Home Experiment | Thoughts and Feedback

After 24hrs with the new design, i have to say that it is a push in the right direction but i still don't think it is the answer to the Dashboard everyone wants. There is pro's and con's regarding the new design and i think some honest feedback is due to help this experiment evolve.

First off, i want to state that this is a personal opinion and i cannot speak for those who use features that have been changed, however i will state that the new design shows real promise and should be available to all Alpha Skip Ahead users and 50% of those in Alpha since bleeding edge means to give feedback on the absolute bleeding edge features and should not hold those features back regardless of performance fears. We signed an agreement for a reason, it is our own choice to take the risk and install these builds on our console thus there should be no fear from those in the Skip Ahead portion of the program.

Heading into the positive changes this new dashboard design brings, these are what stand out the most:

- Fast and Fluent: The sluggish feeling of the Dashboard has vanished and yes it takes a few extra steps to get to areas some users actually used but a little refinement and continued use will help those realize that it is only an extra movement or two from original design.

- Less Clutter: This new design uses initial space very well and showcases a more Start Menu look from Windows 10 with subtle tweaks to make it feel appealing to those on Xbox. It is a very well implemented design that needs a few tweaks to reach that perfect look players are hoping for.

Now, here are the cons that need to be looked at and i am sure that some will agree with these changes:

- Pins need to change: The idea of pins on Home is a brilliant design however there has to be another way to implement them. The design adds extra space real-estate that could be fine tuned to allow pinned games a new place to be implemented. I will see about updating this post with a refined design showcasing a few ideas i have for the new dashboard (I designed the well-received NXOE 2017-18 Fluent Design Concept which also influenced a few key aspects of the current Dashboard).

Wallpaper Changes: Please let us bring in Animated Wallpapers even if they are tied to purchase or acheivements, i really hate static wallpapers and this new dashboard brings a chance to have an animated background without sluggish performance. Even make it become frozen or static while you use an App or play a Game to ensure performance stays solid.

Home Panels: I like the concept of having a Game Hub a few scrolls down for your favorite game but this feature needs to be updated, especially since the new design only changes very minimal sections of the current design. We are heading into an era where Screen Real-Estate can be utilized well without clutter and this should reflect on Xbox. I will also build a few designs to help showcase potential concepts regarding this feature evolving.

New Icons: This is where the topic is touchy due to Wallpaper limitations but this can be easily avoided by using a fluent overlay with soft blur (enough so the image feels visible but not out of focus, this is done very well on Windows and can be implemented on Xbox as well). The design aspect of icons needs to be updated to the ModernOS design coming in 2020 with Fluent Design 2.0 language, i will try my best to build a concept for this however i cannot make any promises.

Updated Library: This is where the conversation goes into features and Library already looks and feels amazing however instead of a straight black/white background, bring a hard overlay of black/white across your current wallpaper with a soft blur. Not only will the new look feel great but it will make the Library feel less of an app attachment and more of a part of the OS design. Every app can look great on Xbox if they follow Modern Design language used on Windows 10 and Android/IOS.

Now, this is a lot to take in and mixed opinions will arise regarding what i have discussed. I will build a separate post with the Concept design changes later this week however before then, i hope the Insider Team really opens this experiment up as the more feedback they receive on it, the better it can be evolved. We are almost at the beginning of the next generation of Gaming and this new design needs to complement that to help showcase that Xbox is the driving force of how the future of console gaming should look and feel.

submitted by /u/AndiiSFade
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