Thread

1. comex · 1790275810 · focus · HN ↗

   I notice that

       Syncthing-For
       k
   

   is one of the first pieces of text in the first screenshot. With the k on its own line like that. Not usually something I’d comment on, but if you’re showing off a redesign…

   1. katzenq · 1790276734 · focus · HN ↗

      That app itself also has some of the most revolting UI I've seen in a modern Android app (Vertical gradient filled buttons with thick gray strokes surrounded by not-quite-Material UI widgets, in a nonsensical custom control they had to go out of their way to make rather than just use a dropdown). Android developers really just don't care.

      1. armadyl · 1790278512 · focus · HN ↗

         [dead]

         1. Rohansi · 1790279408 · focus · HN ↗

            All designers only use Mac+iOS. /s

            There's so much worse out there. This at least looks functional and shouldn't hurt anyones' eyes.

            Anyway, this is a FOSS project. Anyone could go and work with them to clean up the design.

         2. nekooooo · 1790281528 · focus · HN ↗

            bc android users are less picky
      2. tripleee · 1790281580 · focus · HN ↗

         its not an app you open much. I'd prefer them to spend time on the actual functionality

         1. frereubu · 1790285158 · focus · HN ↗

            Good design is part of the functionality.

            1. hn92726819 · 1790297724 · focus · HN ↗

               What word would you use to differentiate design and non-design functionality?

               1. eddd-ddde · 1790301068 · focus · HN ↗

                  I think the terms are usability Vs usefulness.
               2. ta8903 · 1790311926 · focus · HN ↗

                  UX vs UI?

                  1. atahanacar · 1790313591 · focus · HN ↗

                     If one says "Good design is part of the functionality", one can also say "Interface is part of the experience".
               3. d0mine · 1790313280 · focus · HN ↗

                  "can I do something [at all]" vs "how [easy] can I do something"

                  1. brookst · 1790335809 · focus · HN ↗

                     vs “can I even determine whether or not I can do something”
               4. jiggunjer · 1790313395 · focus · HN ↗

                  Business logic
               5. frereubu · 1790329466 · focus · HN ↗

                  I think anyone who differentiates between design and functionality has a profound misconception of what design should mean, and are the kind of people who produce terrible interfaces because they just see design as prettifying the functionality. That's why you get buttons that don't look clickable, lines where they're not needed, no lines where they are etc. Good design is a holistic practice, and in the case of apps the interface should be an integral part of the functionality. There's lots of literature out there about things like affordances, but many people don't know about it or don't care enough to use it in practice.
            2. landdate · 1790305966 · focus · HN ↗

               [dead]

               1. katzenq · 1790318237 · focus · HN ↗

                  Programming is design. Good code requires design sense.

                  1. landdate · 1790319924 · focus · HN ↗

                     In the literal sense, yes. But in this context it's obvious we are talking about UI/UX design. I am using the exact same terminology in the exact same manner as the person I replied to. So you either have poor reading comprehension or are being purposefully obtuse. Which is it? To be clear, if it is actually the former then you have my sympathy and I hope I cleared this up.

                     1. katzenq · 1790322017 · focus · HN ↗

                        I personally think that software design skills naturally lend themselves to good UX and aesthetic design skills and you can infer one from the other. It's fine if you disagree and I should've said it less objectively

                        1. jonathanstrange · 1790322970 · focus · HN ↗

                           There is not even an overlap between those skills. That's why companies employ graphic designers and not just developers.
                     2. brookst · 1790335891 · focus · HN ↗

                        Design is design. Those who can’t think about design fail at both code and IA / UX / UI, and often become quite rude out of frustration.

                        1. landdate · 1790342656 · focus · HN ↗

                           [dead]

               2. youngNed · 1790324821 · focus · HN ↗

                  its a lot easier to train people to code than it is to teach them good design.

                  1. 21asdffdsa12 · 1790326084 · focus · HN ↗

                     Now, now, both jobs are equally redundant now we have thinking machines..
               3. JuniperMesos · 1790325225 · focus · HN ↗

                  code is for people who can't design

                  1. landdate · 1790398391 · focus · HN ↗

                     yes i would agree. nothing wrong with either one of those things, but if we are talking about open source you can't be mad the coder sucks at designing.
            3. tripleee · 1790361636 · focus · HN ↗

               I'm talking specifically about the app SyncThing, though. I use it and rely on it, and I haven't opened it in over a month. It works as a background service.

               Good design would do absolutely nothing for me.

         2. pwdisswordfishq · 1790321472 · focus · HN ↗

            Even more reason not to add superfluous visual flourish.
         3. Sheeny96 · 1790328379 · focus · HN ↗

            Design is functionality
         4. aprentic · 1790341565 · focus · HN ↗

            Good design recognizes that the user is part of the functional chain.

            Bad design forces the human brain to do a lot of the type of processing that it's bad at (eg arbitrary symbolic remapping).

      3. bluebarbet · 1790288902 · focus · HN ↗

         Or putting `Installed apps` under `Settings`. Still not fixed after 15 years.

         1. crabette · 1790292924 · focus · HN ↗

            System app list is doing almost anything you need for installed apps, I don't think I needed the list in fdroid once in my life.

            1. bluebarbet · 1790329352 · focus · HN ↗

               Surely useful if only to see the list of apps you can trust.

