Hi gang!

We're looking for some feedback on the new look and feel of tio tournament organizer. We've updated the application's UI to have a more Microsoft Office look to it and are using the opportunity to move things around, change phrasing, improve functionality, to basically take a look at every corner of the application and consider improvements to the user interface. We'd like it if some of the graphics team could take a look at a preview version and give us some general and specific thoughts on the interface.

Download: http://tiopro.com/files/tio_art_feedback.zip (Don't SHARE this link, and don't attempt to use this to run a tournament without letting me know first.)

I recommend opening the file "Example tournament.tio" when running the application.


Specific topics of feedback:
- general impressions of the UI change. (Visit the "tio" link under the Tournaments tab to download an old version if you've never used tio before, but DON'T install the old and new versions to the same folder)

- any windows that are obviously incorrectly sized/located. We used an automatic tool to change the look and feel, and there may be some windows that looked correct with the old layout but incorrect with the new. Examples include text that gets cut off and buttons that are too large.

- comments on UI usability; any behaviors that were confusing or didn't match your expectation of what would happen when you pressed a button, selected an option, searched for a trigger, etc. The target audience for the app is (obviously) tournament hosts, so let's assume the user knows something about competitive tournaments, but doesn't need to know every intricate detail of brackets, seeding, etc.

- ideas for changing/improving the bracket displays. Right now they retain the traditional block-line bracket format. Any ideas on changing that? I don't think we want to radically change the display... tournament regulars know and understand the "losers on left, winners on right" style of double-elim brackets. I'm sure there are little things that could make it nicer/easier to understand, though, like rounding the corners of bracket lines. Another idea: putting "Round 1", "Round 2", "Semifinals", etc. above each round in the bracket, "pinning" the descriptions to the top of the viewer so they show up even when you scroll down. Quick mockup:


- round robin brackets are also very simple and sparse, so ideas on fixing those up are welcome too. (Rounded edges are once again a start.)

- areas where more colors & simple icons can be added to increase first-glance usability/comprehension.


Thanks!!

I know I'm not really part of the graphics team, but I might as well give my current opinions.

•Personally, I feel that the new popup for adding a new event is a bit out of place, though it's probably just me being used to the old tio.
•My computer tends to crash when I select the Players tab. Is this supposed to happen in this beta of tio?
•One of my personal gripes is how dragging the winner to the right (or left if in losers' bracket) to advance doesn't do anything.

I'll gather more opinions as I tinker with this some more.

No, it's not supposed to crash. Can you find and paste the contents of CrashLog.txt here?

Application Information
-----------------------
 * tio tournament organizer version 1.2.1
 * Run from C:\Users\Adam Jr\Downloads\tio_art_feedback
 * Crash occurred at 7/7/2010 4:43:25 PM
 * 45395968 memory allocated

System Information
-----------------------
 * Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7600.0
 * .NET Runtime version 2.0.50727.4927

Error Information
-----------------------
 * Error: Value cannot be null.
Parameter name: source
 *    at System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.CopyToManaged(IntPtr source, Object destination, Int32 startIndex, Int32 length)
   at գ.ᓴ.ዝ(೟ డ, เ ే, IntPtr ኸ, ଦ ఢ, ඁ ధ)
   at գ.ᓴ.ዌ(ଦ ఢ)
   at գ.ᓴ.OnNcCalcSize(ଦ bounds, ଦ& client)
   at գ.ᓴ.ኃ(ᇼ& ᆄ)
   at գ.ᓴ.WndProc(ᇼ& m)
   at գ.ᇦ.ᇯ(IntPtr ԥ, Int32 ᇰ, IntPtr ᇱ, IntPtr ᇲ)
   at ֘.נ.SetWindowRgn(IntPtr hWnd, IntPtr hRgn, Boolean bRedraw)
   at գ.ᓴ.ᆋ(ᇼ& ᆄ)
   at գ.ᓴ.WndProc(ᇼ& m)
   at գ.ᇦ.ᇯ(IntPtr ԥ, Int32 ᇰ, IntPtr ᇱ, IntPtr ᇲ)
   at System.Windows.Forms.SafeNativeMethods.MessageBox(HandleRef hWnd, String text, String caption, Int32 type)
   at System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.ShowCore(IWin32Window owner, String text, String caption, MessageBoxButtons buttons, MessageBoxIcon icon, MessageBoxDefaultButton defaultButton, MessageBoxOptions options, Boolean showHelp)
   at System.Windows.Forms.MessageBox.Show(String text, String caption, MessageBoxButtons buttons, MessageBoxIcon icon)
   at AiN.Tio.App.TourneyApp.Exception(Object sender, UnhandledExceptionEventArgs e)
   at AiN.Tio.App.TourneyApp.ThreadException(Object sender, ThreadExceptionEventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.OnThreadException(Exception t)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProcException(Exception e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.OnThreadException(Exception e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)
   at System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.DispatchMessageW(MSG& msg)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ComponentManager.System.Windows.Forms.UnsafeNativeMethods.IMsoComponentManager.FPushMessageLoop(Int32 dwComponentID, Int32 reason, Int32 pvLoopData)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoopInner(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application.ThreadContext.RunMessageLoop(Int32 reason, ApplicationContext context)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Application.Run(Form mainForm)
   at AiN.Tio.App.TourneyApp.Main(String[] args)


