Nokia fan envisions a post-Mango UI update for Windows Phone 7

March 29, 2011 | By Surur

I know not all readers are fans, but I love design concepts, be they cars or phones. Above is Jozef Kocur’s idea of how Microsoft should update the Windows Phone 7 UI come Mango, and I must say I don’t see much I disagree with.

First Jozef would like to see the Zune media control bar updated to add more functionality, like toggling WIFI, Bluetooth or phone profiles, accessed by swiping left. He would also like more flexible background theming, including semi-transparent live tiles.

thumbnails His next new concept is a more Metro multi-tasking UI, noting the horizontal scrolling version shown of at Mobile World Congress 11 is out of keeping with the typical vertical scrolling of lists in Windows Phone 7.

His last innovation is shortcut tiles, which would be folders of sort, allowing similar apps to be grouped together.

Read his whole concept in more detail on his blog here.

What do out readers think of these proposed changes? Welcome, or is Metro perfect already? Let us know below.

Via MyNokiablog.com

Thanks Just Visiting for the tip.

About Surur

Site Admin and Windows Phone enthusiast, he has been using Windows Mobile devices since before they were called PocketPC’s. He is currently sporting a HTC 7 Trophy.

Tagged Concept, mango, windows phone 7

Peter MacCain

I like it like that… ooooh baby.
SleepyDaddySoft

Just one comment: The likelihood of MS using a gradient for a background is very small considering the banding that you get, especially on OLED screens.

http://twitter.com/emalamisura @emalamisura

You can dither the gradients to reduct banding so its still possible for gradients to exist and look fine…

http://fremycompany.com FremyCompany

Fine!
http://www.facebook.com/people/Brian-Selman/215900876 Brian Selman

I like this a lot…especially the way he presents multitasking and the control bar.
Alan Strangis

I love a lot about the style. Having black tiles on a gradient background is great, even if there may be banding on some devices. Even if they gave us the option to choose from preselected gradient colours, then 'light' or 'dark' tiles.

Faves folder isn't a bad idea, but I'm not sure if I'm sold on mini-app tiles inside it. Makes it look too cluttered. I also don't think the added WiFi-BT etc control bar would do much for me. As long as it's only accessible by swiping, and it doesn't get in the way of the Zune bar, I'm fine with it.

Alan Strangis

The other thing I would add…

The use of rectangular screen shots laid out in the same manner as the Home screen is somewhat out of sync with the way Metro UI flows. Swiping hortizontally or vertically isn't clear, because the apps individually extend to the right, but the multitasking screen itself scrolls down… I'd either go with a 'Running' hub, which would display square icons that could be tapped to switch to, or long pressed to either close, pin/unpin to start or uninstall.

This would be more appropriate for the design language of Metro.
JHP

The gradient background is terrible And a background image (like the settings suggest) would be even worse.. They'll never mess up the Metro UI like that..

paspals

if this get for realz this year my friends- than other OS-es and perceptions of the "main screen" will be obliterated….
Hopin that MS will take somethin from the enthusiasts(for free :p)
JHP

…and adding your own background :S I can't think of anything more stupid to mess up the metro UI.

paspals

u need to check the link to his blog, to see the -original style- and that 4th pic is THE MULTITASKING SCREEN…

https://www.facebook.com/people/Sergey-Durnov/100000964100298 Sergey Durnov

No, it looks too motley.

I like Metro in Office Labs future vision video.
wreiad

The top bar used for controls needs to go. Bring Zune's ui instead.

JP_A

I agrre, what Zune does is much better that the weird control bar

winphonesme

I also like how the author of this mockup made the Zune controls in the toast bigger. I always have trouble pressing the small previous, play/pause, and next buttons in the slide down controls.
MarcXW

This concept is amazing! Everything about it is great, including the Multitasker. I really hope MSFT decides to do something like that. (well except for the non-green Xbox Live tile, I like it green)
http://twitter.com/PrivateJoker @PrivateJoker

Some ideas are good, some not. But I think we need those concepts and ideas to show MS what's on our mind.
Aaron

I don't think the grouped apps is a good idea….. that is what hubs are for (and hopefully we will get some more hubs). I would really like to see a "news" hub (combining various news apps) and a "local" hub (anything that uses location services…. foursquare, local concert apps, movie showtimes, etc)

I really like the multitasking view over a direct copy of the webos card view.

