POLL: Colored Icons or Gray Icons?

[macromark]

Hey gang... we're considering some small UI changes and would like a little input. In a related post, one user posted some css changes to try, one of which was to color the icons in the events section of the program. Such a change would not be difficult to implement, and anyone can actually do this now using the custom.css file in the html folder of the program... but we're wondering if it makes any sense to build it out as a standard feature.

So... please take a moment and VOTE BELOW, and please leave us a comment too. Thanks!

Current Default views with gray icons:



Views with colored icons:

[Wade]

Colored icons provide better readability, to my eyes.

[Ronnie]

I think that the colored icons are easier to read.

[Bigstevep]

Colored icons are much easier to read at a glance for an old fart like me!

[45rogue]

Doesn't matter. Keep it simple. Make it work. Eye candy is just that, candy.

[jrbaldwin]

Currently using the custom.css to color the icons. I really like the colored icons as it makes notes & disabled events really stand out.

Jim

[macromark]

Doesn't matter. Keep it simple. Make it work. Eye candy is just that, candy.

ah.... forgot that possible answer so I added it. Sorry if you already voted!

[kenm]

Color is always good for catching your eye unless of course you're color blind.

In addition to color icons, I'd like to see some "theming" support for the web UI. A dark theme with color icons seems like a good combo.

[racerfern]

Colored, the brain matches the color with some kind of purpose in my eyes.

[Jon]

modern UI design standards suggest all one color. I don't necessarily agree. I think the right answer is somewhere in the middle. Color can be used when it has a clear meaning and is standard across the app, and to common practice. The examples shown in the colored example are all good choices. I think red for delete and other negative actions is ok. Yellow or amber for disabled or warning actions is ok. Green is good for positive actions. Neutral stuff should be neutral colored. This includes stuff like the arrows and add. I could go either way on the blue edit button. I don't think it needs to be colored, but because it's the most common action, the blue is a good hint of that.
I would add though that the colors could be a bit more understated from what's in the screenshot. The colors shown above are a bit too in-your-face. More muted colors would look more modern.
Also, I don't like multicolor icons. (like the disabled icon example) They tend to look outdated and childish. Single color is both modern and useful.
One place in those screenshots that could use improvement is the alignment of the icons. The position of the icon is just as important as the image and color. These should be in a columnar layout. All edit buttons should align, all up arrows should align, etc... If a particular function isn't relevant for a given line, that column should be blank for that line, leaving the void where the icon would have been..

[Wade]

One place in those screenshots that could use improvement is the alignment of the icons. The position of the icon is just as important as the image and color. These should be in a columnar layout. All edit buttons should align, all up arrows should align, etc... If a particular function isn't relevant for a given line, that column should be blank for that line, leaving the void where the icon would have been..

Very much agree.

[avpman]

Color is always good for catching your eye unless of course you're color blind.

In addition to color icons, I'd like to see some "theming" support for the web UI. A dark theme with color icons seems like a good combo.

+1 and 1 !

[randy]

I’m in the doesn’t matter camp. Either one is fine with me.

[randy]

Very much agree.

I agree as well, the icons should align just as they do for features.

[John245]

Gray icons. Looks more professional. Also colorblind people will not see the colored icons (colors to prevent red, green, blue and yellow).

Please keep in mind that companies as Apple are using grey shaded icons. There should be a reason for that.

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John