---

Old tio still works fine, btw.

:-\. That's an error from the skinning component... I've already gone over this with them and they had seemed to fix it. I'll let you know.

Ah, I was afraid that it might've been something with my computer itself.
Thanks, Neal.

Alright, can you re-download the ZIP and replace your previous download? I may have fixed it.

(Make sure your computer does download a fresh copy and doesn't just open the old download.)

The color used on the round robin brackets are a bit pale in caparison to the interface. It would probably be a good idea to use a more glossy, round look to compliment the interface and the Microsoft Office look you're going for. Also try using some brighter colors.

There is also a lot of empty space in a maximized window. It looks unfinished with the empty space in some tabs, like in results, stations, and results. I don't really have any solution on how to make it look more filled.

Everything looks aligned correctly also. The UI is nice and everything I tried worked fine.

Overall I like it.

I'll play around with it more later.

Didn't know it should have done that :/ I
I just double clicked.

I didn't try every single button and function, but I like the design and the look of the program. I especially like it typographically, nice sized titles, everything seems to be aligned well, and the information seems to be well organized inside all of those rounded boxes.

The bracket is simple, but it's not bad. I guess until a better look for the bracket is created, this is fine. But the display itself looks like it's its own thing, I think it could use a really light blue or grey gradient to white (still whiter than all the other windows in the program, but just a little color to nullify the harsh contrast between the bracket and the background). It needs something, at least, because it lacks the same polish that the rest of the program has.



(Not neccesarily as dark as that, there was major glare on my screen when I was preparing that example, lol)

Okay, but there is some actual problems with the way the double elimination bracket is rendering on my computer. I'm on Windows 7, and I've got a pretty big screen resolution too. I don't know if that has something to do with it, but... basically I'm having some issues with the scollbar disappearing in certain instances, or appearing in the wrong place. In full screen mode, when I scroll around, the blue leaks all over the top of the bracket. And in window mode, when I scroll around (with my scroll wheel) and resize the window, all sorts of mystifying graphical oddities take place.





The singles bracket seems to work pretty well though.

The blue jaggie lines are my very very very early attempt at the mockup I posted above. Ignore the issues it causes .

heh, for me: graphically: a-ok.

only 1 thing bugs me, even in the old tio it did: when you have save files fromthe auto-save, and then try to load a new xml or tio-file suited for the organier, it always asks to load "insert name and data of older tournament".
might wanna fix it so it only asks to load a save file of a tourney with the same name?

nothing else "wrong" as far as i see/know.

I wish you would have posted the system requirements. I'm not using my usual computer and this computer doesn't have the .net framwork. Owell I check it out later. From the screen shots it looks ok but in the larger brackets the spacing just looks awkward since the brackets aren't centered. I know it was like that in the old tio its just a small preference.

I really like the idea of having the rounds listed. That would be a big help when running tournaments, at least from how I see things. It would also start getting the community use to understanding that losers round 1 =/= winners round 1 and other such things.

My double elim is also rendering bad (on XP).

The icons used at the top could use some work. They aren't really bright/they don't pop, and they sorta remind me of older pixel art/pixel icons like you use to see in windows 95 when your resolution got shafted for whatever reason.

