Mefi themed winamp skin requested

February 10, 2002 4:32 PM

Last night I was wandering around DeviantArt
downloading a few Winamp skins, when I realized that noone had ever made
a MeFi themed Winamp skin. With all the programmers and graphic designers
among the MeFaithful, I woulda thought someone would've thrown something
together. I'd do it myself, if my complete lack of artistic talent wasn't
an issue. so who'll rise to the occasion?


posted by jonmc to MetaFilter-Related at 4:32 PM (23 comments total)

do you have it in .wsz format skallas?
posted by jonmc at 5:02 PM on February 10, 2002

*Stares at 22 oz. can of Steel Reserve High Gravity Lager in front of hm*

You mean this stuff?

Actually, skallas on some skin sites, I've seen far worse. I just figured so techno-whiz amongst us would come up with something kickass.
posted by jonmc at 5:23 PM on February 10, 2002

I've personally never understood product-themed(product used as a generic term) skins. Deep Blue Something commissioned a skin for the Windows Media Player, and I know of another that was done for a bank. Why?
Then again, I refuse to wear anything with a logo on it. I have literally gnawed the logo off a pair of gloves in the past.
posted by Su at 5:28 PM on February 10, 2002

It does have potential, jonmc... Unfortunately, I can't help since I am a fierce Mac person who took an oath to never aid or abet anything PC related.

That last part translates: "haven't the slightest idea how to do anything related to computers."
posted by evanizer at 5:29 PM on February 10, 2002

Su- If it's labels for their own sake a la Tommy Hilfiger, I agree with you. With a MeFi skin, it'd be more like wearing a t-shirt of your favorite band, yknow help spread the word and all that..
posted by jonmc at 5:32 PM on February 10, 2002

As sad as it is, I would probably use a Metafilter-themed winamp skin. But I think someone should design a Metatalk-themed skin too, so that when you play the same song more than once a year, Winamp gives you a snide remark and loads the Metatalk skin.
posted by Hildago at 5:34 PM on February 10, 2002

Here's the instructions.
posted by kirkaracha at 6:34 PM on February 10, 2002

If anyone feels like making a metafilter winamp skin, please, for the love of jeebus, try to make it easier to use than the default skin. I've seen thousands of skins, and there are only 1 or 2 I've ever seen that were designed with ease-of-use in mind. Things like high-contrast, large, easy-to-hit buttons (follow fitt's law and be aware of contrast issues) go a long way to improving winamp's usability.

I've noticed in every other skin I've used, the usability of winamp decreased substantially. If you don't believe me, do the phone test. Run winamp with the default skin, and crank some music. Have someone call you up on the phone, and time how long it takes to mute, pause, or stop the music. Now apply a new skin and run the test again. My guess is that your time to pause increases on virtually all "cool" skins out there.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 6:58 PM on February 10, 2002

ha! i was *just* thinking of making a mefi skin.

my credentials.

and yes mat, it would be just as easy to use. :P
posted by jcterminal at 9:10 PM on February 10, 2002

nice work jcterminal...if you build it we will come
posted by jonmc at 9:34 PM on February 10, 2002

*mows down cornfield in confusion*

I would use it. Then, when people asked me what it was, I could hold my flag high.
posted by j.edwards at 12:10 AM on February 11, 2002

and yes mat, it would be just as easy to use. :P

Actually, I'd prefer if it were easier to use than the default.

Like the one you linked. For being "cool" looking, it's got high contrast, easy to reach buttons which I dig, but where's the volume slider? Personally, I change the volume often, but I never touch the balance control. With your amp skin I can barely make out the sliders, and would have a tough time grabbing them efficiently.

I've always wanted to do my own skin, since I've never been happy with one before. Maybe I shall.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 1:15 AM on February 11, 2002

Is it even possible to make winamp easy to use and goodlooking also? It's so tiny at regular size, and looks so ugly and pixelated at double size...
posted by luser at 8:39 AM on February 11, 2002

yes winamp is easy to use AND it can be good looking.

it's very hard tho, due to the limitations of the app, and those that are able to do it should be lauded.

umm... i don't know anyone who's done it yet, but then again, i don't mind if i can't see the labels, i know the locations of the hotspots, and i don't mind right-clicking.

but hey, it's another thing for me to think about as i work on the mefi skin.
posted by jcterminal at 10:20 AM on February 11, 2002

btw: not to toot my own horn luser ("so ugly and pixelated at double size..."), but i made a skin in which one of the focii of the design was making something that looks good at double size.

it was funny working at that resolution. i felt like i was doing graphics for an old vga game.

if you want to try it out, go for it. i'd love to see feedback from people whom value functionality over style.
posted by jcterminal at 11:13 AM on February 11, 2002

Is it even possible to make winamp easy to use and goodlooking also?

Winamp3 is getting there. Though the current batch of skins I've seen for it are... blah. It's got potential though.
posted by mkn at 11:27 AM on February 11, 2002

Mathowie,

Agreed, agreed, agreed. Here's an amazingly beautiful Winamp skin -- *so* nicely done, obviously they put some serious time into it.

What's missing? Labelled buttons. Unless you've memorized the WinAmp layout, you'll have no idea which button does what. Fine, they didn't want that to get in the way of design -- but I can't use that skin *because* of the design. :(

I wonder how many MeFi's are on DeviantArt... (I am, but I'm a sad girl -- new layout is *not* 800 x 600-friendly...)
posted by metrocake at 8:40 AM on February 12, 2002

metro - I surf deviantart all the time. I don't contribute however due to my aforementioned lack of artistic talent. I occasionally get good ideas though, just need an artist to execute them, like an Etch-A-Skin perhaps?
OK, I'll shut my yap, idea men are a dime a dozen.
posted by jonmc at 9:21 AM on February 12, 2002

Afterdawn's easy to use skins

We've had several clients ask us to creat branded skins, they actually get a good number of downloads.
posted by Mick at 10:30 AM on February 12, 2002

I just use the winamp keyboard shortcuts (z - b). It's faster that way, anyway.
posted by gd779 at 12:16 PM on February 12, 2002

metro: yep. i have two accounts there. my first one is banned for life tho, so you'll need to check out the one that i use now.
posted by jcterminal at 12:43 PM on February 12, 2002

I only need to change two words: "I've seen thousands of skins blogs, and there are only 1 or 2 I've ever seen that were designed with ease-of-use in mind. Things like high-contrast, large, easy-to-hit buttons (follow fitt's law and be aware of contrast issues) go a long way to improving winamp's a blog's usability."

The last thing the world needs is a bunch of bloggers making Winamp skins. It's like asking the engineers of the Ford Pinto to design a nuclear power plant.



posted by aaron at 2:33 PM on February 12, 2002

aaron, a blog isn't an application that requires input for it work, so the word swap isn't truthful or accurate.

Mick, those skins are totally low-contrast. I can barely make out the play button.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 3:35 PM on February 12, 2002