Should it be style change, or complete redesign of the UI?
I think the different
styles available today allow users to find what they're looking for.
The current interface is Cartesian: methodical, rational. Everything is logical. There will always be adjustments to make, but the core functionality is solid, well-developed, and presented factually. It has an Excel spreadsheet-like style: that was my first impression, and it seemed rather "cold."
In short, a fine piece of work has been done in recent years on the functional side. Well done.
It's perhaps time, and I would even say essential, to move to a more "warm" interface. An interface that comes alive when an action is performed. It's not about having a Christmas tree every time an action is completed, but about giving it a more user-friendly feel. Especially when you spend hours on it…
I also think the
help documentation should be completely redesigned. This document is factual and fulfills its purpose: to help, to provide information.
Today, software elements and actions must be instantly understandable. Society is evolving this way: we no longer necessarily take the time to search and understand things on our own. We want an immediate answer.
For example, Serato DJ allows you to activate tooltips via a button in the top right corner. Once activated, you simply hover your mouse over an element and the tooltip appears instantly. And more than just a standard tooltip, it also provides examples. It explains where to start, like a tutorial. So yes, these tooltips are sometimes several lines long, but they give you the essential information immediately and are more user-friendly. And, in the not-too-distant future, there will be explanatory videos.
Whether you're a beginner or an intermediate user, these enhanced tooltips are a welcome addition. And if you no longer want to see them, you can disable the option using the tooltip button.
These tooltips would also solve the current display problem in RadioBOSS: some text is cut off because there isn't enough space. This is because words and phrases in French, German, or Spanish are longer than in English. And it's difficult to create a very short translation that still captures the original meaning of an action. The problem is clearly visible in "Settings," and also in the Scheduler.
So, we translate an action to the bare minimum, and the tooltip explains it for those who need it.
Yes, this will require a lot of work. I fully understand that. But I think it's necessary.
The idea of
redesigning the user interface is something to anticipate. There will inevitably be users who utter those magic phrases: it was better before, this is the end of RadioBOSS… We can't avoid it.
This could be better received by implementing a transition period: when a major update arrives, the user can choose between the old and new interfaces. This would last for the duration of the major update. It will also require a lot of work, perhaps even too much work, and a choice will have to be made. But this period will also allow for fine-tuning the new version for those who are more hesitant.
It's time for some serious self-reflection: in France, radio listenership has been declining for several survey periods, and this is becoming alarming. Particularly among young people, the audience figures are alarming, even catastrophic. I'm not saying that changing the RadioBOSS user interface will suddenly win back listeners. That's not the point I want to make here. It's simply an observation: young people are turning away from radio. It's time to ask ourselves why. What is making young people less interested in working in radio?
Young people discovering radio for the first time don't have the same sparkle in their eyes that I did when I was younger. There are no more vinyl records, no more cassettes, no more tapes, no more CDs, no more impressive big machines with air-conditioned rooms, and soon there won't be any more DJs (radio hosts or announcers) because of AI… Everything is miniaturized, the texture has disappeared. The human element is also disappearing when I listen to some radio stations. It feels like the end of the world, as I describe it. But there are still some positive aspects. And I don't regret the past. We just have to reposition ourselves and move forward.
Young people discovering RadioBOSS today are often wondering, "What is this?"... For me, an old-timer, it represents all those vinyl records, CDs, the old DALET, and so much more. I can see beyond Excel spreadsheets because I have a certain amount of life experience. But for these young people, RadioBOSS is now the one and only interface that represents the functional world of radio. And that deserves a bit more magic and user-friendliness for the next generation of users. For us, for the younger generation, for our future, and to keep the dream alive. Because that's also what radio is about: making people dream. You just have to believe in it
