Skype for Mac design competition announced

Skype has got to get v5 fixed to work with the original iChat camera before I will use it. I, like many tower users, have the original camera stuck to my Display and though it worked on the v5 beta it doesn't on the release. If I need to do video conferencing (which happens often enough with freelance work) I have to go to my laptop instead. So Skype messed up with more than the graphics when they went to v5 - I agree v5 interfase was a real step backward. It takes up way too much space unless you just the contacts manager pane.

Shame on you Skype.

And yeah, I'm like the others. I downgraded to v2.8 until they do something about v5.

I downgraded to 2.8 and I am much happier. http://mac.oldapps.com/skype.php and you're all set.

What they don't understand is that the chat interface isn't the worst of the UI (yeah it needs work, but a chat interface should be simple). The problem is the rest of the GUI. Why does it take so much space to display a list of 4 people that are online?!

Asking their users to design a new chat interface is a fairly clever move by the Skype for Mac development team. It reveals that they recognise that the new 'look' for v5 is unpopular with users, it engages users and so gives the impression that their input is valuable, and provides the dev team with cheap feedback about what users would like to see in the next version.

However. A challenge to design a new chat theme isn't going to address the problem that many users see as insurmountable. That the Skype for Mac v5 GUI is an absolute mess.

As my Granny used to say "Stevie, you cant polish a turd - but you can put sprinkles on it...".

Sprinkles ain't going to do it! Skype for Mac v6 needs to be a complete rethink from the ground up.

I for one shall be staying with v2.8, until something better comes along.

I just find it comical that such a company can maintain their denial as long as they have. Design is often subjective, but when it comes to UI design in particular, there's just no other way to put it. It's hideous. No chat redesign can possibly save their latest version. It needs to be completely reworked. I can't imagine what kind of psychopathic UI designer looked at the 2.8 UI and said to themselves, "I wish this interface were more Windows-like."

Too bad anyone with self respect left Skype after the last version, with the disgusting UI and fees.

Apple should slap them around for failing a basic UI rule: if the app is Hidden, it pops up again if the status of one of your contacts changes. Acck! It's hidden because it's so big and ugly—stay hidden until I say so!!!!

This is the worst attempt at crowd sourcing I've seen yet. Cheap Skype, real cheap.

I'm shocked and aghast that Skype would be this cheap and foolhardy. From the majority of the posts I've seen (and sent in myself) the new Skype 5 interface is thoroughly loathed. It has TONS of vacant white space, is missing intuitive buttons like the old version, and generally looks like it was just thrown together without much thought towards usability. Not only that, the release version of the software can't recognize my original iSight webcam (i.e. the standalone non-built-in type) so I'm using the beta version.

Now they need a UI and instead of researching it and paying a design team to come up with something brilliant, they announce a contest. This is essentially saying "Give us $5,000 to $10,000 worth of work and we'll give you an iPad."

Bad show Skype! The old user interface was just fine, compact and worked quite well.