               1. crabette · 1791225761 · focus · HN ↗

                  Ok, that might be useful if you have more than one app store.

                  Btw. it drives me mad that Android happily allows app to change name after installation, not even giving a warning.

         2. GreenWatermelon · 1790329892 · focus · HN ↗

            Hmm? what do you mean? installed apps are now available in "My Apps", 3rd button in the navigation bar after the update.

            Are you talking about pre-2.0 versions?

         3. notabotiswear · 1790342800 · focus · HN ↗

            Wait till you see how many taps it takes to access the equivalent list on the Play Store...
      4. jasonm23 · 1790305492 · focus · HN ↗

         Calling 1.22x F-Droid 2.0 ... sigh.
      5. 4k93n2 · 1790321191 · focus · HN ↗

         droidify is a much nicer looking frontend for f-droid

         1. katzenq · 1790322456 · focus · HN ↗

            Was talking about syncthing-fork here to be clear, but I also agree
      6. birksherty · 1790345454 · focus · HN ↗

         What are these people talking so much about another app. Are all these bots here now?
   2. tadfisher · 1790276740 · focus · HN ↗

      It's annoying and easy to forget, but you have to enable the high-quality line break algorithm per Text component in Compose. Or you have to set two flags (maxLines=1 and overflow=TextOverflow.Ellipsis). I usually end up with a TitleText and BodyText component in my codebases that set these flags internally so I don't have to remember.

      1. erikus · 1790283618 · focus · HN ↗

         I wasn't sure if this was a joke about Android being unintuitive so I was sad to see that enabling high quality line breaks is indeed something you have to configure:

         <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;developer.android.com&#x2F;develop&#x2F;ui&#x2F;compose&#x2F;text&#x2F;style-paragraph?utm_source=gemini#customize-line" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;developer.android.com&#x2F;develop&#x2F;ui&#x2F;compose&#x2F;text&#x2F;style-...

         1. izacus · 1790287366 · focus · HN ↗

            That document literally says that high quality option is the default.

            1. phinnaeus · 1790293888 · focus · HN ↗

               No, it doesn&#x27;t. It says:

               &gt; Should be a default

               Meaning the developer should opt-in to this explicitly but choose it as the default option. The actual default is no strategy at all.

   3. meta-level · 1790282042 · focus · HN ↗

      But it&#x27;s a fork, isn&#x27;t it?
   4. mayli · 1790282611 · focus · HN ↗

      Yeah, even AI could tell this design is not really polished.
   5. Flere-Imsaho · 1790284186 · focus · HN ↗

      Honestly I&#x27;d take that over the hostile vomit that is the google playstore. That thing is an offence to my senses...so many colors and animations trying to grab my attention.

      1. warkdarrior · 1790285834 · focus · HN ↗

         &quot;F-Droid 2.0: better than hostile vomit&quot;

         1. AshleyGrant · 1790288679 · focus · HN ↗

            ^ 2026 in a nutshell

            1. kyleee · 1790309885 · focus · HN ↗

               I mean, unfortunately it resonates for me. Hah
      2. silisili · 1790312828 · focus · HN ↗

         Outside of that, they keep making the experience worse. It takes six nonintuitive clicks to check for app updates.

         1. podocarp · 1790322061 · focus · HN ↗

            What about for some reason cancelling YouTube premium on mobile requires you to go through the store to do it?

            While we&#x27;re on their subject, Amazon customer service chat can only be done on the app, not on browser on mobile.

            The future is now!

         2. encom · 1790322173 · focus · HN ↗

            Long tap Play Store -&gt; My apps -&gt; Updates.

            I also noticed that Google gets really offended if you turn off auto updates, and nags you hard to turn it back on.

            1. silisili · 1790323096 · focus · HN ↗

               That saves 1 click(and thanks for that).

               It&#x27;ll show you updates you haven&#x27;t done since whatever time period I haven&#x27;t figured out, but to actually check, from there you have to click &#x27;Manage&#x27;, then &#x27;Updates available&#x27;, then &#x27;Check for updates.&#x27;

               Typically, I have nothing waiting for me in updates, and have to do the above to expose 8 or so apps with updates available.

            2. imurray · 1790334004 · focus · HN ↗

               Ooh, thanks for this. Also, long pressing &quot;My apps&quot;, or pressing the (+) next to it, lets us create a homescreen icon directly to &quot;My apps&quot;.
         3. spogbiper · 1790343864 · focus · HN ↗

            On my Pixel I don&#x27;t even open the Play store for this

            Settings, System, Software Updates, App updates

            Bonus that any OS or Google services updates are here too

      3. xarope · 1790322238 · focus · HN ↗

         Absolutely. I&#x27;ll search for a GOOGLE app to install on a new phone, and it&#x27;s 3rd on the list, with two completely unrelated apps showing up at the top, waiting to be accidentally clicked and installed, and probably then start popping up ads and other malware.

         1. brookst · 1790336016 · focus · HN ↗

            In the EU?
      4. matsemann · 1790322447 · focus · HN ↗

         [dead]

      5. tcfhgj · 1790333461 · focus · HN ↗

         Not to mention the insurmountable amount of ads
   6. birksherty · 1790345376 · focus · HN ↗

      Hacker news people are unbearable. This is some next level nitpick.

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