Leave VS 2010 theme (and the theme editor extension) as an option
When you came out with the VS 2010 theme, you said that it allowed you to focus on the code windows. The benefit that the theme provided hasn't changed, so please allow that theme to stay in VS 11, as well as the "Color Theme Editor" extension by Matthew Johnson (http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/20cd93a2-c435-4d00-a797-499f16402378) so those that want to tweak or even choose another theme can do so. Please don't force us to use a "metro style" theme (even if you add some color). You worked so hard to create a good looking 2010 theme, don't throw it away...that would be such a waste.
If you allow VS 11 to not look Metro, it doesn't mean your new Metro apps will lose traction. If you feel you have to make Studio look Metro to persuade Metro app development, then that would mean there's a self-confidence problem.
Dean Jackson
shared this idea
I’m going to mark this as completed so you can get your votes back – note that Matthew Johnson has released a VS 2012 color theme editor as you requested (link below) – I know it doesn’t have everything you requested in this idea, but hopefully this helps to address your feedback.
thanks,
Doug Turnure – Visual Studio PM
http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/366ad100-0003-4c9a-81a8-337d4e7ace05
74 comments
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ITMAGE
commented
Go post your feelings about the UI here:
http://blogs.msdn.com/b/visualstudio/archive/2012/08/22/visual-studio-2012-released-to-the-web.aspx
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Oliver Waits
commented
Does anyone have a link to the bring VS2010 theme back facebook group?
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Victor Zakharov
commented
Metro sucks. Period. Bring back VS 2010 theme.
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John Maillet
commented
I love the new UI functionality but, theme customization will help greatly. I'm running under Windows 7 and the "Metro" theme is rather jarring in contrast to the rest of the apps and desktop.
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ITMAGE
commented
"A theme editor would at least make the decisions forgivable" -- It would help but the other huge problem are the icons including those in the solution explorer. We need to be able to change them as well.
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cowboy
commented
WTF. VS 2012 themes suck... LIGHT IS TOO LIGHT. DARK IS TOO DARK. PLEASE FIX!
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mrdev
commented
Beta theme was a failure. So when you have a failed design you throw it away and go back to what works. You don't take a steaming pile of c*** and try to improve on it with dashes of color. A color coded status bar given monochrome icons is a cruel joke from a twisted mind.
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chris
commented
There should at least be 3 themes: Light, Dark and Dont ***** With What Works Well (ala VS 2010).
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Brian
commented
Both the Dark and Light themes in VS2012 are completely unusable. The UX design (or lack thereof) is simply appalling and not worthy of the developers who need to use your product.
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Dan Engelman
commented
A theme editor would at least make the decisions forgivable.
If I was in charge, I'd fire whoever made these decisions.KNOW YOUR USERS!
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Squirrel
commented
Just started using 2012 and I find the standard theme far too bright, especially on modern monitors. The code actually gets lost because everything looks the same.
It's not that I want the VS2010 theme back but I'd like to see an in-between theme where the code window remains with a white background but the rest of the UI is darker.
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Greg
commented
I'm recommending apache server over IIS until MS apologizes and stops this nonsense.
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ITMAGE
commented
Colors(or lack thereof): Bad, Iconography: Bad, Contrast: Bad, Window separation: Bad
Trying to find something good (that I like) about the UI is posing quite a challenge.
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Anonymous
commented
Globe icons for pages, page icons for code, and designer... grey grey grey... I can't see where the structure is in my project anymore using peripheral vision.
I used to be able to - peripherally - get a grip for "where I am" in a large project, however this colour scheme removes this ability.
PLEASE allow themers to customise the icon sets - I for one would switch in a heart-beat.
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ITMAGE
commented
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radioman . lt
commented
not again, do not censor me, you *****-HEADS ;/
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radioman . lt
commented
..**** the visual studio, it's time to permanently switch to linux
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B Fenske
commented
I've also found VS11 to be significantly more clumsy to use than 2010. I've been using MS products since 1986 and this is definitely the biggest step backward in tooling UI that I have seen. I really hope that by now you have gotten the message and have people working to provide a theme feature and a nice 2010-like theme available during Setup. -Brian
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L-Diddy
commented
Like others, I have made an effort to use VS 2012 RC, but just can't bring myself to do it any more. It is like going from a Ferrari to a Lada. Everything is so SLOW as you have to constantly try and find what you are looking for in a see of grey. Solution Explorer is the worst...
Really hope the prolonged silence from MS recently means that they have relented and added a VS2010 theme. I think this product will bomb badly if they don't, and they will lose yet more disillusioned developers to Apple, Google etc. I certainly will be in no rush to use it, there are no "must have" features that necessitate moving off 2010.
I think the damage is done though, as a long-time MS developer I am seriously questioning my loyalty if this is the way they treat their customers, with utter contempt. Please don't patronise us by trying to justify this abortion of a UI or claim that it is an improvement... That is just insulting my intelligence. If this UI remains it will go down in history alongside Windows ME, Microsoft Bob, Vista etc as a major failure. In fact, I never had a problem with Vista or ME, but this is just utter **** and will probably be used in University courses of the future as an example of how NOT to do UX.
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Man na
commented
I tried very hard to use 2012 RC, but I wound up going back to 2010. The lack of contrast in the user interface made it difficult to find the functionality I needed. I even tried switching themes and nothing seemed to work. Sadly, I think it was a very promising release, but I really need to get work done
