Will the gray icon box have a purpose?

**xkalibur2k** · 12-31-2012, 08:40 PM

What do you think? Will the grey boxes around the icons have a special purpose?
What are the possibilities?

How about having the gray area glow to indicate an app update available to start...

**DJM626** · 12-31-2012, 09:14 PM

At this stage I would think that the final hardware and probably the software would not be going under any more real changes. It should be pretty close to being finalized as we are one month away from the announcement. I could be wrong on the software part of it, but I would not think it would be likely that the icons would not be changed at this stage of the game

**nquyen** · 12-31-2012, 09:19 PM

Originally Posted by xkalibur2k

What do you think? Will the grey boxes around the icons have a special purpose?
What are the possibilities?

How about having the gray area glow to indicate an app update available to start...

They have a purpose, and that's to distinguish icons and applications from background. Say you have a vibrant, rainbow-colored background, the gray boxes help to identify the applications quickly and easily.

**greatwiseone** · 12-31-2012, 09:38 PM

I know some people hate the icon box. I'm not sure why RIM decided to do that on BB10 when it wasn't on the PlayBook. In any event, I don't really mind it, and it does make it look "different" from the other platforms (iOS, android, and MS). I also think people are too fixated on the app grid on BB10, when in real life, users will be spending most of their time in the Hub and on the multi-tasking screen....

**Masahiro** · 12-31-2012, 10:11 PM

Originally Posted by greatwiseone

I know some people hate the icon box. I'm not sure why RIM decided to do that on BB10 when it wasn't on the PlayBook.

The Playbook app icons sit on an opaque "drawer" that darkens the background a little bit. It's essentially one large version of the grey boxes for BB10.

**greatwiseone** · 12-31-2012, 11:28 PM

Originally Posted by Masahiro

The Playbook app icons sit on an opaque "drawer" that darkens the background a little bit. It's essentially one large version of the grey boxes for BB10.

True. I don't even really notice it.

**BB_Bmore** · 01-01-2013, 12:00 AM

I think its just RIM trying to differentiate themselves from the pack. BlackBerry10 is different in every way compared to IOS and Android and so I think they want to project that throughout the OS.

Sent from my BlackBerry by Choice using Tapatalk

**greatwiseone** · 01-01-2013, 01:16 AM

I wonder if this might have something to do with implementing the gray box....

The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

**Skeevecr** · 01-01-2013, 02:10 AM

Originally Posted by greatwiseone

I wonder if this might have something to do with implementing the gray box....

The Samsung Galaxy S III: The First Smartphone Designed Entirely By Lawyers

In a world with overly litigious idiots, it does seem sensible if they have considered such things, especially when the change they have made is also do for functional benefits too.

**jem9777** · 01-01-2013, 10:39 PM

I think the purpose of the "gray icon box" is so that when app developers inevitably ignore the UI guidelines and create icons that are all different sizes and alignments, it won't look like total misaligned garbage like it does on the PlayBook.

**sf49ers** · 01-01-2013, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by jem9777

I think the purpose of the "gray icon box" is so that when app developers inevitably ignore the UI guidelines and create icons that are all different sizes and alignments, it won't look like total misaligned garbage like it does on the PlayBook.

added to that the Android ports following Android UI guidelines..that makes perfect sense to have a grey background

**FSeverino** · 01-02-2013, 12:54 AM

ive said this in another thread, but i only see one reason for this... and if it isnt the case then it is a bad design choice.

i think it will work if the box changes colour if you have an activity in it. yes we will get the red marker for a message or something... but maybe you can change the colour based on certain things. Maybe if you get message from a certain person it goes red... or a message marked 'urgent' ... or something like that.

maybe the colour will be 'cool' if the message is new and get 'warmer' in colour as the message gets older... making it easier to see which messages need to be looked at. Im not really sure, but i dont see ANY reason for such a horrible design element unless there is a practical use for it.

the 'it makes the icons stand out' argument is pretty dumb and fanboyish... what if i want an all grey background... there goes that argument.

**Crowezine** · 01-02-2013, 09:30 AM

If they end up keeping those grey boxes, which I doubt, and because BB10 will have themes, a developer somewhere will create an almost replica of the original factory theme, but without the grey boxes.

**LazyEvul** · 01-02-2013, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by Crowezine

If they end up keeping those grey boxes, which I doubt, and because BB10 will have themes, a developer somewhere will create an almost replica of the original factory theme, but without the grey boxes.

At this stage in the game, it's unlikely that they will change the grey boxes. There's just 28 days to launch. However, I suppose they could have a setting to disable them, but I get the feeling that it won't happen. Also, BB10 will not have themes: RIM cancels BlackBerry Theme Studio 7 release plans, confirms 'themes' not available for BlackBerry 10 | CrackBerry.com

**Mr_F** · 01-02-2013, 10:16 PM

The boxes (or 'force-field' as I saw someone call them) seem to split opinion. Some see no problem with them whilst others think they are the worst thing ever. I'm not too fond of them personally but can see the reasoning for having them (as much as I disagree with the logic). I think they're meant to give a consistency to the UI as a set of 2x2 app icons exactly match the dimensions of 1 active frame. It was more evident with the older icons that were larger and more angular - especially with the page overlap effect that is present when navigating the app grid. Also, as it has been previously mentioned they're said to improve the legibility of the app names/text (especially if you have a vibrant wallpaper).

However, the ultimate necessity of such a 'force-field' is debatable in my opinion - and on that basis I think RIM should have an option allowing the user to disable them (or at least adjust how dark they are). Choice is good and I for one would certainly take advantage of such an option, if it were present.

**Skeevecr** · 01-03-2013, 03:49 AM

Originally Posted by Mr_F

However, the ultimate necessity of such a 'force-field' is debatable in my opinion - and on that basis I think RIM should have an option allowing the user to disable them (or at least adjust how dark they are). Choice is good and I for one would certainly take advantage of such an option, if it were present.

While having an option to disable them could be good in theory, Rim has to consider the overall branding of the b10 ui, they cannot control who would use the option and anyone who got into the situation where the choice of background made the labels unreadable would almost certainly moan a lot more than people that would quite like for there not to be the shading.