Ver 3 Weaker graphic design distracts

[Robin Trew]

The graphic "feel" of Ver 3 has, oddly become  *weaker* than in Ver 2
		This discourages me from wanting to actually buy it and work in it.
		I may stick with the more sophisticated and less distracting "look" 
of Ver 2


		DETAILS		

		Ver 2 provide a comfortable working environment - few redundant 
contrast edges to distract the brain.
		One of the great strengths of  Ver 2 is that its  own own apparatus 
of controls and icons is in a well-muted background visual plane,
		allowing the user to concentrate on their own work in the visual 
foreground

		Ver 3 (current Beta) however, suddenly feels a little noisy and 
garish, too distracting too allow concentration on one's own task.
		(Has there been a shift in the balance of forces / skills in your 
organisation ?)

			In particular:

				- A strongly contrasting, and unnecessarily distracting blue focus 
line has appeared around the topic of the active note

				- The curve at the corners of the above creates additional and 
redundant visual stimulus
					(the Ver 2 straight lines do not shout visually)

				- The excellent muted icons (indentations etc) of Ver 2 have been 
replaced by icons with more strident visual contrasts

				- The column titles, both bolded and underlined, with the edges of 
the pixels all bleeding into each other,
					look suddenly unprofessional and unfinished, whereas they looked 
professional and discreet before
				
				- The new application icon uses cruder contrasts and inevitably 
looks cheaper than the previous app icon.

				- Finallly , the checkbox

	Ver 2 uses a standard 3D aqua checkbox, with fairly gradual (grey 
transition) visual contrast at the edges
	which does not over-excite (or "shout" at) the retina.

	Ver 3 introduces some distracting visual shouting by going back to a 
solid pixel pure rectangle (the retina is particularly stimulated pure
	horizontals and verticals)
	If you really want to do this then perhaps you should at least mute 
the shouting down to grey pixels rather
	than using a full volume black against white contrast.

	We all have limited processing capacity (me particularly :-), and 
every little bit of distraction, visual or otherwise,
	cuts into the quality of attention that we can bring to our work.

	A pity to turn an excellent app into a strident and distracting 
working environment
	which risks reminding potential buyers that Ver 2 of any app is often 
the best ...