I like the new feel to it with the blue skin. I dislike some of the layouts (for example the players section has roughly 1/2 of the space as unused). In fact, centering some/all of these things would help a lot in how it looks overall I think. Hard to know for sure without using it, but typically people want to orient toward the middle of the screen (just look at anything from a word document to a web browser).

I posted an update that has the "round 1" labels on double elim brackets. Lemme know how it looks.

Do like! The labels make it feel more complete.

Did encounter a crash at some point when Restoring the window in the doubles bracket. Only happened once, though.

Application Information
-----------------------
 * tio tournament organizer version 1.2.1
 * Run from C:\Users\Public\Pictures\AiB\Tio\Tio Program
 * Crash occurred at 08/07/2010 2:55:20 AM
 * 94953472 memory allocated

System Information
-----------------------
 * Microsoft Windows NT 6.1.7600.0
 * .NET Runtime version 2.0.50727.4927

Error Information
-----------------------
 * Error: Error creating window handle.
 *    at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.CreateHandle(CreateParams cp)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateHandle()
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl(Boolean fIgnoreVisible)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.CreateControl()
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlCollection.Add(Control value)
   at AiN.Tio.App.Controls.StationsPanel.RebuildLayout()
   at AiN.Tio.App.Controls.StationsPanel.OnSizeChanged(EventArgs e)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.UpdateBounds(Int32 x, Int32 y, Int32 width, Int32 height, Int32 clientWidth, Int32 clientHeight)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.UpdateBounds()
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WmWindowPosChanged(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.WndProc(Message& m)
   at գ.ᆛ.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.Control.ControlNativeWindow.WndProc(Message& m)
   at System.Windows.Forms.NativeWindow.Callback(IntPtr hWnd, Int32 msg, IntPtr wparam, IntPtr lparam)

Ok, I posted a new version to the same location. This one has the "Round 1" labels for both single and double elim brackets. I also added a "stations overview" panel to the bottom of those brackets, which gives you a quick glance of the status of each station and, by clicking a button, highlights the match currently assigned to that station. This should help with situations like "Hey I just beat my opponent. No I don't know his name. We were on TV 5."


Requested feedback: how do the "Round X" labels look? Should I designate the quarterfinals round, or is Semis and beyond good enough? Are there any issues with the labels becoming mis-aligned when resizing or moving the window?

How does the stations overview panel look? Notice that on the double-elim bracket (using the new "Example tournament"), some of the station buttons are disabled... this is because they're in use by the single-elim bracket, not the double-elim. Is that confusing/not helpful? The idea is to say "Don't worry about station 1, that's in use by a different event." Are there any issues with resizing/moving the buttons?

Also, please right click a match and set it to In Progress, and try the new Assign Match to Station form. It works basically the same as before, but with prettier buttons instead of the old ugly ones. Click a station (one is recommended from the stat) and then Assign to complete the process, or click a button once it's already highlighted to select it a different way. How does this form look? The buttons grow if a station name is too long, but have a minimum size so no more than 3 will be in a row. Does that look OK? Try renaming some of the stations (via the Stations main tab) and noting how the button layouts behave. Any issues?

THANKS TEAM.

1.When adding an event there should be an "other" choice.
2.When I close the add an event box it has a graphical erroe but the program still runs fine.
3.Another thing that not a big deal( and probally my fault) but on the players tab if you are creating a new player and hit the tab key from name it skips down to email
4. The stations tab looks fine.
5.the sizing of buttons seems ok.
6. It seems that there should be quick tabs so you can easily switch between tournment brackets. The way it is handled now is fine it seems that tabs would be easier for the end-user.
7.The print fuction doesn't work for me at all.
8. Also when you resize the window the UI doesn't resize either. Not that big of a deal but seems like it wouldn't be to hard.
Other:
may I suggest some premade team names?

Good job.

1. I couldn't duplicate Hichez's graphical error on the closing an event box.
2. The grid in the Player's part of the program is shifted 1 px over to the right from the lines dividing the buttons. I noticed it right away xD
3. Under the Adding an event you should have Other(type in) just like the drop down in Stations. I know you can type it in but the end user might not figure that out right away since it looks like you are limited to those games.
4. This might be a bit frivolous, but maybe you could have a function that designates certain stations for friendlies right away.
5. The print function doesn't work for me as well.
6. The message about buying Tio pro under "register tio" gets cut off in the last paragraph.
7. The Upload tournament results text is also cut off.