Hello
@William Lancee,
For years I've only used brighter line colours sparingly, especially in my main software packing which I've sold a large amount of copies. My colour selection comes from years of customer feedback. I usually leave all the buttons, text boxes, drop down boxes etc as default, but now I fancy trying to change things up a little bit, but not by too much.
In B4J I've actually created a dark theme CSS file, but even though I personally use dark theme as much as possible on my devices, I just don't like my own attempts at integrating dark themes into my clients projects, so I just leave them standard. I will get there sooner rather than later, but when is the question???
In my long selling windows invoice software (created many years ago in .NET), when creating invoices the selected lines might change colour. If the line does change colour customers can click on a colour legend button to see what the colours mean.
Windows screenshot of invoice/quote/pro forma selected item line colour legend.
When I create bespoke software for clients, on Stock Management screens when viewing the entire stock list I always have a check box option that shows the following criteria, I also always have separate filter systems.
- All stock items
- In stock
- Out of stock
- Needs re-ordering
B4J partial screenshot of stock management screen. Option to visually highlighted in stock levels.
When clients check the checkbox only the in stock items quantities (of the displayed list) backgrounds change colours (Red, Green and Orange) to quickly and easily allow for visually viewing in stock levels.
I always leave buttons and combo boxes as default and text boxes background colours white, I only change the background colours in Quotes, Invoices and pro formas screens when selected customers that reach certain criteri. If a customer is over their credit limit (Orange) or if a customer is banned/on stop (Red).
I create a lot of bespoke software for clients and have done so for years. By default if possible I always automatically add all of the above into bespoke packages. My clients like all the extra features that I include as once they start using their bespoke package, that's when they realise how useful these extra features can be.
Colour wise the above colours are the default colours that I always include but obviously only if the package is capable of using them. I also create manufacturing software for clients that links to machinery via Bluetooth/Serial/USB, scales etc so all of the above then becomes irrelevant. My general interfaces layouts and their designs don't really change that much not unless they really have to, sometimes (like last year) I have have clients that need software designing and they already have all their screen designs layout and designed (usually in MS Paint) ready for a developer like ourselves to make their bespoke software into reality.
Sadly last year I had to turn down a potentially new client as their company (that I had already heard of as they are large in their industry) contacted me as they wanted software developed that had well in excess of 30 different screen (all already designed by themselves). What they wanted wasn't difficult but their time scale was absolutely ridiculous. I made it to the last three developers that they chose but they needed the software developed in 3 months (which was impossible). I said 8-10 months, the other 2 developers said 12 months and 18 months receptivity. I then dropped out by choice as this company just kept adding more features then the timeline dropped to 2 months from their original three months as they kept messing around lol, so I dropped out. They contacted me 5 month later wondering if I could still take on the project but in 6 months, but sadly by that time I was already doing other client work.
By the way I also have a default layout where the buttons are on the left hand side of the screen and not the top of the screen as some of my clients like that design when I shows it to them.