Not a fan of the gradient because it would significantly impact oled screen's battery life with wp7.
Joe

Doesn't really comply with Metro guidelines. I like the lack of chrome and no buttons showing. The idea is to only show an icon when it means something (like when battery is low).
jnb

http://www.gopetition.com/petition/44254.html
http://www.crisrowlands.com crisrowlands

My thoughts:

Backgrounds – whilst I must admit these images look good, i doubt it would work so well on the actual device.

I love the changed zune bar, I was thinking just earlier today it would be better if tapping on the bar would open the zune hub, which I think would happen if it showed the album art & info.

I also like the shortcuts to system features like various connections & backlight, but im not sure what the last icon would do. Im guessing to make that useful, it would have to be bound to a longpress on the search button :/

I cannot wait till they extend the personalization settings, it just makes sense that they will eventually.
But as Ive already said, I doubt they will allow backgrounds.

In regards the multitasking, I think i prefer this to what was shown a while back, just because you can see more apps at once, instead of swiping across to see more.

Finally, I think a favourites tile would be a good way to organise some apps, but I would prefer some sort of folder organisation for the apps list instead such as the one in a concept a while back which scrolls up.

Aaron

Agree that you should be able to tap on the bar to open up the full zune player….. that would be a good function for the album art to open up the full player (since the transport controls are already clickable)

Soosan

Too crowded for me. Isn't the sleekness the entire point of WP7?
https://www.facebook.com/haasb Blake Haas

this will never happen. It goes against the metro design.
http://www.facebook.com/garen.yondem Garen Yöndem

Why nokia fan envision on samsung device?
http://twitter.com/Saad073 @Saad073

Yeah I'm not to interested in seeing the top bar revamped but those network connection shortcuts would be helpful. I like the idea of transparent Live Tiles and I really prefer this multitasking screen over the official preview one. Also, I wouldn't bother with folders as Tiles (it sort of defeats the point of Live Tiles) but I would love to see folders in the app list.
Osiris

Tip of the hat to the designer for imagining and coming up with concepts, but do not want.
jabtano

I like the idea of grouping in a live tile. I am a fan of the dark tiles.Something I wish MS did on NoDo was to allow us more choice of tile colors.
david

Gotta say I love the extra functionality that we would get by adding a toggle to WiFi and other settings on top… maybe by taping on the icons once we toggle and by holding down the icon we can go into settings.

I dont think this could be so difficult to implement, so Come on MS i know you are reading. Yes Andy Lee we know you roam around this website so please please try that or something simliar.
angel

O been liked his ideas he just need to remove the gradient wit back grounds and keep the aero transparent live tiles so we can see our picture background this would be cool but still able to glance and go
Ryssfemma

I think it would be a good idea for Microsoft to let us scale down the tiles we want, decide if we want a tile to take 1 or 2 colums and so on, the Metro UI would be even better!
http://jozefkocur.blogspot.com/ Jozef Kocur

I have something to say…First of all, I am just a 17 years old student….If you want to judge my work, please read article on my blog first..I'm explaining many things there….
http://twitter.com/EJ1024 @EJ1024

http://wpcentral.com/t-mobile-makes-it-official-h…
Arturo Bandini

There are brilliant ideas here I hope MS will keep in mind:

* Control bar adding more functionality, like toggling WIFI, Bluetooth or phone profiles: GREAT. Especially Wifi toggling is far too complicated currently.

* Shortcut tiles (Favorites, etc.), which would be folders of sort, allowing similar apps to be grouped together: GREAT.

May it come true.
pik

those quick switches (wi-fi, bluetooth etc.) are just what i'm dreaming about all the time! please MS do this!
Phil

This is better than some of the other Nokia mockups I've seen, but FFS, why do Nokia users want to shit up perfectly good design? Every mock-up, including this one, is overly complicated, adds buttons, gradients, thumbnails everywhere. Like I said, an improvement but still comes off as messy.
http://twitter.com/authenticjb @authenticjb

great job!! please vote here for whatsapp on WP7 http://www.gopetition.com/petition/44254.html
http://twitter.com/authenticjb @authenticjb

please fot here for whatsapp on windows phone 7 http://www.gopetition.com/petition/44254.html