Are you a UI snob?

[dblock]

Who buys a new car they think is ugly just because it gets them where they want to go (unless you have no other choice ofcourse)? Just like an ugly car,ugly plugins "can" be a deal breaker for me unless it's got something so killer it trumps ugly. I don't buy ugly shoes just cause they have sole either. Everybody likes nice looking stuff.
Same with plugins for me I gotta like to look at it. I hate cartoony plugins. Too many great plugins to have to stomach ugly ones. I never liked Absynth green. Turns my stomach. I use it, but I close it as soon as I get the sound I need. What would the neighbors think? I wouldn't buy it again cause it's so ugly. Guess that makes me a gui snob if you wanna call it that.

If you care about how pretty your table saw and drill are, you have problems. I care about how well the tools works. If you buy a car based purely on looks, you have problems.

I would agree with you...if that is what I said but I think you might be ad-libbing a bit. I never said "purely" as in the only motivation for my choice. What I did say up the page a bit is,"There are so many choices, I look for something that sounds incredible AND looks good. That's just me. There's a big wide plugin world out there that offers both so I see no need to settle."
Ofcourse, as you've correctly demonstrated using the tool example, not everything fits the analogy perfectly.

[T-CM11]

If you care about how pretty your table saw and drill are, you have problems. I care about how well the tools works. If you buy a car based purely on looks, you have problems.

There's more to esthetics than "pretty". Something can be esthetically pleasing for it's functionality, sturdiness, yes even ugliness (opposites are often very close together).
The same thing applies to music, some people find power ballads 'beautiful' / I think they suck ass and like harsh industrial noise (not only that of course).
But maybe you're the kind of person that likes the black & whites. In that case just categorize this post under complete bullshit.

[trimph1]

If you care about how pretty your table saw and drill are, you have problems. I care about how well the tools works. If you buy a car based purely on looks, you have problems.

There's more to esthetics than "pretty". Something can be esthetically pleasing for it's functionality, sturdiness, yes even ugliness (opposites are often very close together).
The same thing applies to music, some people find power ballads 'beautiful' / I think they suck ass and like harsh industrial noise (not only that of course).
But maybe you're the kind of person that likes the black & whites. In that case just categorize this post under complete bullshit.

You are not bullcarping. I find that sometimes an aesthetically pleasing to the eyes UI is not quite as functional as it looks. Looks=\=functionality .

[robertszalapski]

Sure, point taken. I think a power tool analogy makes more sense than a car analogy for plugins, though.

[dblock]

Sure, point taken. I think a power tool analogy makes more sense than a car analogy for plugins, though.

Fair enough. I think it's really according to who and how you look at it and from what angle. Same as how many ways you can interpret an opinion. Oops! There goes another analogy.

[Jace-BeOS]

My dad has no aesthetic preferences unless it has to do with workmanship in contractor jobs in his home. He bought and drove the worst looking vehicles as they were transportation and nothing more. He could've chosen better, but he didn't want to. Money and practicality was all he cared about.

I learned to drive in a huge, boaty, green 76(?) Buick Skylark. I hated that thing but it's what was made available. When I had my first proper job, I bought a black 1997 Mitsubishi Eclipse with standard transmission. I still have it, and it looks worse for wear (some embarrassment there), but I still way prefer the looks and UI to the modern Honda of his he wants to replace and wants me to take off his hands when my Eclipse dies (I'm piss poor and the parents want to replace one car for accessibility for my mother).

Because of living with his utter lack of aesthetics, and lack of attention to detail, my natural inclinations are massively enhanced; I'm quite opposed to his trends, and I'm a bit irrationally focused on attractiveness and functional design thoughtfulness (who would reject a free car when piss poor??).

I think this impacts my plugin GUI preferences some

[metamorphosis]

I have no problem with bad *looking* UI's, but UI's that are *poorly designed* are a Completely Different Thing.

[PatchAdamz]

I know I am.

If something looks ugly I just won't download it, even if it's free (and probably sounds great) I just like prefer to use nice looking things.

So, tell me, which soft synths and effects get your vote for the best UI's?

“One man’s “ugly” is another man’s “beautiful.”

[jancivil]

I've seen GUIs here that I could never get on with. First of all ergonomics, but yes there are things too ugly to work with.