Hi,
I suggest to follow Microsoft as they did when they changed from Windows7 to Windows10.
Here’s their strategy described:
I think the current UI of GH suffers from the same issues as W7.
In my view, Win10 UI is mostly appreciated because 7 was so terribly tacky.
I’m also all for the minimal interface. I wouldn’t say that Grasshopper is minimal but there’s something fresh and playful in the UI that makes it so much more enjoyable to use than other node-based interfaces e.g. Dynamo & UE4 blueprint.
Dynamo’s pretty minimal but I’m not touching that junk again, now that we have RiR 
Sorry, but W95 UI (licensed from NeXT apparently) was nice and easy to use to use*. The modern windows just sucks - i use it all day and it’s maddening how they made borders so thin and hard to grab (panes, windows corners. Click wrong and you go to the wrong place (and change something you didn’t want to probably)) if you have a 24"+ screen that is displaying high level of dpi, your eyes tire end of the day from this.
*Windows management was better on a mac in late 1980’s than it is today on windowze! Resizing, zooming, finding that lost window… Yeah, it works but not practical. Since W10, im going mad resizing those 1px wide borders/windows.
Searching for something in Word or Excel, again trip across ribbons until you find it again. Sorry but for me it’s a step backwards in UI usability compared to toolbars and menus. Cleaner yes, but not practical. Every new version is revamp of GUI so you’re lost again and if you work with server’s by the 100’s, it’s ok, very usable but seriously you waste “minutes” per day fighting against the GUI.
Worst of it all is how the OS never remembers where you where when you want to open/save things - it’s ridiculously stupid to program and they can’t get it right year after year - hence the ever growing mad clutter of things in the left pane to find places where to might want to save - and it’s only right 1/5 of the time!
Rhino and GH’s GUI’s are near perfect, please dont change them - but please do add a way to edit the GH tabs to show the items you use the most. 
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You can see GH2 previews on David Ruttens Youtube.
etc.
Thanks for sharing @Michael_Pryor!
Looks good!
I’m little bit concerned about using shortcut description only for components. I really hope icons will remain as it is only way I can work with GH.
yes, switching between text and icons is useful.
What were the issues with Windows 7’s UI? It was fine. It did what it had to do. What made Windows terrible and still does in Windows 10 are the left-overs from days past. So many settings panels that are overly complicated.
Metro is still not implemented nearly as well as they always teased. Where are all those updates to calender, mail, etc. that were teased in Metro design. Not even Settings have been completely transformed to Metro. The Metro Tiles system was a neat idea, but nobody needs it and I have yet to see a single person to actively use it.
I always loved the tasteful skeumorphisms of Grasshopper. David has always gotten it just right and GH2’s UI seems like a very nice evolution of that.
I fail to see the success of Metro and therefore any reason to duplicate it, when even Microsoft itself can’t seem to deliver one full-fledged software that actually uses Metro. If there is please enlighten us with some examples of similar complexity to Grasshopper.
Also, just to set the record straight, Microsoft never “changed from Windows 7 to Windows 10”. Metro was conceived for Windows 8 - one of the most hated versions of Windows in the last decade and widely regarded as a design failure. Windows 10 tried to rectify the overly simplistic approach of Metro in Windows 8.
Lastly, Metro is not even the up-to-date design system of Windows and hasn’t been since 2017, when they changed to Fluent. So going with Metro would be pretty out-of-date from the get go.
@seltzdesign, I had no idea that you are such a Windows 7 fan. Do you still use it today ? 
I am not a fan of Windows 7. Personally I prefer Mac, but we work with Windows 10 as well.
Just saying that I don’t see what improvements in terms of UI there were going from Windows 7 to Windows 10. Sure, it looks refreshed and simpler, but that doesn’t mean the usability is better because of that.
Good usability is not something I associate with Windows, regardless of the version or design system they used…
Strange, I actually find W10 quite impressive. Very stable, alot more software available for it compared to mac. Interface is clean and fast responsive, including the touch and pen stuff.
Should improve the Edge browser.
Let’s not get into comparing Windows and Mac. They both have their good and bad. Usability (ie. how easy it is to use the interface) I personally much prefer on Mac. But its very subjective.
We have a Surface Studio and while its implemented nicely and works quite well I just can’t find a use case where I would prefer to use touch on a big screen.
Discussions like this show why GH2 probably shouldn’t just change UI style on a whim. It’s very subjective and the work and effort to a) change the whole UI and b) for everyone to then adapt to that new UI is probably not worth it and an evolution of the current (already great UI) is going to be much better for everyone.
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I do like what I saw on youtube. my point was just as a suggestion.
Regrading the Surface Studio I think it’s super fun to draw by hand. also quite relaxing.
Take a screenshot of the current design, sketch on it while talking with team, etc. It’s not for precision but for communication.
I also like to turn the camera in Rhino with my hands sometimes.
Have you tried a 3D mouse? We use the SpaceMouse Wireless by 3DConnexion. I think you will find it is the ultimate way to control the camera. You use it the same as a mouse, so no lifting of arms to the screen, which gets tiring quickly and you have much better control. Normal mouse on the right, 3D mouse on the left. Give it a try 
nah, I play with the xbox controller in enscape.
I tried that out a while ago but I was annoyed that it doesnt replace the mouse, it’s a navigation accessory adding to my desktop clutter. is that still the case?
Yes it is. I guess it has to fit in your workflow, but I wouldn’t want to miss it. The fact that I use it with my left hand and the normal mouse with the right is what is great. You always need the mouse, but the keyboard is only used for the occasional command. Usually I work just with the mouse and 3D mouse.
I like the idea of somehow having a mouse and 3D mouse in one. Like making the mouse wheel a little better for navigating.
Lastly I think navigating the 3D viewport is pretty terrible in Rhino. Zooming with the mouse wheel often gets stuck where its just not zooming out linereally any longer. In my opinion a 3D mouse makes it bareable, but on its own I find it clunky at best compared to other 3D software.
p.s. would be cool to have the xbox controller working in rhino as well. i’ll go for rhino minecrafting !
I wonder what the future of navigation has in serve.
I’m a big fan of keyboard shortcuts & trying to use the mouse as little as possible. I think that it can save a lot of time but for selecting zooming & orbiting mouse is essential.
My prediction is that we will see more touch interactivity and maybe gestural tracking like project SOLI (if it ever sees the light). Modelling in VR/AR may also become more viable as UI’s get smarter at integrating other kinds os input as motion tracking and voice control.