, tell me what you don't like, offer any suggestions and I'll do what I can with them. I have my mouse with me today so I'll actually be able to do the finer graphic work.

[audio-i]

Like the new icons!
...
The theme became darker... first impression, looks a LOT like cabbie, so about the colour palette... perhaps something clearer? Maybe the forums colour palette as an example... keeping of course black & yellow (orange?) here and there...

I'm not sure that next track info is crucial for a potential default theme...

I don't know about others, but ipod users appreciate this feature because the OF does not have it (one of the many Rockbox distinctive features)... I guess I'd put the next track info below the AA instead of the track title, and move the title up replacing bitrate-codec or genre-year, but then again it's a personal preference and I guess with your layout it's very easy for a user who wants it to make that change

[karashata]

The theme's a little darker because people were mentioning that the contrast between the status icons along the bottom and the background wasn't high enough, and rather than darkening the icons I went with darkening the background.

If I were to keep all of the yellow/gold elements (the bars and icons) and change the background colour to a blue gradient somewhat matching the site's colours... I'll whip up some updated images and take some screen shots and see what people think.

I'm not inclined to put next track above a progress bar, I find that a little confusing, even with "Next: " prefacing it, and unless I really adjust the layout, I can't slip it in below. I'd prefer to leave it out, but the theme's not impossible to change if people want to add it themselves later.

Might as well ask, though... Are there a lot of votes for adding in next track info or should it be left out and left to anyone who really wants it to add it..?

EDIT: New screen shots with the changed palette (Note: The WPS shot is a mock-up, I didn't want to redo all the images yet until I know if this is wanted or not.) I had to change the track title colour to the main WPS font colour since the yellow didn't stand out enough. I think I prefer the black background over the one using the site colours... What do you all think..?

EDIT the 2nd: Actually, I may try removing the gradient and just use the darker of the two colours... Do people like the blue and yellow, or should I stick with the black?

[audio-i]

I personally like that a lot. Very different, and still very "Rockbox".

The icon contrast problem reappears; how would the inverse gradient look (clear top - dark bottom)?
And for font colour variations or emphasizing, the blue colour used in the forums for nicknames works both on blue and white backgrounds... perhaps white font could also be used. Black works anyway.

[karashata]

I suppose I could try reversing the gradient, it might help.  I'll also try the blue for the track title and see if it stands out enough from the background. Expect updates in a little while.

EDIT: I think it works, at least for the icons, the font colour doesn't fit too nicely...  What do people think, go with the blue gradient, or go with black?

EDIT the 2nd: As I'm working on a port to the Sansa c200 I discover there isn't enough space at the bottom of the screen for the status icons (using an identical layout), so I'm moving them to the top bar. This will also free a line on all targets with larger screens for a next-track line, so some people should be happy with this.  I'll get the c200 port screen shots posted some time tomorrow.  I've decided to go with the blue gradient, since it actually looks rather nice, if anyone has any objections, please bring them up.

[wpyh]

Hey, the blue gradient actually looks nice I was referring to the dark background and the bar still having too much of a gradient, but it looks nicer with the blue background. It's more "refreshing" that way.

A few suggestions for the new background:
1. With the blue background, the Rockbox logo stands out too much -- would be better if it's made more subtler.
2. Make the icons visible in the menu, since it's the default behaviour IIRC. This way we could see it more clearly.
3. Make the gradient bar have less of a gradient. I've attached an edited test_menu.png that more or less describes it. (it's hand-edited so the gradient is coarse)

[AlexP]

I very much like the blue background, but I find the logo behind it distracting and that it makes it harder to read the actual text.  Perhaps it would be better if it were more subtle?

[karashata]

I can make it more subtle, though you'll have to wait until the next batch of screen shots.

I'll also reduce the gradient bars a little so the gradient's a little more subtle.

There have been several votes to leave out the icons, but the theme is configured that it doesn't show or hide them (they'll be shown or hidden according to one's settings), and it sets the tango icon set (on the chance one uses a theme with a different set.)

These are the screen shots for the c200 port. I'm unhappy with how the status icons turned out (note I also changed the layout of the top bar and put the volume as a text pop-up where the total time normally shows, I don't like that much either...) I think I may try putting them at the bottom similar to the H10 20GB port, between the time elapsed and time remaining. Would this be acceptable, or should I put the icons on one side and the time elapsed/time remaining (or time elapsed/total time) on the other..? (Note that this means I'm not going to be including the next track info like I said earlier, sorry to those who really want it.)

EDIT: I have updated screen shots for the H10 20GB with some of the suggested changes, I altered the gradient slightly (slightly more subtle gradient as well as a little closer to the logo's yellow-orange colour) and made the faded logo more subtle. I also altered the status icons slightly, and made the title text blueish to stand out a bit from the rest of the text. If someone can bump the thread so I can make a new post to post those updated images that would be appreciated.

EDIT the 2nd: Updated images have replaced the old c200 screen shots, sorry to anyone who didn't see them but I think these are much better. Please tell me what you think, anything that needs changing and any other complaints/suggestions you might have.

I think I'm nearly ready to make the rest of the ports, so unless there are any changes that need to be made, this should be close to what the final ports will look like.

EDIT the 3rd: Seems my request for a bump has been granted. I'll be posting the screen shots in a new post after all.

[AlexP]

Consider it bumped

[karashata]

If I had waited just 5 minutes longer... Anyway...

Here are the updated screen shots for both the H10 and c200 themes, I hope these impress and I'm nearly finished making changes.